Being pregnant means that you need to create space in a number of different areas – on a purely physical level your body has to expand to accommodate a growing baby, but you also need to make mental and emotional adjustments in preparation for an important new person entering your life. Your posture and how you move can directly affect the health of your internal organs and the way you feel, so keeping a sense of space in your torso benefits both you and your baby. Yoga is one of the best forms of practice for creating space in every aspect of your life because it is all-encompassing, working on a number of levels.
I breathe deeply and sit tall so that l can create more space for me and my baby.
I focus on my breathing to create more space and calm in my mind.
By sitting taller l feel more energized and more positive.
I transfer lightness, peace and joy to my baby.
When women discover they are pregnant they may experience a variety of emotions, such as excitement, surprise, shock or fear. Many struggle to get to grips with the idea of carrying a new life and all the changes that this might entail emotionally and physically. In order to embrace the enormous changes taking place inside, we need to make space in our bodies and our minds.
If you are in the last few weeks of pregnancy and it feels like there’s no room left in your upper abdomen, don’t worry – as your baby starts to descend into your pelvis, the area around the ribcage will be freed up and you should feel much more comfortable. It is common to feel rib pain particularly toward the end of the second trimester and throughout the third trimester until the baby drops. Rib pain occurs because the internal organs become compressed by the top of the uterus as your baby grows. To alleviate discomfort, there are exercises in this chapter that extend and strengthen your side and waist muscles, creating more space in your torso.
In Chinese medicine the expansion of the womb as a baby grows during pregnancy is connected to the opening of the heart, which perhaps offers some insight as to why women can become more emotional in pregnancy. In yoga philosophy, the expressions of the body have their equivalent in the mind. During pregnancy the hormone relaxin loosens joints, muscles and ligaments; this softening is mirrored in our hearts and we also become more centred. We recognize our own vulnerability and, like a lioness defending her young, we want to protect ourselves and our growing baby. Everything we do needs to be conducted with awareness and respect for our centre, which has shifted both physically and emotionally.
We all need to create more space from time to time. This might involve removing clutter from our immediate environment, or retreating to a less busy place for a holiday, or just staring into the distance and letting our mind escape from a torrent of busy thoughts. When we meditate, we allow the mind to release its daily preoccupations and be calm. Meditation enables us to slip into a space where time and location are suspended and this holds numerous health benefits for both the physical and the subtle bodies. It gives us room to rejuvenate – as we are not touched by the harsh demands of time, body functions slow down and the ageing process is suspended temporarily. Your baby will enjoy a blissful state of calm through your experience.
Creating space in our minds through yoga helps us to appreciate the amazing fact that a separate being is growing within us. We have little control over this process but we can choose what we eat and drink in order to nourish our baby physically as best we can. It is also important to nurture the baby with positive emotions and this we can do through creating space in our lives for mindfulness, meditation, visualization and yoga. Our body is a vessel for our baby yet we can still retreat to a sanctuary within ourselves. We can use this time to connect with our inner self and to develop the bond with our unborn baby. Yoga can create space where there was compression, can make open what was closed and can make soft our hard and abrasive edges. The process of pregnancy itself opens and expands our hearts and our capacity to love.
Birth Story …
“Tara’s classes made me feel so good throughout pregnancy and really helped to prepare me for my son’s birth. Whenever I was feeling uncomfortable, yoga gave me a feeling of more space in my body and made me feel calmer. It also aided me in accepting the changes I was experiencing and provided space for my thoughts. I found that the meditation techniques in combination with my yoga practice definitely helped to make the whole labour and birth very calm. I had been quite nervous about how I would cope, but when it came to it I drew on those lessons of movement and breathing and felt positive and confident throughout.” Andrea
We frequently get so caught up in bringing organization to our lives that we find it hard just to “be”. Creating space between our thoughts allows us to experience a different reality. Meditation is one way to achieve this.
1 Sit comfortably on a cushion with your legs crossed or kneel if you have any groin pain. Either place both hands on your baby or support your lower back by pressing one hand gently there if you have backache.
2 Close your eyes, soften the muscles of your face and keep your jaw relaxed, breathing steadily in and out through your nostrils. Slow down and deepen your breath. See if you can grow taller through the spine and feel the support of the floor beneath you. Grow from that support, lengthening upward through the spine. PAUSE 
Imagine that you are creating space between each of your vertebrae with each breath. Imagine that your spine is like a necklace of prayer beads with a space between each bead. Imagine that you are creating more room for your baby and space for you to feel more comfortable.
3 Feel strength and support from the back of your body so that you can start to lift upward out of the front of your body. Feel the space between each rib, as you breathe laterally, and feel that space gradually increasing with each breath.
4 As you slow down and focus on the rhythmic sound of your breath, become aware of the natural pause at the end of each exhalation, before your next breath starts. Notice the pause at the top of your inhalation, before the exhalation starts. PAUSE Do you feel a sense of freedom now as you breathe more openly, without so much resistance? With this freedom in the breath, can you feel a sense of growing space in your mind as your thoughts start to slow down and you begin to feel more present, living in this moment? It is almost as if time is suspended as you continue to slow your breath, effortlessly, focusing on the sound and sensation of the breath, feeling a connection to the present. Nothing else matters except this moment … now you feel calm, present, connected to your body and connected to your baby. You feel peaceful and content with where you are in this moment and you feel an immense gratitude to your body for producing and growing this miracle of life within you. You trust that your body knows exactly what to do and that you have an innate wisdom that will take you through pregnancy and the birth of your baby.
5 Stay here for a few more minutes, still focusing on the feeling of space you have created in your mind and body. Keeping your eyes closed, start to slowly bring your awareness back into the room you are in. PAUSE Imagine connecting to your baby beneath your hand and smile as though your baby could also feel this smile and experience a warm feeling inside.
6 When you feel ready, slowly open your eyes and stretch your legs in front of you, giving them a good shake. Sit tall, keeping a sense of spaciousness throughout your body.
When practising any seated exercises it’s always good to remember your posture. Make sure that you are not overarching your back or slouching. It’s easy to forget this, especially as your baby grows and becomes heavier. If you can maintain a correct posture when sitting this will help your baby to remain in a good position ready for birth and keep your internal organs functioning healthily. Maintaining correct posture when you are sitting is also good for your spine.
CORRECT
Sit comfortably and feel your buttock bones connecting with the floor. Gently rock your pelvis back and forth until you find a neutral place to rest. Imagine that you are sending your tailbone down to the floor, keeping a sense of lengthening down through the spine. Your back should be long and not leaning forward or backward (see right, top). Continue to practise correct sitting whenever possible.
INCORRECT
Make sure you are not tilting forward (see right, centre). This can create lordosis (an inward curve) in the spine. Also avoid rounding your upper back with your body leaning back (see right, bottom).
Shortness of breath is common in pregnancy and hunching or slouching only make the problem worse. The stretch in this exercise allows your lungs to expand so you can breathe fully and deeply.
1 Sit cross-legged (supporting your knees with cushions, if necessary). If you find this uncomfortable, kneel with your buttocks on your heels. With palms facing down, interlace your fingers.
2 As you inhale lift your arms above your head, keeping your shoulders relaxed.
3 On the next in-breath release your head back, look up to your hands, then exhale and lower the chin to the chest, feeling the stretch through your neck.
4 Inhale, looking up, and reach your arms a bit farther back if you can. Exhale with your chin tucked under, keeping the back of your neck long. Repeat 3 more times.
5 Inhale once more, filling your lungs, and as you exhale release your arms down and rest. PAUSE Allow your breath to fill your lungs and visualize the extra space you have created throughout your torso for yourself and your growing baby.
Use this exercise to create space between the small muscles in the ribcage, which often get compressed during pregnancy.
1 Kneeling or sitting cross-legged, place your right hand on the floor by your side and, as you inhale, lift your left arm diagonally over your ear. Keep grounded down through the right hip and look straight ahead. Exhale and come back to the centre.
2 Place your right hand down again and repeat the stretch 3–5 times, inhaling as your arm comes up, exhaling as you bring it down. With each repetition start to lengthen the stretch, keeping your left shoulder and your chest open toward the ceiling. Imagine breathing into your left lung and remember to keep elongating the stretch. Keep both sit bones rooted to the floor, if possible.
3 Place your left hand on the floor and repeat Steps 1 and 2, stretching the right side of your body. As before, try to reach a little farther each time with the top arm and keep your shoulder down, away from your ear.
Baddha Konasana strengthens the muscles of the pelvic region and lower back, and soothes back pain. It can also help the pelvis to broaden, providing more space and preparing you for birth. This powerful pose should be avoided if you are suffering from any groin pain or symphisis pubic dysfunction (SPD).
Sit with the soles of your feet touching (but not too close to your pelvis, to avoid over-stretching the ligaments). Feel the stretch in your inner thighs. (Placing cushions as support under your knees will ease the stretch.)
• You can also practise this pose lying down. If you are over 25 weeks pregnant, make sure your chest is higher than your abdomen. With your back supported, the pelvic region and thoracic diaphragm are able to release. Lying here can also help you to lengthen your exhalation, relaxing your mind. Remember to roll over to one side when you get up from a lying-down position to avoid any strain. Place your opposite hand on the floor or bed, press into it and roll gently up (see below, bottom right).
Being in an all-fours position gives your baby plenty of space and takes the pressure off your back and pelvis. Optimal foetal positioning is a key factor in making labour and birth easier, so if your baby is in a transverse, breech or posterior position, encourage it to turn by spending as much time as possible on your hands and knees. This exercise is a great way of moving the weight of your baby out of your pelvis and into the front of your body, creating space in your torso and releasing your lower back. If you feel dizzy or need to rest during this or any other exercise, remember to move into Child’s Pose (see pages 80–81) and breathe deeply.
1 Move onto all fours. Position your knees wider than your hips to make a more stable base (unless you have groin pain). PAUSE
• If you have wrist pain or carpal tunnel syndrome, rest on your forearms (see opposite, bottom left) or put a cushion under your wrists, to relieve pressure.
• If you have any pain in your wrists, you can also elevate your hands using blocks or books to relieve some of the pressure. Fan out your fingers, making sure the middle fingers point forward, and press down through the knuckles. You can rest here and breathe, or you can try the variation for Step 2.
• If you have any pain in your knees you can roll your mat for extra cushioning or put a pillow underneath your knees for extra support.
2 Move your right hand a little toward your left hand and extend your left arm up as far as possible, opening the left side of your body and ribcage. If you can, follow your arm with your gaze (if you have neck problems, keep looking down). PAUSE
• If you have wrist pain, place one book on top of another at the centre of the mat and raise your arm (see opposite, bottom right). This extra elevation will help you to rotate, opening your ribcage without straining your back.
3 Exhale as you lower your arm. Inhaling, repeat with your right arm. Exhale, release and repeat three times on each side. Keep pressing down through your supporting hand into the mat, spreading out your fingers.
Helpful if you are feeling stiff after sitting for a long time, this stretch lengthens the spine and takes the weight of your baby forward, giving it more room.
1 Kneel about 2ft (50cm) away from the wall with knees wide enough apart so you feel stable. Walk your hands as high up the wall as you can and sink your chest toward the wall.
2 Breathe in, then exhale, sinking your chest toward the wall, opening the middle of your back. PAUSE Enjoy the sense of lightness. If you feel any discomfort in your lower back gently come out of the stretch. Otherwise stay here for 5–10 breaths. Gently walk your hands down the wall and release the stretch.
3 Stand at a distance away from the wall and place your hands on it to make a right angle with your body and legs. Press back through your heels and move your hips back away from the wall while pressing into it with your hands. Feel a stretch in the backs of your legs and your waist. Hold for 5–10 breaths. Bend your knees and walk toward the wall to release.
This is a relaxed movement where you should experience a sense of freedom and space in the body. You can use it to imagine getting rid of unwanted tension, emotions or anxieties, and it also helps to cool you down.
1 With your hips forward and knees bent, swing your arms from side to side. Twist from the upper back, keeping your hips square. Close your eyes (unless you feel dizzy) and enjoy this release. Breathe in a relaxed way and allow the freeness of this movement to transfer to your mind, encouraging it to let go of unwanted thoughts.
2 Feel the space in your upper body as you gently sway, feeling free. Slow down the swinging gradually as you come back to the centre.
