Prenatal Yoga: Great Pregnancy Exercises

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The benefits of prenatal yoga

Prenatal yoga classes are more popular than ever. When paired with a cardiovascular exercise such as walking, yoga can be an ideal way to stay in shape during your pregnancy. This age-old practice keeps you limber, tones your muscles, and improves your balance and circulation, with little, if any, impact on your joints.

Yoga is also beneficial because it helps you learn to breathe deeply and relax, which will come in handy as you face the physical demands of labor, birth, and motherhood. In fact, one of the first things you learn in a yoga class is how to breathe fully. The breathing technique known as ujjayi requires you to take in air slowly through your nose, filling your lungs, and exhale completely until your stomach compresses.

Learning how to do ujjayi breathing primes you for labor and childbirth by training you to stay calm when you need it most. When you’re in pain or afraid, your body produces adrenalin and may produce less oxytocin, a hormone that makes labor progress. A regular yoga practice will help you fight the urge to tighten up when you feel pain, and show you how to relax instead.

Along these same lines, according to a report in the April 2009 issue of the Harvard Mental Health Letter, rigorous studies have found scientific proof that yoga helps the body deal with stress by slowing heart and breathing rates and lowering blood pressure — which can benefit new moms after the baby’s born, too.

The benefits of yoga aren’t limited to your physical well-being. “Taking a prenatal yoga class is a great way to meet other pregnant women — to become part of a community,” says Cynthea Denise, a registered nurse and prenatal yoga instructor in Oakland, California. Being in a positive, supportive environment with others like you can give you a regular emotional boost and keep you motivated to continue exercising.

Excerpt from: http://www.babycenter.com

Here in Kenya Acacia Studio- a Power Yoga studio is offering pregnant women the chance to practice yoga with a trained and certified Prenatal Yoga trainer. Check out their website: http://www.acacia-studios.com for more details.

 

 

Intimidating Yoga Moments

It’s been four months now since I started practicing Power Yoga. At first it wasn’t easy, wobbly feet at times, hard catching up with the flow from one posture to the next, and worse of all observing the very best yogis in the room. It’s frustrating being a newbie at something, but practice makes perfect.And this is a tale of my key improvements in the past four months. Yesterday I attended an evening class at acacia studios, a power yoga haven. The class kicks off with sun salutations, then chair pose poses continuously, what I didn’t know was that the trainer had some new exciting at the same time challenging poses to add. A SIDE CROW Image I already had a mess with my crow poses and now side crow? My mind cringed *smiles*. Having a mind for challenges I joined the rest and goodness, I was not the only one having a hard time. After a few more tries I actually got it and it felt so good, an accomplishment. It’s not easy, requires a relaxed and focused mind.

Definition; Excerpt from: Yoga Outlet 

Side Crow Pose, also sometimes called “Side Crane Pose,” is an advanced variation of the arm balance, Crow Pose (Bakasana). This posture requires both core strength and arm strength, but it requires even more strength of mind! Practicing Side Crow can be a great way to build focus and concentration.

The Sanskrit name for this pose, “Parsva Bakasana” (PARZH-vuh bah-KAHS-uh-nuh), comes from three words:

  • “Parsva” — meaning “side” or “flank”
  • “Baka” — meaning “crane” (though commonly translated as “crow”)
  • “Asana” — meaning “pose”

Since this pose requires significant physical and mental muscle, be sure to warm up thoroughly before attempting it. Practice several rounds of Sun Salutations (Surya Namaskara) and 10-20 minutes of active, standing postures before moving into Side Crow. Read More…http://www.yogaoutlet.com/guides/how-to-do-side-crow-pose-in-yoga

Namaste