After nearly 10 years of yoga practice and study, I thought I knew pretty much everything there was to know about practicing yoga asanas (there’s always more to learn, of course, but I had mastered the basics—yay me!). But then I got pregnant. And I realized I had no freaking clue what I was doing when it came to practicing yoga during pregnancy.
I Googled. I found some basic guidelines (mostly how to modify the practice for a giant belly), but nothing that was a really good detailed guide that shared everything I needed to know about practicing for two. It was frustrating. I emailed a few yoga teachers who I admired and respected (I didn’t want to ask my teachers in person because I wasn’t ready to spill the beans just yet). Still I mostly got a lot of non-answers like “it’s different for everyone,” “do what feels goods,” “oh, you’ll KNOW if you’re doing something that’s unsafe.” These are true statements, but I wanted someone to just freakin’ tell me what I should do and what I shouldn’t do. Is that really too much to ask? Maybe you’re here because you’re feeling the same way (If that’s the case, Congratulations! Motherhood is a doozy and it will change you forever in both good and not-so-good ways.). It turns out so much about practicing yoga during a pregnancy is trial-and-error. I had to just try some things out and see what would work for me in that particular moment. It all ended up working out OK because I had a healthy baby girl in the end and I felt pretty strong and healthy for most of my pregnancy—and after, too.
P.S. If you’re here looking for the Do’s and Don’ts of Yoga during Pregnancy scroll down—there’s a free download JUST for you at the bottom of the page!
3 Things I Didn’t Know About Practicing Yoga During Pregnancy
1. It’s not rocket science, but it’s different for everyone.
When I first found out I was pregnant I freaked out—and not just because of the whole “there’s a person growing in my belly” concept, but also because I didn’t know all the “rules” about practicing yoga while I was pregnant. By the time I reached by third trimester, I realized something I don’t think many people know about yoga during pregnancy. I’ll let you in on the secret: There are basic guidelines for practicing when pregnant. Yes, there are many poses that are recommended or not recommended during pregnancy—but it’s different for everybody and what feels great one day might feel totally horrible and unsafe the next. Also, it’s pretty unlikely that you’re going to do anything that will harm your baby on your yoga mat—even if you’re not following the guidelines to a T. If it feels good, it probably IS good. And if it doesn’t—back off and move on to something that does. The same “rule” applies to pregnancy yoga as yoga during any other time of your life: Trust your body and your intuition.
2. Most yoga teachers really don’t know that much about yoga during pregnancy, so it’s important to do your own homework.
Sure, most teachers know the basic modifications for twists and Savasana when you’ve got a giant belly, but unless a teacher either has extensive training in prenatal yoga (or has actually experience practicing yoga while pregnant), but unless the teacher is trained specifically in prenatal yoga, I take what they’re saying with a grain a salt. Sorry men.. I don’t care how many books you’ve read—if you haven’t felt it, I won’t be seeking out your advice. Oh, and even though not everyone knows very much about pregnancy yoga, when you tell a teacher you’re expecting they will feel the need to tell you everything they DO know. I know they were trying to help (and also cover their asses from any liability). But I found this particularly annoying in my first trimester when I didn’t exactly want everyone who walked into the studio to know my business and ask me questions.
3. I thought I hated prenatal yoga classes because I couldn’t find one for me.
I apologize in advance to all the prenatal teachers and mamas out there who got tons of benefits from their prenatal classes. It’s just wasn’t for me. When I was pregnant with my daughter, I went to quite a few prenatal yoga classes (to be clear, I consider prenatal yoga a class that’s designed for pregnant women as opposed to pregnancy yoga which is the term I’m using for practicing any hatha yoga during pregnancy), and they seem to be geared toward the mama who might go into labor at any given second instead of to someone like me who still wants to move a lot and get in a good sweat. It’s possible that I just never found the right prenatal yoga class for me. But during my first pregnancy, I decided I’d rather modify poses in my regular classes. I can still salute the sun, thank you very much.
Update 2016: I ended up becoming a prenatal yoga teacher after I had my baby because I wanted to help mamas have a better experience than I did! Like most prenatal yoga classes, my classes are geared toward beginning yoga students, but I’m also very careful to offer ways to amp up the practice for those mamas who have an existing practice and do not enjoy paying someone their heard-earned money so they can lay on a bolster for 55 minutes. My philosophy is that a pregnant mama should be able to rest when she’s feeling exhausted, but she should also be able to challenge herself physically and get some nervous energy out when she’s feeling energized. I try to create a space for both. And I absolutely couldn’t be more proud of the community we’ve created for mamas here. If you’re in the Charleston, SC area, check out my prenatal yoga classes in the Charleston, SC area, and come see me! (Please let me know you found me through the blog—it will make me SO happy!) If you’re not close by, stay tuned—my plan is to offer lots of online resources so that you can practice along no matter where you live.
I want to hear from other yoga mamas out there.. is there anything that really surprised you about practicing yoga during pregnancy?
Read more …
5 Things I Learned Practicing Yoga for Two
Why Every Yoga Mama Needs a Secret Savasana
Yogi Wars and Mommy Wars + Why I’m Done With Both
