Yoga during pregnancy – geriatric gymnastics or letting go training?

What are the main benefits of practicing yoga during pregnancy?

I think that at this special time we need movement even more than in our everyday lives. Especially when we already feel this weight in our bodies. This connection with the body, building its awareness, stretching, are very useful. I couldn't complain during the first two trimesters, but with the beginning of the third, I started to feel my back and things that I didn't experience on a daily basis - like lower back pain. Suddenly you feel old and helpless. (laughter). In a way, the body is less ours then, we don't have as much control over it as we did before pregnancy. It's also worth relaxing the pelvis and hips during these whole nine months to prepare for childbirth. This big belly is uncomfortable, the further into the forest, the harder it is to force yourself to move, but I really felt that I had to move.

Exactly – how does the practice of yoga change as a result of pregnancy?

It's a super individual matter, we go through each pregnancy differently, everyone experiences it differently and will practice yoga differently then. I taught for most of the pregnancy, only in the ninth month I stopped running regular classes. Of course, I subordinated them a bit to myself and the classes were not as intensive as before. The practice was more or less the same, but I started to adapt it to what was happening in my body: I ​​had to place my legs wider or do less tension on the abdomen. These are the main rules: pay attention to the fact that something is starting to change in our body - we do not strengthen the abdomen, we do not twist it, we make more space for ourselves. We reject all "tummy-like" asanas (such as Navasana). We do not do lotuses or half-lotuses - i.e. asanas in which the heels point down the abdomen. We avoid strong twists. The point is to constantly create space and room [for the child]. I think this is a time when it is also worth focusing even more on breathing.

What should you watch out for to stay safe?

It is said that the first trimester is the most sensitive period of pregnancy, among other things due to frequent miscarriages. It is worth minimizing the practice (intensity of asanas) during this time, and it is also not recommended to start your yoga adventure then. It is worth remembering that pregnancy is not supposed to be a period in which we break our records and enter new and more difficult asanas. If a woman comes to classes for the first time at the beginning of pregnancy, I, as a teacher, often advise her against it. I invite you to classes in the second trimester or I refer you to classes dedicated specifically to pregnant women. You have to be on the safe side. Pregnancy, just like yoga, teaches you to let go. This was a big lesson for me from the beginning. Although I knew that my body was still fit and I could still easily do everything I had done so far, I thought to myself: "Hey, hey, maybe it would be better to approach this calmly, more meditation."

So, to sum up, it is better not to start practicing yoga in the first trimester?

In such a case, it is safer to start from the second trimester, preferably with classes designed for pregnant women. We avoid asanas that tense or compress the abdomen, e.g. strong twists, boat pose. We make space for the abdomen everywhere: bends with wide legs (Prasarita Paddotanasana, Upavista Konasana), triangles, opening the hips (Malasana, Baddha Konasana), we work on conscious breathing. We avoid excessive stretching, because during pregnancy we secrete relaxin, a hormone that affects the softening of certain tissues, it is easier to get injured then. We focus more on letting go and relaxing. We gather strength for what will happen later.

Can yoga be used towards the end of pregnancy to speed up labor?

In my case, it didn't work, and I practiced a lot, so I think it's a very individual matter. We can definitely build body awareness, work on the pelvic floor muscles - strengthen and relax them. This is often overlooked. We work on their permanent tension, and forget about relaxing. It's also worth focusing on the hips, the backs of the legs, the lower back. There are many positions that, in theory, are supposed to make childbirth as easy as possible. Something worth mentioning: childbirth can also be in motion and in changing positions, and not on the back, as it may seem to us after what we've seen in the movies.

And how can you relax your pelvic floor muscles? I've only seen advice on how to strengthen them, but nobody talks about relaxing them.

Often it is a calmer, deep breath into the lower abdomen and into the MDM. It is also worth simply noticing this moment of relaxation. Just as we can tense our biceps, squeeze our fist and then let go, we can tense our pelvic floor muscles and then feel how we relax them. A good idea is to visit a urogynecological physiotherapist or attend workshops focused on the MDM – this is a key muscle group not only during pregnancy and it is worth paying attention to it.

So my favorite part of the class – lying down and relaxing (Savasana) – will work perfectly here?

Not only in terms of MDM relaxation, but generally letting go and relaxing, searching for more yin energy within yourself after the physical practice of asanas, which is more yang by nature. The entire pregnancy is a time when we direct energy rather downwards, towards the earth – that is why this final position or more minutes devoted to meditation can be beneficial for us. Many people do not have patience for Shavasana. This last position allows us to settle everything we have done during the practice. We just have to give ourselves permission to do so, because we are constantly in the action mode, it is difficult for us to ground ourselves. I am now at a point in my pregnancy where my practice is more of a “geriatric gymnastics” – here I will stretch out my side, round my back, take a deep breath. I miss the intensive practice, but I strongly believe in the cyclicality of our body and its extraordinary wisdom. I believe that this letting go is a lesson, preparation for what awaits us later. It's not about giving up on yourself, but maybe pregnancy is not the time to build an extreme, dynamic practice. I am now closer to slowing down, relaxing and accepting the changes that are happening in my body and beyond. Yoga during pregnancy is an even greater letting go than before - I deeply believe that motherhood and parenthood are also letting go and compromises. I hope that this practice will make it easier for me to bear it.

You can find more about safe yoga, but also interesting journeys and everyday human dilemmas on the @olgguuu profile on Instagram.