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pregnancy and ashtanga 2nd series Moderators: Moderators Jump to page : 1 Now viewing page 1 [25 messages per page]	View previous thread :: View next thread
Yoga -> Ashtanga Yoga	Message format

mae hee

Posted 2009-08-19 7:40 AM (#117804)
Subject: pregnancy and ashtanga 2nd series

Hi All!

I am new here. I currently practice 2nd series and have been for over a year. I just found out I'm pregnant (just over 6 weeks). This is my first pregnancy. I'm 37 so I may be considered high risk just because of my age. I've heard so many things about practicing while pregnant. I have one teacher who practiced second series for the first 5-6 months. She even did the prone poses (and mayurasana!) bc the baby was still so small those first few months. I've also heard not to practice for the first 3 months at all. My friends say that I know my body and have an experienced practice so I should just do what feels right. I'm so confused. I would love to continue my whole practice throughout, but it isn't worth risking the pregnancy. Any experience or advice?

Thanks so much!

XOXO

Nick

Posted 2009-08-21 12:51 PM (#117852 - in reply to #117804)
Subject: RE: pregnancy and ashtanga 2nd series

Location: London, England

mae hee - 2009-08-19 11:40 AM

Hi All!

I am new here. I currently practice 2nd series and have been for over a year. I just found out I'm pregnant (just over 6 weeks). This is my first pregnancy. I'm 37 so I may be considered high risk just because of my age. I've heard so many things about practicing while pregnant. I have one teacher who practiced second series for the first 5-6 months. She even did the prone poses (and mayurasana!) bc the baby was still so small those first few months. I've also heard not to practice for the first 3 months at all. My friends say that I know my body and have an experienced practice so I should just do what feels right. I'm so confused. I would love to continue my whole practice throughout, but it isn't worth risking the pregnancy. Any experience or advice?

Thanks so much!

XOXO

Hi Mae Hee,
Welcome to the board and congratulations on your forthcoming bundle of joy

You're right, there is a wide range of opinion on exercise during pregnancy. Lots of good advice, but it has to be tailored to the individual. For instance, in the case of a woman who has perhaps miscarried several times, she might be advised to lay low for the first few months of the pregnancy. For most women, this would not be good advice. It is advised to take it easy for the first trimester, but not to just stop. I would say that in the case of astanga yoga, use the practice to build up endurance and back off on the strength challenges-stepping back and forwards during the sun salutes, for example. Use the yoga to challenge your respiratory mechanism-this will become more difficult as the baby gets bigger, but may come in useful during labour-you should have far greater 'respiratory endurance.'
Try not to take advantage of your connective tissue losing its tension as the pregnancy progresses-work on good posture rather than stretching.
Try to spend the class working on things you can do, rather than failing, or worse, injuring yourself.

Nick

Posted 2009-08-21 1:15 PM (#117853 - in reply to #117852)
Subject: Re: pregnancy and ashtanga 2nd series

while i didn't and don't practice astanga exclusively, i was very active in yoga throughout my whole pregnancy.

my first trimester, though, i was hit with MAJOR exhaustion. no other "symptoms" to deal with, just that i was very, very tired. so, i did a very restorative, "yin" practice. but then, after the first trimester, i felt fine again and when whole-hog into what i like to do, which is vinyasa.

there are pictures of me in supported (with the wall) hand stand just 12 days before the birth of my son, hawk (who will be one in 9 days! hard to believe!).

anyhoot, the best thing to do is to follow your own thoughts and intuition on it. you know your body better than anyone else, a nd your body know's it's pregnant and it will tell you what you need to do.

while working, though, be sure to continue to work your "core" muscles--pelvic floor, transverse abdominal, etc. work on keeping the connective tissue of the abdominals together by keeping the abdominal muscle both strong and flexible. back bends--while using the pelvic floor and transverse abdominal muslces--really helps with this and prevents diastasis recti.

have a great pregnancy!

also, just for fun, you might like spinningbabies.com

belly mapping is great.

mae hee

Posted 2009-09-09 11:14 AM (#118232 - in reply to #117804)
Subject: Re: pregnancy and ashtanga 2nd series

Thank you both for the advice! I'm now moving into the 10th week. I've been doing most of my regular practice. Although, like you, Zoebird, I am exhausted (by the way, your story of yoga during pregnancy is inspiring!). I'm not doing prone poses anymore- no salabasana, bekasana or danurasana- and I've also decided to cut my practice off at Karandavasana. I'll try to continue this practice until my belly gets too big- or until I'm feeling other discomfort.

I'm continuing to do deep kapotasana. It still feels great, although I wonder about deep backbends in pregnancy. Zoebird, you mention backbends as being ok, I've heard this elsewhere as well- I'm wondering though, if super deep backbends like kapo are ok. Or trying to walk hands into feet in urdva danurasana. This makes my back feel great, but is it, or will it be, to much for the baby later?

thanks so much!

Edited by mae hee 2009-09-09 11:16 AM

Posted 2009-09-09 2:48 PM (#118237 - in reply to #118232)
Subject: Re: pregnancy and ashtanga 2nd series

it shouldn't be a problem *if* you are holding your belly properly while doing backbends (mula and uddiyana bandha). it's a stretch of the abdominal muscles, and it does strengthen the back which feels great throguhout pregnancy.

this stretching will create space for the growing baby (abdominals will stretch rather than connective tissue causing DR), and the strength of the core will support your back the whole time.

personally, i did both back bends, plus a number of others, throughout pregnancy and it was no problem. i even did things like scorpion pose and what not until about 3-4 days before hawk was born. i was using a wall though. LOL

mae hee

Posted 2009-09-10 8:02 AM (#118258 - in reply to #117804)
Subject: Re: pregnancy and ashtanga 2nd series

thanks zoebird!

interesting, i had thought- not sure why- that easing up on uddiyana bandha would be a good idea while pregnant... but it makes sense that that makes backbends more supported.

wow, scorpion until 3-4 days before! cool!

maybe i can continue most of second series most of the way through. i was planning on switching to first around 5-6 months or so. well, as you say, i need to see what feels right.

any advice on prone poses? am i correct in avoiding bekasana, salabasana during this time? i'm not even showing yet. i have seen ppl do it with rolled up blankets at shoulders and thighs to support belly. i might try that...

thanks!

Posted 2009-09-10 8:22 AM (#118260 - in reply to #118258)
Subject: Re: pregnancy and ashtanga 2nd series

well, as far as being on the belly, i used thick bolsters as you describe to make space for the belly, but then after a certain point (i think it was 15-18 weeks--once i felt movement in addition to the shape of the uterus), i decided that i was 'too big' for that sort of positioning. i wanted to do it (because it feels good), but there wasn't enough space to do it in a way that i felt safe for hawk.

i would still do upward dog, and i would do a bekasana "leg" before doing eka pada raja kapotasana.

the main thing is to follow your own feeling on the sequence and what you want to do. i'm a free-form vinyasin, so i just do whatever. LOL

uddiyana bandha will get harder as the organs move and everything expands outward (forward), but you'll have better strength for supporting yourself, and your labor will be easier too.

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