Wonderfully, many women attend yoga when they’re pregnant. Regardless if they’ve ever been to a yoga class, pregnant women flock to the yoga studio. As a teacher, it’s worth taking an extra training that explicitly discusses yoga and pregnancy. If you don’t feel comfortable teaching prenatal yoga, be honest with your students and encourage them to do some research on which poses they should or shouldn’t do. One thing to note about pregnant women is they tend to be in tune with what is happening with their body. They will listen to cues from their body and intuitively know which poses to avoid.
Generally, twists, balancing and prone positions should be avoided by pregnant women, especially as they progress through their pregnancy.
Yoga for pregnancy will provide the physical benefits of exercise that can be scaled to the woman’s ability throughout her pregnancy. Furthermore, the emotional benefits of meditation and pranayama will help women ease through the hormonal ups and downs of the pregnancy. Pregnant women – particularly if it’s their first pregnancy – are undergoing an enormous transformation. In addition to the physical transformation, women are expanding their awareness from self-absorbed and self-oriented and transforming their minds with the intention of caring for and loving another being. The transformation is engrossing and overwhelming and a yoga practice can help women adjust to the myriad of emotions. A regular routine of exercise, meditation and pranayama provides an opportunity for self-observation and creation of mental equilibrium. For the nine months of pregnancy, yoga promotes a connection with the overwhelming rhythms and workings of the body and mind.
