By Sahar Delfani
QubeCore Sports & Rehab Clinical Yoga Therapist
What is Prenatal Yoga?
During pregnancy, there is added weight on your body, which can make it difficult to perform regular exercises. Prenatal yoga is designed specifically for the pregnant body in that it modifies positions to alleviate the common pains and pressure points of carrying a baby. Through proper poses that are conscious of the body during pregnancy, prenatal yoga can offer much relief while pregnant.
Gentle stretching, frequent stretching and relaxed stretching are feature components when taking a prenatal yoga class. Pregnant persons appreciate the gentle mobility while administering weight in certain areas they aren’t used to. Yoga overall can help with flexibility, blood flow and overall muscle tension. Prenatal yoga classes are specifically designed for the pregnant body to not only offer relief, but positive stimulation to the muscles making carrying as well as delivery much easier.
What is the difference between Prenatal Yoga and Traditional Yoga?
Prenatal yoga is a modified version of traditional yoga that is intended to be more comfortable for pregnant people while still allowing for stretching, strengthening and meditation. If you’ve practiced traditional yoga prior to becoming pregnant, you might notice that some poses can be difficult, uncomfortable or near impossible with everything else going on in your body. Practicing with a trained professional may be able to introduce certain poses that can help alleviate soreness, low back pain or heartburn. From loose ligaments and tender breasts to nausea and, obviously, a large and heavy pregnant belly, prenatal yoga makes allowances for any and all symptoms you might be feeling so you can stay active with safe exercise throughout your pregnancy.
What makes Prenatal Yoga safe during pregnancy?
The key thing to note about prenatal yoga is that it’s adapted specifically to be safe during pregnancy. There are some poses in regular yoga that aren’t comfortable when you’re pregnant (or just aren’t possible). Prenatal yoga accounts for the pregnancy and aims not to put stress on that area while also relieving tension and pain in other areas of the body that are affected by pregnancy.
As long as you remain mindful of the physical limitations caused from pregnancy, prenatal yoga is totally safe, especially when you are practicing with a well-trained professional. The prenatal yoga therapist is meant to guide you and have proper check-ins to see what pregnancy symptoms you are experiencing. That way, you have an extra set of eyes (and hands) to keep you from accidentally injuring yourself or causing discomfort when practicing a particular pose.
What are the benefits of one-on-one Prenatal Yoga classes?
One-on-one prenatal yoga provides a more intimate and customized experience that can benefit expectant mothers both physically and emotionally throughout their pregnancy journey.
The first benefit of one-on-one prenatal yoga classes is the aspect of personalized attention. One-on-one prenatal yoga classes allow the instructor to focus solely on the individual needs of the expectant mother. The instructor can tailor the yoga practice to the mother’s unique physical, emotional, and spiritual needs.
Second, one-on-one sessions offer more flexibility in terms of scheduling and can be adjusted to fit the mother’s changing needs throughout her pregnancy.
Third, one-on-one classes allow for a safer and more effective practice as the instructor can closely monitor the mother’s alignment, provide adjustments, and modify poses as necessary to ensure the mother’s safety and comfort.
Lastly, one-on-one prenatal yoga classes can help prepare the mother for labor and delivery by teaching specific breathing techniques, relaxation methods, and postures that can aid in a smoother birth experience.
QubeCore Sports & Rehab offers Prenatal Yoga Therapy services in North Vancouver for a wide range of conditions. To book your appointment with Sahar Delfani, call 604.210.2274 or simply book online by clicking HERE.
