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Pregnancy Yoga – A
Special Population Class
By Debbie Grossblatt
Yoga
is for everybody and is now appearing everywhere. This is evident by
looking at any yoga directory
on the web and seeing the tremendous number of classes being held in towns
and cities across the USA. What is also interesting about this 5,000- year
old system of healing and self-transformation is the growth in the number
and types of special classes for the diverse populations that are actively
seeking the benefits of yoga. On any well-rounded class schedule, you may
find yoga for children, teenagers, the over 50 population and gentle yoga
for seniors to just name a few of the special population classes. This
article focuses on one unique population because these students are not
just doing yoga for themselves, they are also doing yoga for their unborn
child. Pregnancy yoga offers benefits for the mother-to-be
both physically and mentally. Yoga is the perfect activity for pregnant
women, and with proper modifications from a trained teacher, students can
safely participate for the whole term and shortly after the delivery.
Reminder: Pregnant women should consult with their physician to make sure
it is safe to participate in a yoga class or any form of exercise during
their pregnancy.
Yoga
by its very nature is a practical system of healing and self-sufficiency.
The word yoga means to “yoke”--- to bring together or unite the
physical, psychological, spiritual and mental realms of the practitioner.
There are a number of studies, albeit with small numbers of subjects,
which are providing researchers with some evidence that yoga promotes
overall health and well being. If you have interest in the research, you
may want to visit the National
Library of Medicine’s PubMed
MEDLINE
database.
Use the term yoga in the search box to obtain a list of the currently
published studies. If you want to find out about a particular condition,
type in yoga AND the name of the condition to narrow the search.
In
one small study involving Iyengar students, it was shown that the coping
methods of these yoga practitioners were more active and varied than for
the typical person and improved their physical, physiological and
psychological well being. What tool could be better for an expectant
mother than an increased ability to cope since her body is undergoing
tremendous physical changes within a nine-month period? Yoga provides that
tool and more.
Pregnancy
yoga classes should include instruction on greater awareness, the usage of
the breath, relaxation techniques and the use of gentle but specific
postures to prepare the body for the extraordinary journey ahead.
Sometimes overlooked, but very important, is the support that women
experience by being in a group with other pregnant women. All of these
yogic tools will help women give birth without strain, resistance or fear.
Yoga will help women to feel fit and strong, confident and well prepared
as they enter this phase of their life.
Just
how does yoga work to prepare a woman for birth? According to Francoise
Barbira Freedman and Doriel Hall who co-authored Yoga for Pregnancy,
“the main focus is not on the birth itself. It is on your health and
contentment, as your body undergoes many natural changes associated with
pregnancy and birth. As the baby grows, yoga is used to strengthen, tone,
make space and relax. There is specific training of the muscles involved
in the birth. Deep breathing and exercise increase their elasticity and
allow these muscles to be pre-stretched. The student will learn to
recognize, isolate and activate different muscle groups, so that they can
be used more effectively during birth.”… The aim is to achieve a
gentle birth through yoga practice. All of the parts of the body not
involved in birthing are trained to remain relaxed. Control is focused,
specific and internal. It results from yielding to, and engaging actively
with the contractions.”
Recently
one of my students confirmed that knowledge of yogic breathing is
essential to a peaceful birth. This student was not able to attend her
scheduled Lamaze class because her baby decided to arrive early. So she
used the yogic breathing techniques she learned from me to ease her way
through the delivery. She personally thanked me for this unique tool that
we had practiced in every class.
There
is so much more to say about yoga and pregnancy but I would rather leave
you a bit curious so you can find out for yourself. Seek out a competent
and patient teacher who has been trained to understand the psychology and
physiology of the process and has certification in pregnancy yoga so that
he/she knows about the modifications and contraindications of the
postures. Also check that the studio is equipped to accommodate students
for all three trimesters. Chairs, mats, bolsters, pillows and blankets
that are found in fully equipped Iyengar studios are great for the
practice of pregnancy yoga. If you cannot locate a class in your area
there are many excellent books and videotapes on the market to do a
practice at home. I can recommend the book Yoga for Pregnancy by
Freedman (see the quote in this article) and Yoga for Pregnancy
by Sandra Jordan (available in the Lotus Boutique at our studio). For
video enthusiasts, “Prenatal Yoga” with Shiva Rea shows you all three
trimesters using three different models. This video is absent of
complex instructions but shows you what to do with great safety in mind.
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