Pregnancy Series Book

8/2/2019 Pregnancy Series Book

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pregnancy series


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If youre an experienced Bikram yogi, you can

continue practicing with us once youre preg-nant. Here are some tips and pics showingyou how the postures are modified duringyour pregnancy, but remember to talk to usfirst, and always consult your doctor aboutyour practice.

During pregnancy, youll have a hormonecalled relaxin moving through the body, whichsoftens bones and joints to prepare you forgiving birth.

This can make you vulnerable to over-stretch-ing because you may feel like you are moreopen, but not necessarily stronger. Becauseof this, be avoid going further into poses thanyour accustomed to.

Secondly, make sure you ease off on the absduring pregnancy. Less abdominal supportwill mean less support for the lower back, soagain, go easy.

And another thing..if youve never done Bi-kram Yoga before, we recommend you waituntil after giving birth before you join us in thehot roomwell be waiting!


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Standing Deep Breathing: After three months,start to incorporate the pregnancy modifica-tions into your Bikram practice..


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The breathing stays the same, howeversome may find keeping the feet separatedslightly provides more stability.


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Half Moon: Keep your feet separated hipwidth distance apart. Go only as far as youreused to with the backbends..


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With the forward bend, separate your feet as

much as needed for the forward bends. Be-cause youll have less abdominal support toprotect the lower back, consider bending theknees on the way up and down.


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Awkard Pose: Separate your feet as much as

you need to make room for the belly, keepingparallel alignment..


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You may find that you can squat down much

lower than before due to the relaxin affect-ing hip joints, but do not go lower than thighsparallel.


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Awkard Part 2: Your balance may be tricky.Keep your heel hidden behind your toes toprotect your ankle joints, which may have

less support due to the relaxin. Strengthenup your arms since youll be using less ab-dominal strength. You may find that you can-not come down as low no problem.


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Awkward Part 3: Focus on your leg strength.

You may need to separate your knees on theway down and up. Use your fingers tips onthe floor for balance if needed.


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Eagle: Keep your feet separated hips widthdistance. Eventually, you may not be ableto cross the legs, so keep focusing on thearms, shoulder and the upper body stretch.Build the leg and lower back strength from

the squatting position.


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Standing head to knee 1: Weve moved intothe Balancing Series, where using less ab-dominal strength may affect your balance.Keep focusing on alignment, with the toes

directly in front of your heels. Lift your leg sothe knee is line with the hip, without holdingonto the foot with your hands. Make sure tokeep your spine straight.


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Standing head to knee 2: Instead of kicking

out, I used a toe grip and kicked out to theside.


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Standing Bow: Enjoy and keep your hips in

one line! As you move further into your preg-nancy, avoid lowering your upper body downtoo low in the pose.


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Balancing Stick: Accommodate for using lessabs and having less balancing strength bymoving into this pose slowly and with plentyof awareness.


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Done with the balancing series, now its theSeparate Leg Stretching Series..


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Separate Leg Stretching: You may need tobend your knees, especially when loweringinto the pose. It is safe to grab your heels,

but eventually, you can place your hands onthe floor in front of you, bend your elbowsstraight back, and lift your hips up for a nicestretch.


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Traingle: Enjoy! You will probably find yourhips are more open, making this posture ac-tually easier. Remember not to sink into thisflexibility. Eventually, you may not lower down

as much.


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Standaing Separate Leg: Keep your align-

ment with hips squared forward, and bringyour hands behind your back in prayer posi-tion for a nice shoulder stretch.


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Focus on keeping the spine straight and

lengthening forward, rather than roundingdown into a compression. This will leavespace for the belly. Focus on keeping yourlegs engaged and your hips in one line fromthe side.


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Tree Pose: Find a nice opening for the hipjoint and avoid sinking into your lower spine.

Repeat while other students are in Toe Stand.


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FLOOR SERIES


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Savasana: Ahhhhh lie comfortably on yourleft side, breath, relax


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Fish Pose: To avoid lying on the belly during

pregnancy, replace the postures in the spinestrengthening series with these alternatives:

Instead of Cobra pose, work in Fish pose.


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Fish Pose continued: Lie on your back andkeep the arms stretched along side you,palms facing down. Squeeze your legs to-gether, engage your buttocks, and pressdown into the forearms, palms and elbows,to arch your back up.

Keep using your arm strength to arch thechest high enough to slide to the top of yourhead, looking to the front of the room.

More advanced versions of fish pose includebringing the hands together into prayer posi-tion at the chest, or working with the legs inlotus position.


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Cat-Cow Pose: Instead of locust pose, workin a cat/cow pose.

Come to all fours, placing the hands under-neath the shoulders, knees underneath the

hips. Stretch the right leg straight back andlift the leg, keeping it parallel to the floor.Repeat left side.

If you want more of a challenge, lift andstretch the opposite arm forward, keeping it

inline with the shoulders.

Rest while other students are practicing bothlegs, or work in cat/cow posture.


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Pigeon Pose: Work in Pigeon pose here,rather than Full Locust pose. lotus position.

(see description on next page).


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Right side pigeon pose:

Slide the right knee forward, line it up justoutside of the right hip and rest the rightouter shin on the floor in front of you. Line theright heel in front of the left hip and stretchthe left leg straight back.

Place the hands on the floor beside bothhips to square the hips forward, and if youcan balance here, stretch the arms up bythe ears. For an increased stretch, move theright shin away from the body, but be careful

not to compress the belly. Keep the handson the floor to support the upper body ifneeded.


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Wheel or Bridge: Instead of Danurasana,work in Wheel or Bridge pose.

For bridge pose, bend the knees and place

the feet on the floor, keeping them hip widthdistance apart, as close to the buttocks aspossible.


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Use leg strength to lift the hips up to theceiling, keeping the shoulders and head onthe floor. Interlace the hands underneath thebody and press into the outer wrists to inten-sify the backward bend.

Alternatively, hold the outer ankles with thehands.

Full wheel pose is a more challenging poseand requires stength in the upper body andwrists.

Keep the set up established in bridge pose,and place the hands by the ears. Use thelegs and arms to lift the hips and torso up.


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Half Tortoise: To avoid compressing the bellywhen lowering into the pose, open your knees asmuch needed to make room. You may feel likeyou are toppling forward once gravity takes over,so place your hands on the floor and walk theupper body forward if needed. Help your self upwith your arm strength rather than your abs.


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Camel: Be careful going in and out of thisposture, always place your hands at thelower back for support. Place the hands onthe heels if they reach easily without com-pressing the lower back.


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Cat-Cow: To avoid compressing the abdomen,replace Rabbit pose with Cat / Cow Posture.This posture will feel great and helps to movethe baby into the ideal position.

Start on all fours, wrists under the shoulders,

knees under the hips. When you inhale inCow press the chest forward and arch thespine. When you exhale in Cat, round thespine up to the ceiling by tucking the chinand tailbone in, and stretching the shouldersaway from the spine.


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Leg Stretching with Passhimottonasana: Avoidcompressing your belly onto your leg when work-ing separate legs. If need be, avoid bendingforward and simply lengthen the spine up as youflex your toes back to you, bringing the heel upoff the floor. (continued)


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Leg Stretching with Passhimottonasana contin-ued:

Both legs: Separate the legs out to the side intowide angle stretch and lengthen the spine for-ward. Keep your hands on the floor to avoid abelly compression.

If you have the flexibility, you may work in fullsplits instead of keeping your legs together.


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Spine Twist: Be careful with twisting, as you wantto avoid compressing the abdomen. You mayfind it more comfortable work in Baddha Kona-sana, a hip opener. Sit up tall, bring the soles ofthe feet together and open the knees out to theside. Press down on both knees to help openyour hips instead of twisting.


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Documents

Pregnancy Series Book