11 Yoga Poses For Pregnant Women

Most people have misconceptions that Pregnant women should not do physical exercises during pregnancy. However,  the expert says that it is entirely safe and healthy to do light to moderate physical exercises if you do it with caution and do not overdo it.

Pregnancy is the time of transformation where your body is changing. Pregnancy causes a lot of distress pain and problems for the pregnant woman.

Expert suggests that doing yoga during pregnancy can help to ease pregnancy pain and discomforts. But, it is recommended that you should ask your doctor before trying the yogas on your own.

Here are 11 yoga poses for pregnant women:

1. Mountain pose (Tadasana)

Though Tadasana (Mountain Pose) might seem simple, it is a profoundly vital foundational pose for your yoga practice. In addition, it is considered the baseline for the many other standing poses in yoga, so correctly learning this posture is essential.

Benefits

Mountain Pose acts as the foundation for other poses. Mentally, it tests your focus and concentration. On a physical level, it improves your posture, strengthens your thighs, knees, and ankles, firms your abdomen and buttocks, relieves sciatica, and reduces flat feet.

How to do it?

 

1. Stand with the feet parallel, a few inches apart. You can also stand with the bases of your big toes touching, heels slightly apart.
2. Lift and spread your toes and the balls of your feet, then lay them softly back down on the floor.
3. Rock gently back and forth and side to side.
4. Reduce this swaying to a standstill, with your weight balanced evenly across your feet.
5. Without pushing your lower front ribs forward, lift the top of your sternum straight toward the ceiling. Widen your collarbones.
6. Allow your shoulder blades to draw toward each other and down the back, away from the ears.
7. Let your arms relax beside your torso, palms facing in or forward.
8. Soften your eyes. Breathe.

2. Cat-Cow Pose (Chakravakasana)

The Cat-Cow Stretch involves moving the spine from a rounded position to an arched one. Each movement is done in conjunction with either an inhalation or exhalation of the breath.

Benefits

This gentle backbend relieves tension, improves spinal mobility, and boosts circulation. In addition, you’ll feel a nice stretch in your neck, shoulders, and torso.

How to do it?

1. Start on all fours.
2. Inhale as you arch your spine, lower your belly, and gaze upward.
3. Exhale as you draw chin into chest and arch spine upward.
4. Continue this gentle flow for up to 1 minute.

3. Bound Angle Pose (Baddha Konasana)

Baddha Konasana is a basic seated asana that opens the hips and the muscles of the groin. The term comes from the Sanskrit baddha, meaning “bound,” Kona, meaning “angle,” and asana, meaning “pose” or “posture.”

Benefits

The butterfly stretch boosts circulation, stimulates your digestive organs, and promotes relaxation. In addition, it improves flexibility in your low back, hips, and inner thighs, which helps prepare your body for delivery.

How to do it?

1. Sit on the edge of a cushion, block, or folded blanket, allowing your pelvis to tilt forward.
2. Press the soles of your feet together.
3. Bring feet in toward hips to deepen the stretch.
4. Root your lower body into the floor as you lengthen your spine.
5. Interlace fingers under pinky toes or place hands on your ankles or shins.
6. Hold this position for up to 1 minute.
7. Repeat 2–4 times.

4. Child’s Pose (Balasana)

Child’s Pose (Balasana) centers on creating a moment of rest or respite. A foundational yoga posture reminds us that inaction and “non-doing” can be just as valuable as action and doing.

Benefits

This relaxing pose stretches your shoulders, chest, and lower back. In addition, it increases flexibility in your spine, hips, and thighs.

How to do it?

1. Start on all fours.
2. Touch big toes together and spread knees wide.
3. Lower your hips back onto your heels.
4. Reach arms in front of you.
5. Breathe deeply.
6. Hold this pose for up to 1 minute.

5. Triangle Pose (Trikonasana)

Trikonasana or Triangle Pose is a standing asana in modern yoga as an exercise where you bend your body to form a triangle.

Benefits

This strengthening pose gives you a burst of energy while relieving neck and back tension.

How to do it?

1. Stand with feet slightly wider than hips.
2. Turn left toes forward and right toes in at a slight angle.
3. Raise your arms, so they’re parallel to the floor with palms facing down.
4. Reach your left hand forward as you tilt your hip to extend your torso forward.
5. Place your left hand on your leg, the floor, or a block.
6. Extend your right arm up with your palm facing away from your body.
7. Hold this pose for up to 30 seconds.
8. Repeat on the other side.

6. Standing Forward Bend (Uttanasana)

Uttanasana is a posture that stretches the entire body and can be adjusted to increase or decrease intensity levels.

Benefits

This pose relieves tension and promotes inner calm.

How to do it?

1. Stand with feet slightly wider than hips.
2. Hinge at your hips to fold forward.
3. Keep knees slightly bent.
4. Place hands on the floor or a block or hold opposite elbows.
5. Hold this pose for up to 30 seconds.

7. Warrior II (Virabhadrasana II)

Warrior II provides a powerful stretch to the inner thighs, legs, groin, chest, arms, and back. The asana enhances the endurance and strength of all the muscles involved and expands the chest and shoulders.

Benefits

Warrior II improves circulation, strengthens your whole body, and opens your hips. It also relieves neck and back pain. In addition, this pose allows you to experiment with your center of gravity as you align your body.

How to do it?

1. From standing, step left foot back and turn toes out to the left slightly.
2. Align the inside of the left foot so it’s in line with the right heel.
3. Open your hips to face the side.
4. Raise your arms to be parallel to the floor, with palms facing down.
5. Bend right knee, making sure it doesn’t extend past your ankle.
6. Gaze over your front middle finger.
7. Hold this pose for 30 seconds.
8. Repeat on the other side.

8. Garland Pose (Malasana)

Malasana is a deep squat yoga pose t opens your hips and groin in counterbalance to the tightness you can develop from sitting too much.

Benefits

Garland Pose opens the hips and groins as it stretches and strengthens the feet and ankles. It is an effective way to counter the tightness you get from spending too much time sitting in chairs. It also boosts digestion.

How to do it?

1. Stand with feet slightly wider than hips and toes turned out at an angle.
2. Slowly bend knees and lower your hips.
3. Lift your heels or place them on the floor.
4. Press palms together at the center of your chest.
5. Press elbows into knees.
6. Hold this position for up to 30 seconds.

9. Easy Pose (Sukhasana)

Sukhasana is a comfortable, cross-legged, seated position and one of the most basic poses used in yoga practice and meditation.

So, sitting in Sukhasana is sitting any way you can get with ease.

Benefits

This classic seated pose lengthens your spine, opens your hips, and promotes mental clarity, increases energy, uplifts mood, improves digestion, and betters breathing.

How to do it?

1. Sit on the edge of a cushion, block, or folded blanket, allowing your pelvis to tilt forward.
2. Cross right leg over the left leg.
3. Place hands in any comfortable position.
4. Close your eyes and breathe deeply.
5. Hold this position for up to 1 minute.
6. Repeat on the other side.

10. Side Corpse Pose (Parsva Savasana)

Fetal pose, or Parsva Garbhasana in Sanskrit, is usually used to transition between corpse pose and sitting. The yogi turns to their side from the corpse and rests the head on the arm with the legs bent. The pose is relaxing for both body and mind.

Benefits

This restorative pose relieves fatigue and enhances relaxation.

How to do it?

1. Lie on your left side.
2. Keep left leg straight.
3. Bend right knee and support it with cushions.
4. Place a cushion under your head.
5. Relax in this position for 15 minutes.

11. Wide-angle seated forward Bend (Upavistha Konasana)

Upavistha Konasana is derived from two words: Upavistha means sitting, and Kona means angle. Therefore, it is a wide-angle-seated Forward Bend pose.

Benefits

This pose increases flexibility in your low back, hips, and legs. In addition, it builds strength in your spine, low back, and pelvis.

How to do it?

1. Sit on the edge of a cushion, block, or folded blanket and stretch your legs at 90 degrees. Stretch it as wide as possible.
2. Allow your pelvis to tilt it forward
3. Reach arms overhead.
4. Bend at your hips as you fold forward.
5. Press your hand against the floor.
6. Hold this position for up to 1 minute.

Conclusion

Prenatal yoga has several benefits for pregnant women, and the expectant mother should spare some time to do this yoga poses. After all healthy mom means a healthy child.

However, it is strongly advisable to consult your doctor before trying these yogas. We know that not everyone’s body is the same, and if these poses have some complications or pain while performing it, don’t do it.