ashtanga yoga Help! Ashtanga Yoga and pregnancy...info needed

[Guest guest]

Hi I think I can help you a little with my experience as today is actually my

due date and I am awaiting labor to start. I have kept a practice going the

whole pregnancy and have been practicing for a number of years with one of the

more well known ashtanga teachers. First trimester I really took it easy as I

had a miscarriage a year earlier. Mostly avoiding getting too hot and deep

twists and did more restorative stuff. Second trimester I did pretty much

everything except very deep backbends and leg behind the head poses which

weren't so easy for me anyway. I spent a lot of time on basic hip openers. I

think if you are super flexible and things are easy for you to get into when not

pregnant you may be able to keep doing them but if you have to stress and strain

and "research" before you can do them , then it may be best to drop them during

pregnancy. Third trimester I dropped inversions on the advice of my midwife who

is a yogini and a lot of things got harder or impossible due to my size. A

lot of it is using your own judgement and intuition and how your body feels that

day. Pregnancy is more about giving to the baby and staying fluid and flexible

so you feel good, but it is not the time to be adding new asanas or to be

pushing very hard in your practice. Just do what feels good and drop the rest.

Good luck!

 

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