THE PATH OF YOGA DURING PREGNANCY
Credit: Dr Yogyata Gandhi, Physiotherapist and Prenatal/Postnatal fitness expert at The Cradle, Paras Healthcare and Miracles Mediclinic, Gurgaon
What is Yoga?
Yoga is the union of the soul with its eternal truth, a means to connecting to our own self. It gives peace, serenity and composure, freeing us from the fluctuations of the mind. Most people perceive yoga as a form of exercise, having been introduced to postures or asanas, but they are just one among the eight limbs of yoga.
What are the Limbs of Yoga?
In the yoga sutras defined by the great Indian saint Patanjali, there are eight limbs of yoga namely:
These streams of yoga are deeply interconnected and build upon one another in leading to the same goal of a sound mind, body and spirit.
Why Yoga is Highly Recommended for Women?
In the Vedas, women are compared to nature. Like nature, they have to remain ever active! Kalidasa describes a woman as the spark of life in a family. To perform all her roles, she sometimes pushes herself to the point of burnout and this leads to emotional and physical breakdown and stress. Yoga can provide her both physical and mental stability.
In physical terms alone, the practice of yoga, if performed from puberty or before conception, can do wonders in preparing a female body for the process of childbirth. The pelvic muscles and uterus are exercised, making them strong as well as flexible, to function more efficiently, enabling a normal delivery.
Which Limbs of Yoga are to be practiced in Pregnancy?
A combined practice of asana, pranayama and dhyana during pregnancy will give you the complete confidence that you are doing the best you can, for yourself and your baby.
Prenatal Yoga Regime
After doing some warm up exercises, you can do some standing asanas like Tadasana, Vrkshasana, Utthita Trikonasana, Virbhadrasana, Prasarita Padottanasana, squats and sitting asanas like Dandasana, Baddhakonasana under the supervision of an expert.