pregnancy exercises-first trimester

1. Ardha Titali Asan (Half Butterfly)


How to do?

Sit with legs outstretched. Bend the right leg and place the right foot as far up on the left thigh as possible. Place the right hand on top of the bent right knee.

Hold the toes of the right foot with the left hand. While breathing in, gently move the right knee up towards the chest. Breathing out, gently push the knee down and try to touch the floor. The trunk should not move. Movement of leg should be achieved by the exertion of the right arm. Repeat with left leg. Slowly practice about 10 up and down movements with each leg. DO NOT STRAIN.

Benefits

It is an excellent practice for loosening of hip and knee joints, which shall enable faster delivery.





2. Poorna Titali Asan (Full Butterfly)

How to do?



Sit with legs outstretched. Bend the knees and bring the soles of the feet together, keeping the heels as close to the body as possible. Fully relax the inner thighs. Clasp the feet with both hands.





Gently bounce the knees up and down, using the elbows as levers to press the legs down. Do not use any force. Repeat up to 20-30 times. Straighten the legs and relax.




Benefits

Tension from inner thigh muscles is relieved. Removes tiredness from legs

3. Supta UdarakarshanAsan (Sleeping Abdominal Stretch Pose)

How to do?


Lie in the back. Interlock fingers of both hands and place hands beneath the head. Bend knees, keeping the soles of feet on the floor.

While breathing out lower the legs towards the right, trying to touch the knees on the floor. At the same time move the head towards the left, giving uniform twisting stretch to the entire spine. Repeat on the other side by bending legs towards left, and head towards right.

Benefits

Removes constipation, improves digestion. Relieves stiffness and strain of spine caused by prolonged sitting.


4. Chakki Chalan Asan (Churning the Mill Pose)

How to do?


Sit with legs stretched out in front of the body about one foot apart. Interlock fingers of both hands and hold the arms out straight in front of the chest.

Make large circular movements over both feet, trying to take the hands over the toes on the forward swing and coming as far back as possible on the backward swing. Practice 10 times in each direction.

Benefits

Excellent asan for toning the nerves and organs of pelvis and abdomen preparing them for pregnancy. Useful in regulating menstrual cycle. Also an excellent post natal exercise.

Yoga Exercise in pregnancy

Yoga Asanas or exercises are ways of moving or holding the body in different positions.

Yoga has several exercises or postures that work wonders on a woman’s health and in pregnancy conditions. Varying widely in application and style, these exercises (postures) gently stretch and explore all parts of your body.

During pregnancy, yoga Asanas are a gentle way to keep active and supple. The remarkable effects of these postures in pregnancy show the power of yoga for ensuring a smooth pregnancy, natural childbirth and restoration of body shape after childbirth.

How Pregnancy Yoga Exercises Can Help?
Relieving edema (fluid retention) and cramping which can be quite common in the last months.

Influencing the position of the baby and turning it in advance if needed. Strengthening and massaging the abdomen which help stimulate bowel action and appetite.

Raising the level of energy while also helping in slowing the metabolism to restore calm and focus.

Helping to reduce nausea, morning sickness and mood swings in combination with pranayamas (yogic breathing).

Focus on relieving tension around the cervix and birth canal.

Focus on opening the pelvis to make labor easier and quicker.




How Yoga Can Help in Post Natal Care


Restoring the uterus, abdomen and the pelvic floor.

Relieving upper back tension and breast discomfort.



We have segregated these yoga exercises into trimester-wise sequences. However, it is recommended that you follow these under expert guidance or take the benefit of a book such as Women’s health and pregnancy which literally guides you by the hand and teaches you pictographically how to use these asanas in conjunction with pranayamas, meditation and relaxation techniques.
thanks..........

Breathing Techniques

Yogic breathing and energy control methods are some of the most beneficial techniques for women health and pregnancy.

During pregnancy, good breathing and control of Prana (energy) are absolutely vital, because just like the nutrients you provide your baby from your food, you are also responsible for providing him/her with high quality oxygen and prana from the air you breathe.

A strong breathing mother will have better fitness for her pregnancy and provide a better life force for her child.

In preparation for childbirth, mastery of a few simple Pranayamas can help birthing energy to flow smoothly. These phenomenal techniques help to release emotional tension during labor and the likelihood of post-natal depression is dramatically reduced.

In fact so powerful are Pranayamas that they are used in the therapeutic management of common female disorders such as:


Pre-Menstrual Tension

Period Pain and Period Irregularity

Pelvic Floor Weakness
Uterine Prolepse
Constipation
Bad Back
All Kinds of Mental and Emotional Tensions

Deep Relaxation

Yoga Nidra, also known as Yogi’s sleep is a POWERFUL way of gaining the greatest benefits of relaxation WITHOUT actually losing awareness. It is said that one hour of Yoga Nidra is equivalent to over 4 hours of sleep. it works so effectively on the mind that it is often called “psychic sleep”.

Yoga nidra is particularly effective during pregnancy for physical and mental relaxation as well as for childbirth preparation. More importantly, in the early weeks after birth when sleep is of poor quality or broken often, regular Yoga nidra is a “miraculous” way of resting to restore the body and mind.

As a therapeutic tool, Yoga nidra is included in women’s programs for managing asthma, high blood pressure, edema, cramping, PMS, fatigue, insomnia, stress management, constipation, endometriosis, leucorrhoea and sexual tension.

It is extremely useful in kicking off smoking, poor eating habits and even unsatisfactory relationships!!

Meditation for prengnancy

Meditation brings with it an incredible awareness which works at a very subtle level.

Meditation will help you explore your inner self; establish that connection with your child that is impossible to explain.

It creates a phenomenal understanding of you and you alone. It puts you in tune with your baby.


For therapeutic purposes, meditation can help to resolve the deepest of neuroses, fears and conflicts which are a major cause for stress and ill-health.

Mantra Japa meditation is a very effective form of meditation where a certain sound is repeated a number of times to have a remarkably soothing and subtle impact on your consciousness. It has an extremely positive effect on your senses and on the developing fetus.

Mantra literally means “that which liberates the mind”. Ancient yogis discovered certain ways of developing and controlling the mind by using sounds, both aloud as well as mental.

Why Yoga For Pregnancy ?

Pregnancy is one of the most beautiful aspects of womanhood. Each pregnancy, each child born, is a special opportunity for a woman to discover within herself great strength and flexibility. She can discover her great power yet her ability to surrender; her great compassion yet a detachment. Most importantly, her greatest capacity to LOVE.

The experience of a Natural Birthingis a peak experience in your life. Yet, surprisingly, the experience of childbirth often leaves you physically shattered, emotionally bereft and mentally confused.

There are difficulties and disappointments, but, ultimately one needs to go past those varicose veins, edema, back pain, nausea, impatience, frustration, tiredness, abdominal discomfort, sleeplessness, depression… Gosh! Did I leave out anything??

All these as well as birthing traumas can be overcome if the mind and heart remain one-pointed on the true purpose of procreation, rather than the unfolding effects of it. Yoga and Meditation have the capacity to produce a higher quality of conception, a healthier maternal environment for pregnancy and a more harmonious birthing experience.




More importantly for the new-born, the yoga techniques assist in bringing into the world a child less inhibited by stress and potential illness. Yoga has well developed tools that make natural birthing more probable as compared to administered c-sections. Yoga aspects and techniques should help to make your pregnancy a more "Joyful" experience.

Yoga exercises are a great help in facilitating a gentle and uncomplicated delivery.

Yoga and Pregnancy

Yoga works great for pregnancy. That’s wonderful and TRUE. But do you know how?

Yoga has 5 vital tools for pregnancy. When followed together, they work wonders on your health and your capability to have a smooth pregnancy.

Smooth pregnancy and a natural childbirth are just some of the benefits of yoga. But more importantly, yoga does wonders on the physical and mental development of the foetus.

Ensuring a healthy baby is every woman’s dream and yoga helps you do just that.

So what are these 5 tools:
Yoga Exercises – These gently work on the reproductive organs and pelvis to ensure a smooth pregnancy and a relatively easy childbirth. At the subtle level, these ensure optimum supply of blood and nutrients to the developing foetus.

Breathing or Pranayama – These powerful techniques ensure the abundant supply of oxygen and a better life force for you and your child. These methods work on your fitness during pregnancy.

Mudras and Bandhas – The psycho-physical stimulation of these gestures and locks have powerful effects on a woman’s reproductive organs.

Meditation – As a therapeutic tool, meditation will help you resolve the deepest of neuroses, fears and conflicts, which are so common during pregnancy. Meditation brings with it an incredible awareness which helps you connect with your child in a way that is impossible to explain.

Deep Relaxation – Yoga Nidra (Yogic sleep) is particularly effective during pregnancy for physical and mental relaxation as well as for childbirth preparation.