New Beginners & Pregnancy YogaNew Beginners & Pregnancy Yoga

Whether you're a Yoga beginner, or a fan who wants to adapt familiar exercises to suit your pregnancy, we have all you need to know. Find out about the different yoga styles that are safe for you to practise - as well as which styles aren't safe. We have advice on how to learn relaxation techniques, and on how to focus your mind so you can do yoga meditation. Breathing exercises, along with yoga postures, will benefit the health of you and your growing baby.

Yoga can help women get through their pregnancy with minimal discomfort. It also helps the birth and post-delivery stages.

Independent midwife Manijeh Nedas says: 'In my experience, I believe that yoga plays a very important role in pregnancy. Generally, pregnant mums who do yoga exercises appear healthier, both in mind and body. Their bodies are more flexible, which enables them to adapt to various positions when in labour and the ligaments are more elastic, which in turn can help to reduce labour pain.'

Andrea Fox, an antenatal Yoga teacher in Sommerset, says that Yoga classes help to boost circulation and also help with fluid retention. The stretching exercises relieve aches and pains.

Posture is also improved by yoga and this can help ease back problems, which are common in pregnant women. She adds: 'Yoga helps to prepare for the birth - it encourages breath and body awareness, reduces worry and teaches women to adapt to new situations.'

And Yoga continues to have benefits after pregnancy, too. Postnatal Yoga, which can be started about six weeks after the birth, strengthens abdominal muscles and your pelvic floor. It also helps you to get back to your pre-pregnancy shape faster.

Starting yoga

If you have never tried yoga before, you should start by taking classes to learn the poses under supervision.

Jenny Pretor-Pinney, yoga teacher and owner of 'The Yoga Place' in East London says that it is good for pregnant women to practice on their own, but only what they have been shown in class.

But if you are already familiar with yoga, there are several books and videos around that contain detailed explanation on how to do the best asanas at home such as 'Preparing for birth with yoga' by Janet Balaskas.

There are several types of Yoga such as Hatha, which is the traditional form, Kundalini, which works with the glandular and nervous system, Ivengar, which gives attention to muscular-skeletal alignment and Ashtanga, which includes a lot of movement. Pregnant women should talk to their yoga teacher to find out exactly what type they should do.



Safety guidelines

Starting Yoga is no different to starting any other form of exercise - the same advice applies. If you are not used to regular exercise then you should start slowly. If in doubt consult your doctor or midwife.

According to Andrea Fox, any position which feels uncomfortable should be left out. Ms Fox points out: 'Lying on the front soon becomes inappropriate. Strong back bends are to be avoided, as are postures that involve using the tummy muscles strongly, such as the boat pose, or supine leg rising. Any posture involving balance should be tackled with great care.'

Mothers-to-be should pay attention not to overstretch the body - the ligaments around the joints become loose and soft during pregnancy. The abdomen should stay relaxed at all times.

No kind of pain or nausea should be felt during or after yoga. If this happens, you should stop exercising and contact your GP or midwife.