International Yoga Day 2022: Do's and Don'ts of Prenatal Yoga

From pilates, and yoga to functional training, B-Town actresses never fail to inspire their followers with their workout regime even when they are pregnant. A trend that started making buzz on social media when Kareena Kapoor Khan and Anushka Sharma posted yoga asanas during their pregnancy, has been continued by other popular faces including Kajal Aggarwal. Very recently TV star Debina Bonnerjee too posted a photo of trying out a headstand in her third trimester.

But how much is too much when it comes to performing yoga during pregnancy? On this International Yoga Day, we asked some of the yoga experts about the importance of prenatal Yoga and the dos and don’t.

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Yoga practitioner Pavleen Gujral, says that during pregnancy, one can do very basic asanas depending on their trimester. “If you are in your third trimester then you should avoid any kind of asanas that require too much movement,” she told Firstpost and suggested five asanas.

She also suggested asanas like Bhadrasana (butterfly pose), Triangle Pose (Utthita Trikonasana), cat pose and cow pose, and Mountain Pose (Parvatasana ) and savasana for pregnant women.

“The most important thing in yoga is a breathing technique so if you combine your breathing with your movement then you will get maximum benefits.

Dr Mickey Mehta, Global holistic Healer, and corporate lifestyle coach, also believes that “regular practice of yoga certainly helps a delivery be very smooth, natural and a lot of trouble-free to a large extent.”

“ Yoga helps regulate your breath so while delivering your breath management, your contractions & expansions become very appropriate. Most importantly your ability, resilience, tenacity & your conditioning to pain increase. Your mind is cool, calm & collected. It is very much in the moment being total in the process of delivery and mind not meandering here and there. Plus all the asanas movements make all the joints easy, flexible, agile & they get opened up and the body cooperates very well,” he said.

For him too, Bhadrasana (Butterfly pose), Kati chakrasana (standing twist pose), Malasana (Garland Pose), Marjarasana (cat-cow), Vishnuasana (Side-reclining leg raise pose), Ushtrasana (Camel pose) are some of the best yoga poses during pregnancy.

Dr Rajeev Rajesh, Chief Yoga Officer, Jindal Naturecure Institute, says that there are many myths related to prenatal yoga that one needs to know

“Prenatal yoga is a comprehensive fitness approach involving stretching, mental centering, and concentrated breathing, similar to other types of birthing preparation sessions. According to research, prenatal yoga appears to be safe for pregnant women and their newborns,” he told Firstpost.

Here are some typical prenatal yoga myths and the truth behind those myths according to him.

Myth 1: The first myth is that you should not twist. In any case.

Truth: Twisting is fine during pregnancy if you twist from your upper spine and your belly isn’t constricted.

Myth 2: After the second trimester, you should avoid lying on your back.

Truth: For the most part, laying on one’s back for short periods throughout the second trimester is safe—up to a point.

Myth 3: Inversions are not recommended.

Truth: Going upside down during pregnancy is fine as long as you’ve done it before and feel steady. On the other hand, pregnancy is not the time to begin learning more sophisticated inversions.

Myth 4: Doing core work is a bad idea.

Truth: Excessive crunching and rounder forms can cause postpartum issues like diastasis recti. Movements with a neutral spine, on the other hand, may be beneficial in preventing low back problems.

He also says that Yoga can help a woman cope with the emotional and physical changes that come with pregnancy. “Yoga is recommended by doctors for pregnant women because it is mild on the body, relieves pain, and keeps the body supple,” he said and added that, “some people believe that doing specific poses can help with labour and delivery.”

He also talks about steps that one should avoid during pregnancy

“To maintain proper spine curvature, bend from your hips rather than your back when performing poses. Avoid laying on your stomach or back, bending deeply forward or backward, or twisting poses that exert pressure on your abdomen. Twisting positions can be modified to solely move your upper back, shoulders, and rib cage,” he said.

He also advises pregnant women to pay attention to how they feel in their bodies. “Begin slowly and avoid postures that are above your degree of comfort or experience. Only stretch as far as you would have before becoming pregnant,” he said.

Also, poses that need strong belly contractions or engagement and put a lot of strain on your stomach should be avoided unless you are highly experienced or are working closely with a qualified yoga instructor.

Nivedita Sharma’s work experience includes covering fashion weeks in Milan, Pakistan, Vancouver, Hong Kong, Dubai, and award functions like IIFA, and TOIFA. 

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