Yoga For First Trimester During Pregnancy
Pregnancy is a magnificent time in a life of women. It is a life-changing experience to learn that you are pregnant. Carrying a new life inside your body for nine months is an incredible experience. However, the expecting mothers must not forget in the excitement to prioritize their health and fitness. As, your body is sustaining a new life, yoga is a miraculous way to keep yourself serene, strong and healthy in all the upcoming months. The wonders of yoga asanas in the different trimester and its method is explained in this blog.
Let us begin with the yoga asanas during first trimester:
Tips Of Yoga For First Trimester
• Start Learning Under Qualified Trainer
If you are new to yoga or have never practiced it before or you don’t have an exact idea about how to do it, it is recommended that you must perform the yoga asanas under guidance of an expert. You must not rely on yoga videos.
• Do Not Stop The Practice Throughout The Pregnancy
Before your pregnancy, if you had a strong practice of yoga. You could continue to do a fairly robust practice with some required modifications, after first trimester.
• Try To Be Gentle With Your Body
As, the risk of miscarriage is highest because the fetus is still implanting in first trimester. The beginning and the experienced ones should be gentle while doing yoga. In case you feel tired or unbalanced, use some props.
• Adjust The Practices As Per To Accommodate Your Baby
You must practice the yoga asanas by bearing in your mind that you are carrying a baby in your stomach. Avoid doing backbends, inversions etc.
Yoga Poses During First Trimester of Pregnancy (0 to 12 weeks)
1. Kantha and Skandha Sanchalana (Neck and Shoulder Rolls)
In this asana, with gentle breathing, roll your head towards front, back, right, left and in circles in clockwise and anti-clockwise direction. Like this way rotate the shoulder blades from front and back, upside and downside and in clockwise and anti- clockwise direction. Do these movements for 4-5 times.
Advantages
The soft breaths in this yoga release the tension from neck, head and shoulder area.
2. Baddha Konasana (Full Butterfly)
With your legs outstretched, sit in a calm posture. After bending your knees and keeping your heels close to the body, bring the sole of feet together. Now relax your thighs. With both of the hands, hold the feet. Try to bounce your knees up and down gently. The elbows will act as the levers to press the legs downward. Repeat this for up to 25 to 30 times. Now straighten your legs and then relax.
Advantages
The full butterfly pose is remarkable to loosen up the joints of hip and it enhances the blood circulation till the pelvic base. Also, the tiredness and the tension from legs and inner thigh muscles get relieved.
3. Marjariasana (Cat Stretch Pose)
For the starting position, lay down on your knees and palm, keeping your palm apart at shoulder-width below the shoulders, and place your knees apart at hip-width below the hips. While raising your head, inhale and arch the spine towards the floor. Bring the chin towards the chest while exhaling, gently arch your spine in upward direction. Repeat the steps for 8-10 minutes.
Advantages
In this position, the flexibility of your neck, spine and shoulder improves. This can be done in a safe manner till six months of pregnancy.
4. Paschimottanasana (Seated Forward Bends)
In this asana, you have to sit while stretching your legs outwards and toes inwards. If required, separate the legs, in order to avoid any pressure on belly. Inhale while raising arms above the head and stretch upwards. Bending towards forward from hip, exhale gently. Keeping the spine in erect position, move towards toes in spite of towards knees. Keep your hands on legs. Stretch your arms out in front of you, Now inhale while moving back to the position. While lowering your arms, exhale.
Advantages
Tones the shoulders, natural massage to the organs of abdominal area, stretches lower back.
5. Tadasana (Palm Tree Pose)
With your arms at your side stand, while keeping your feet together. Raise your arms over head, while inhaling, interlock fingers and turn palm upside. While exhaling, keep your hands over head. Now inhale, mean while stretch your shoulders, arms and chest towards up direction. Stretch your body from up to down. Bring your hands towards top of head, while exhaling. Now relax and repeat whole process for 8-10 minutes.
Advantages
Aid to develop mental and physical balance. The whole spine gets stretched, assists the back to relax and stretch.
6. Trikonasana (Triangle Pose)
While breathing in and bringing your arms in parallel direction towards the floor, stand with your feet apart. Now bring the right hand closer to the right foot. Hold here, now come up breathing in slowly and relax. Now repeat the whole process on other side.
Advantages
Restores and enhances blood circulation through whole body, relieves pain from back and full body.
7. Mountain Pose (Tadasana)
The hormonal changes in every woman is different, also not every pregnant women have similar symptoms. Therefore, for first trimester, a simple stretch in the upper body moving with breath is considered.
Bring your body at the center of mat by standing in comfort, stand with some distance between feet. To connect with the movement of body, take few breaths. Since you feel comfortable, now move with four rounds of connecting with exhalation and inhalation. By beginning with Tadasana, helps to begin with calming breath and staying in pause with body.
8. Staff Pose (Dandasana)
After some rounds of Tadasana, sit at the mat in Dandasana. While seating in Dandasana, stretch your legs in front of you, extend the spine upwards till your comfort and close your eyes. You may use blanket or pillow below hips to support spine and lower back. Assure that hips are comfortable and back straight, it must be assured that the flow of prana from spine’s base to head’s crown must be smooth. Seating for about 5-6 breaths, focus on breath.
Advantages
This yoga strengthens the legs, stretches the back muscles, enhances flexibility of pelvis and hips
9. Standing Backbend Pose
Stand in Tadasana, and take few breaths to relax. Place your palms on your hips close to lower back and bend the elbows, push lower back inside and take some breaths. Now inhale and extend upper body upside and take the lower back inward and tilt hips inside when you exhale, bend the upper back backwards.
While taking back in a slight bend, assure that you have good sense of balance. For three breaths, remains standing in backbend. Taking few breaths to connect, release relax in Tadasana.
Advantages
Improves functioning of lungs, abdominal muscles get stretched and improves digestion, regulates blood pressure. Make sure enough water consumption is done in order to stay hydrated.
10. Easy Pose Variation Belly (Sukhasana Variation Belly)
From Dandasana, cross your legs and sit in Sukhasana or Easy Pose, bring the hands below your belly to get connected with embryo. Now seat yourself comfortably on a cushion, start deep connection of movement of belly with breath. When you inhale, watch the belly movement and when you exhale, relax your body. Sit in Sukhasana for 10-12 breaths and do not forget to bring smile on your face. It is advisable to use the walls for support.
Conclusion
The first trimester is considered to be very crucial due to high risk of miscarriage. Therefore, it is very crucial to understand your body in this time and accept the changes happening to your body and face the hormonal changes. Ensure that breathing is done throughout the practice and to stay hydrated, consume enough water. Positivity works as wonders, feel the vibration of motherhood and enjoy this memorable time.
Caution
- The first trimester is considered to be very crucial due to high risk of miscarriage. Therefore, avoid doing the strenuous yoga poses in the first trimester. Also, do not overstretch yourself beyond your natural range.
- Rest is also important during this phase, do not forget to listen to your body.
- Do not practice doing yoga in hot weather, perform it in cool surroundings.
- Certain asanas can inhibits the blood flow towards uterus, and may cause sprains.
- In order to stay hydrated, you must consume enough water.
Always consult a trainer or doctor before participating in intense yoga classes.
It is very crucial to understand your body in this time and accept the changes happening to your body and face the hormonal changes. Ensure that breathing is done throughout the practice and to stay hydrated, consume enough water. Positivity works as wonders, feel the vibration of motherhood and enjoy this memorable time.
