DIY prenatal yoga practice

Pregnancy and the journey to motherhood is a time of great adventure. Having been there twice myself, I can vouch that it is quite the roller coaster ride. Practicing yoga during this time is a very calming and invigorating experience.

If you are not able to take a full hour off for yourself due to other commitments at least try to regularly practice for 20 minutes.

Here is an easy compilation for a quick and effective DIY prenatal practice.

1. Start with easy stretches and loosening of joints (5 minutes)

a. Neck, wrist and ankle rolls to release pressure on the nerves.

b. Extension of fingers and toes as if you are working a stress ball gets the blood circulation going in the extremities.

c. Marjarasan (cats and cows) is a great flow to do at your own pace throughout pregnancy to massage your entire spine and hip bone.

d. Badhhakonasan (butterfly/cobbler) to stretch the inner thighs and tone the pelvic floor.

2. Working the sides and upper back (3 minutes)

a. Sitting cross-legged, extend left arm out to the left side of your mat and gently bend your neck away on the opposite side with your right hand.

b. Gomukhasan (cowface pose) is great for increasing space on the sides of your abdomen.

c. Seated Garudasan (eagle arms) helps to tone upper back muscles which take quite a beating when the baby is out and demands to be held, rocked and nursed all the time.

3. Twists and chest openers (2 minutes)

a. Vakrasan – gentle open twist with one leg extended and the other bent at the knee.

b. Easy Ushtrasan (camel pose) is a great chest opener. Place your palms on lower back and gently take your gaze slightly up as you contract the spine and breathe.

4. Standing poses (2 minutes)

a. Taking support by a ledge or wall, lift up and down on tippy toes to strengthen the calves. Do not do this if you are prone to cramps.

b. Extend your hands all the way up in a namaste mudra, planting your feet comfortably on the mat.

c. Hold on to a ledge or wall and pulse your legs sideways without bending the knee to tone hips and thighs.

5. Pranayama and Kegels (3 minutes)

a. Sit down in a comfortable position and spend some time to do Anulom-Vilom (alternate nostril breathing) and practice a minute of Kegels to tone the muscles near the birth canal.

6. Body scan meditation (5 minutes)

a. Lie down on your side for 5 minutes and just breathe. Move your attention from your toes all the way to the crown of your head and notice any sensations that arise in your body.

You will need a fair amount of experience with yoga in order to understand and apply this by yourself. This is the basic guideline that I followed for my own personal practice and it made me fitter and calmer. Even though I am a certified teacher and can very well practice on my own, sometimes I just wanted to be led through a class and especially through meditation by another guide as it felt like a different kind of refreshing!

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A big shout out to my students for being such wonderful yogi-mom-models! : )

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Hope this helps you enjoy your pregnancy too!

*Consult your healthcare provider before starting any exercise regime*

*Please do not try this at home on your own if you have little or no experience with yoga*

*Begin your practice with a trained yoga instructor before you are confident of going solo*