Unlocking the Benefits of Prenatal Yoga for Pregnant Women with Pratham Yoga

Prenatal yoga is a form of yoga that is designed specifically for pregnant women. It involves gentle stretching, strength building postures and flow movements, breathing techniques, mudras, mantras and meditation to help support the physical, mental, emotional and spiritual well-being of both the mother and the growing baby. While Ayurveda , the world’s most ancient medical healing system has recommended those practices ever since, even in modern times, prenatal yoga has become increasingly popular due to its many benefits for both the mother and the baby.

Some of the benefits of prenatal yoga include:

1. Reducing stress and anxiety: We live in a world with lots of pressure at work or sometimes at home where many women hardly ever find time for themselves to invest in their well – being. Even Pregnancy itself can be a stressful time for some women, depending on her life circumstances and possible lack of support in nuclear families. Regular Prenatal yoga practices can help to reduce stress and anxiety levels tremendously. Further they help the pregnant woman to get back to her balance and feel more grounded, joyful and confident especially towards labor and a positive body image.
2. Improving sleep: Many pregnant women experience difficulty sleeping for various reasons. Physically towards the 3rd Trimester sleep becomes more uncomfortable due to the extra weight and reduced ability to move and turn around in bed or sleep on their belly and back. Mentally some women who experience worries and over thinking may wake up at night thinking of all kinds of scenarios possible which deprives them from deep and restful sleep. Yoga Nidra, Meditations and Prenatal yoga can help to improve the quality of sleep by relaxing the nervous system and reducing high levels of cortisol (stress hormone). At the same time Yoga increases melatonin –the sleep hormone- levels naturally.  Both of these can be one of the main factors to treat insomnia with a holistic approach along with a suitable and healthy diet.
3. Strengthening the body:Prenatal yoga helps to strengthen various muscles of the body, which can help to reduce the risk of common pregnancy-related issues such as back pain and pelvic pain especially during the 3rd trimester of pregnancy. Regular practice of Asana keeps the metabolism and digestive fire strong which helps in proper tissue nourishment and in preventing to gain more than necessary pregnancy weight with its related risks. Some of them are: a very large baby may lead to difficult natural delivery and increase possibility of C-section, childhood obesity, gestational diabetes, high blood pressure disorders, such as preeclampsia, snoring, sleep apnea, and high cholesterol which is known to increase the risk of heart attack. A stronger body can also be of great advantage postpartum.
4. Preparing for labor and delivery: Prenatal yoga can help to prepare the body for labor and delivery by improving pelvic floor awareness, strength, stamina, and endurance. Pelvic floor opening asanas help to prepare for the tissue stretching during natural childbirth. Breathing techniques can be an absolute game changer in the perception of labor pain and pain management.
5. Bonding with the baby: Prenatal yoga can help to develop and deepen the bond between the mother and the baby, as the mother consciously brings her awareness to the movements and sensations within her body. Especially guided pregnancy meditations can be a wonderful way to connect deeply with the baby growing within and make the baby feel loved and welcome even before birth.
6. Provides community support:Prenatal yoga classes provide a wonderful supportive community for expectant mothers to connect with one another and share their experiences. Pregnant women go through a similar phase in life and therefore can more easily feel for each other and find common ground to connect well with each other. Having a nice supportive community is one of the most important values of Prenatal Yoga from a mental and emotional point of view.

Natural delivery, also known as vaginal delivery, has numerous positive effects on both the mother and the baby. Some of the benefits of natural delivery include:

1. Shorter recovery time: Mothers who deliver vaginally tend to recover more quickly than those who have a cesarean section.
2. Lower risk of complications: Natural delivery carries a lower risk of complications such as infection, hemorrhage, and blood clots.
3.  Promotes bonding: Skin-to-skin contact between mother and baby after a vaginal delivery promotes bonding and can help establish breastfeeding.
4. Fewer respiratory problems for the baby:Babies born vaginally are less likely to experience respiratory problems compared to those born via cesarean section.
5. Promotes natural hormone release:Vaginal delivery triggers the release of hormones that promote bonding, breastfeeding, and maternal-infant attachment.

Regular yoga practice during pregnancy can help prepare the body for a natural delivery with proper pain management. Here’s how:

1. Increases pelvic flexibility: Prenatal yoga helps increase the awareness of the pelvic floor muscles, which can help make delivery easier. 
2. Improves breathing: Yoga teaches deep breathing techniques that can help manage pain during labor and delivery.
3. Reduces stress: Yoga promotes relaxation and reduces stress, which can help reduce pain and make delivery easier.
4. Encourages proper positioning: Certain yoga poses can encourage the baby to move into the optimal position for delivery.
5. Promotes mindfulness: Yoga teaches mindfulness techniques that can help women stay focused and present during labor and delivery, which can help reduce anxiety and pain.

Regular yoga practice during pregnancy can help increase the chance of a natural delivery with proper pain management. It can help prepare the body, reduce stress and anxiety, and promote mindfulness and relaxation.

Overall, prenatal yoga is an excellent way for expectant mothers to take care of themselves and their growing babies. It can help reduce stress, improve physical health, and provide a supportive community during this trans-formative time.

At Pratham Yoga, we offer a variety of courses for prenatal yoga. Our classes are designed to provide pregnant women with a safe and supportive environment in which to practice yoga. Our Prenatal Yoga Teacher Trainer Carolin Dutt is a Yogini and mother herself; she is an experienced and knowledgeable teacher who works closely with each student to ensure that they are comfortable and able to modify the poses as needed.

The most frequently booked Pregnancy course at Pratham Yoga is a 50 hrs Prenatal Yoga Teacher Training in which her students learn all important aspects of practicing and teaching Prenatal Yoga to all levels of practitioners in a professional and safe way. It is the best course for all who want to practice or expand their Yoga knowledge and career path.

Many students who join Pratham Yoga for a 200 hrs Yoga Teacher Training course, decide to directly add up to their knowledge and do the 5 days Prenatal Yoga Teacher Training as well.