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Pregnancy and yoga

Insomnia pregnancy: you have the equivalent of a football affixed to the front of your person that causes you to suffer from insomnia during your pregnancy, and it's heavy like a bag of bricks. How can you exercise in these conditions? Especially since you don't want to make too much of an effort, you might fall and hurt the baby...

The benefits of yoga

The solution is a sport that helps you stay in shape, but that barely makes you move: yoga. This meditative discipline from India offers positions specially for pregnant women's well being and zen attitude.

By exercising the muscles in your legs, your abdominal muscles and your lower back muscles, you prepare your body for delivery and relieve your pains.
By practicing a slow and calm sport, you mentally relax and air out your mind of all that pre-natal stress.

1st pose: the mountain

As a stretching exercise, start with the mountain position. It build the muscles in your thighs, your knees and your ankles, and makes your abdomen and your buttocks more firm.

Stand straight, feet at a parallel but slightly spread out, with your knees slightly bent
Join your hands in front of your chest as if you were going to pray, close your eyes and breathe deeply
Inhale, bring your arm above your head and arch yourself lightly backwards
Exhale, stand back up slowly and bring back your arms to their initial position
Slowly repeat the exercise during 10 breathing cycles

2nd pose: the triangle

The triangle pose exercises your entire body.

Spread your feet apart to a length a bit bigger than that between both your shoulders. Point your toes straight in front of you and your left toes outwards.
Fold your left leg by putting your left hand on your thigh, eyes towards the ground.
Inhale, then exhale while raising your right arm above your head and following it with your eyes. Place your left arm on your thigh to support you.
Exhale while lowering your arm and bringing your leg upwards.
Start over during 5 breathing cycles.

3rd pose: the squat

This pose is a good preparation for delivery, but be careful to not do it too late into your pregnancy in case you feel contractions or other premature birth symptoms.

For this exercise, you will need lots of pillows.
Make a pile of pillows that you will put on the ground behind you.
Spread your legs and lower your pelvis until you are sitting on the pillows in a deep squatting position. Bring your hands in front of your chest in a praying position.
Inhale deeply through your nose and relax your pelvic floor (the vaginal muscles).
Hold this pose during 10 breathing cycles.

4th pose: the cat

Switching from the squatting pose to the cat pose should be easier than the other poses. This technique should also be used while you're giving birth, to relax you.

Get on all fours and inhale.
Arch your back and point your coccyx upwards, eyes towards the sky
Exhale and arch your back upwards like an angry cat, pulling in your chin towards your chest.
Move into a sitting position while bending your knees and putting your forearms on the ground.
Repeat the sequence 10 times.

5th pose: breathing through your belly

When you're stressed out, your diaphragm gets stuck. By breathing through your belly, you stimulate your diaphragm and exercise your belly while bringing oxygen to your entire body.

Hold yourself straight while sitting on a pillow, legs crossed in the lotus position, and put your hands on the bottom of your belly.
Close your eyes and inhale deeply through your nose, while keeping your face and your jaw slack.
Relax your pelvic muscles.
Exhale and repeat the exercise slowly.