Prenatal Yoga:
Connecting with Your Unborn Child
By Mel Campbell
When I was pregnant with my third child I began to really appreciate the meaning of yoga; The union of Mind, Body and Spirit. I was in the 16th week of my third pregnancy, aged 39 years old, I was considered an ‘at risk’ motherto-be due to my age and I had recently been diagnosed with a low lying placenta. The chances of having a natural birth was slim, however I was determined to have a natural active birth and to ‘breath my baby out’.
So as I uncurled my Yoga mat, rested in a supported Supta Baddha Konasana, wrapped my arms around my bump, cradling my growing baby in my hands and surrendered into my breath , I realized this is where my journey of yoga would truly begin.
Over the following months I put aside the physical form of the asanas (poses), meditated upon my breath, sent positive thoughts to my growing baby, visualized the birth I wanted, listened to my intuition, heeding the wisdom of my body as I practiced connecting with my baby through my mind, body and breath.
Through-out the 40 weeks of gestation a mother’s body takes an incredible journey to support, nour- ish and nurture her growing baby and therefore it is vital she takes care of herself. Yoga is a gentle way the mother can keep herself active, supple and help to alleviate any common pregnancy symptoms, whilst also helping to prepare her body and mind for labor and child birth. The practice of Pre-natal yoga gives her the opportunity to create a world (her body) for her baby.
One which is healthy and peaceful, by taking time out of her daily rou- tine the mother-to-be can simply be with her growing baby and unite with her unborn child through the mind, body and breath. Whether new to yoga or a regular practitio- ner a mother-to-be can enjoy all the benefits of Prenatal Yoga.
“What a child learns in the womb cannot be learned on earth”
-Yogi Bhajan.
The first trimester of a pregnancy are the most challenging in terms of practicing yoga. The body is going through rapid daily changes on the inside, although there is no evidence of this on the outside. As the baby starts to develop and nestle in to the uterus where it will stay until the birth it changes from a single embryonic cell into a developing fetus. By the end of the week 9 the physical make-up of the growing baby is formed and by the end of the first trimester it is moving effortlessly around in its ocean of ammonic fluid.
During these first weeks, it is vital the mother-to-be listens to her body, respecting any cues her body gives her. By listening to her intuition and letting the wisdom of her body be her guide, which is really the cornerstone for any yoga practice, it is the perfect time to practice meditation, pranayama (breathing techniques) and restorative yoga, all of which are great tools to have when it comes to the labor and childbirth.
aspiremag.net
Meditation for the first tri- mester
This week I will pack my imaginary bag for my new life ahead of me, I shall think about all the things I would like to take with me, to en- hance my experience; courage, wis- dom, faith, acceptance, and choose what I would like to leave behind; fear, anxiety, worries, concerns. I will make friends with my inner self, whom I will be traveling with, and greet her with love, laughter and joy.
As the mother-to-be enters the second trimester she is hopefully feeling more energized as the morn- ing sickness and any signs of tired- ness may have abated. The intention for this stage of the pregnancy is building strength with the focus of the practice on standing postures, squats and hip openers to help release the hips and pelvis, whilst releasing any tension around the cervix and birth canal as the mother- to-be begins to prepare herself physically for labor and childbirth.
In addition the woman is advised to begin Kegler exercises on a daily basis (if she is not already) to con- nect her with the muscles of her pelvic floor to make for an easier birth and aid the healing process after delivery.
Ideal postures include; Virbrad- hasana II, Parsvottasana, Trikonasana, Parsvakonasana, Upitivits Konasana, Baddha Konasana, Malasana. Poses area adapted and modified through- out the pregnancy to accommodate for the growing bump.
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