Second Trimester
The second trimester of pregnancy is also called as the honeymoon days of pregnancy. The time of morning sickness has been passed and you feel energetic. Although your belly is growing at this period of time, it does not disturb you to move hassle-free. This is the perfect time for you to get into rhythm with yoga practice. The following are certain tips for yoga during second semester of pregnancy:
Tips For Yoga During Second Trimester
• Be Gentle With Your Body
At this point of time, your joints begin to loosen up, now try to deep dive into positions of yoga carefully. As long as you are comfortable, hold the poses. Do not push your body till exhaustion.
• Pay Attention To The Requirements Of Your Body
You must be aware of the fact that your increasing belly will surely affect the balance. Practice the standing poses with any support of any chair to hold you in case you feel weak or dizzy. You must be ready to modify the poses.
• Limit The Time To Be Spent On Back
By lying on back can put some pressure on inferior vena cava, and it leads to reduction of blood flow to uterus, so avoid lying on back. You can also feel dizziness and shortness in breath and even nausea. It is advised to use pillow to uplift the upper body.
• Concentarte On Mental Aspect Of Yoga Over Physical
After backing off from exhausting asana and focusing on turning inward, you will be enjoying this middle trimester much, you will also be prepared for extreme concentration needed in labor and delivery and also in motherhood.
Yoga Poses For Second Trimester (13 To 27 Weeks)
You can safely perform the asana that you performed in first trimester and can add more poses in your second trimester.
1. Mountain Pose (Tadasan)
This pose enhances the muscle awareness. Stand up with hip feet-width apart, stand with toes touching and heels apart. Stand in a manner to avoid locking your knees. Feel the muscles in inner thighs and bring those outwards. Assure that your muscles are relaxed and engaged in distributing weight over muscles. Ensure that your spine is neutral. Take long breaths through nose, your legs, abdominals and lower back must be in same posture. Stay for five long deep breaths. Whenever you feel ready then move out of pose.
Advantages
This pose helps in creating awareness of muscles and balance, enhancing flexibility and strength in legs, feet and hips. Also, a good starting pose for many other poses.
2. Chair Pose (Utkatasana)
Begin this pose by standing with feet together and arms by side. You must see that whether the weight is towards heels, you can keep slight bend in knees. Sink your hips downwards and backwards, reaching finger tips towards ground. Now raise arms upside, straighten arms and extend fingers towards ceiling. Now bring palms of hands above the head. Bring weight into heels back and notice whether you can bend your knees deeper. Drop your hips down and back like you are about to sit on chair. Avoid to overarching your back. Keep hip muscles and abdomen active. Come out of pose by pressing the feet and come back into standing pose that you started in.
Advantages
This pose works on building the strength in inner thighs and legs. Moreover, it engages arms and abdomen and opens the front side of the shoulders.
3. Tree Pose (Vrksasana)
Begin this yoga by standing and your arms relaxed by sides. Bring your weight towards mid of feet and toes apart. When you inhale, raise your arms over head, interlock fingers and then turn your palm towards upside. When you exhale, place hands over the head. Now inhale and stretch your chest, arms and shoulders towards upside. Stretch your whole body from upside to downside. Now bring your hands to top of your head, while exhaling. Relax for some time, and repeat the process for 8-10 times.
Advantages
This pose helps to train physical and mental balance. The spine gets stretched and loose, helps back to relax.
4. Warrior Pose I (Virabhadrasana)
In this asana, stand in a posture that your feet stays three to four feet apart. Now turn the right foot at 90 degrees and left by 15 degrees. While breathing in lift your arms till height of shoulder. Now exhale and bend your knee, aligning it with ankle and working to bring Turn your head towards right, look across right hand. Hold this pose, breathe for few times. Inhale, straightening your right leg. Exhale, bring arms downwards. Repeat the whole process on the other side.
Advantages
This pose builds stability in the ankles, legs, abdomen, lower back, arms and shoulders.
5. Waist Rotating Pose (Katichakrasana)
In this asana, inhale and turn torso to the left, hold the left shoulder with right hand and bring left hand around waist from back to right side of hip, palms facing out. Try to rotate waist and gaze behind and turn neck. Taking three breaths remain in this pose and assure that the twist does not cause any discomfort in abdomen. This pose relieves stress around shoulders and neck.
Advantages
This pose relieves stress from neck and shoulders, and lower back eases. This tightens abdominal muscles.
6. Bound Angle Pose
Stretch your legs completely like in Dandasana while sitting on the mat. Remain in this posture for few breaths. By bending both legs at knees, inhale. Keep your feet close in this asana. By keeping yoga blocks under thighs give better support. Sit for 12 breaths and ensure that knees and hips are comfortable. Wrap both of the hands around the feet to feel comfortable.
Advantages
This pose works as wonders for leg muscles, strengthens spine and improves digestion, enhances working of kidneys and urinary tract.
7. Cradle Pose (Hindolasana)
Now from bound angle pose. Inhale and raise your left leg up supporting with elbows. By raising legs, cramps reduces and your sciatic nerve gets comfort. Ensure that legs are not too high and not pressed hard towards chest and bring discomfort in abdomen. Remain for 3 breaths and assure that abdominal muscles are not strained too much. As it is clear from the name that this pose give sense of connection towards your child.
Advantages
By stretching hips, the stiffness and the tension at lower back gets released.
8. Torso Stretch Pose (Bharadvajasana)
From Bound Angle Pose, bring the knees on floor and rest the left foot out and right inside. Now inhale and take torso to right in a twist. Keep the right hand on floor behind you. Twist to right and bring left hand on right knee. Being in Bharadvajasana, remain here f or 4 breaths by closing eyes. This soothes lower back and hips and give gentle stretch to pelvic floor muscles.
Advantages
This pose boosts nervous system, stretches shoulders and hips, provide deep stretch to spine with gentle twist.
Conclusion
In 21st and 22nd week, the fetus’ movements will be felt; also the risks are comparatively less than first trimester. Some of the visible changes like weight gain, overactive hormones, nausea and strain on spine and back could be felt. The pre-natal yoga for second-trimester includes yoga poses to keep soft joints tight and fit. These three months are also are the easiest for most of the women. While you are feeling better and your energy is up, you take time to start planning for arrival of your baby.
Caution
While doing yoga, assure that your heart rate does not uplift more than the usual half. Do not push yourself towards strenuous exercises because these can enhance the demand for oxygen and reduces it for the requirement of baby. While exercising, keep yourself cool, increased body temperature can be harmful for your baby. If your bosy feels uncomfortable, stop yourself. Do not move yourself towards back side during any exercise.
See Also: Yoga Poses to Avoid During Second Trimester Pregnancy
