How I created six principles to craft a safe and effective yoga practice during pregnancy. (And, how it could help you too!)
In my year-long functional movement fellowship with The Gray Institute, I learned how understanding “principles” can help me make me a better movement professional.
But first, what is a principle? A principle is a fundamental truth or proposition that serves as the foundation for a system or belief or behavior or for a chain of reasoning.
So, what are the principles that guided me in my yoga practice during pregnancy?
One: I’m becoming a mother and will be raising a brand new human for the first time. I need to face my past, manage my anxiety and confidently move forward into the biggest life change I’ve ever faced. I will continue to make meditation and self-study a daily practice.
Two: Yoga postures feel different in my body with increased baby weight gain and fatigue. I will modify the way I practice yoga postures in pregnancy to help me manage for increased load and weight gain. The way my body feels each day will be my guide.
Three: Increases in certain hormones, mainly relaxin, have increased the laxity of my joints in preparation for childbirth. With increased laxity, I will stop practicing deep and long stretches to protect my joints and increase dynamic, strength building sequences.
Four: As my baby grows larger, my abdomen has grown significantly. To protect both my son and my body, I will adjust, modify or eliminate yoga postures as needed. The way my body feels each day will be my guide.
Five: I’m experiencing shortness of breath due to changes to my hormones and the growth of my baby. I will adopt alternative yoga breathing techniques to calm my nervous system.
Six: I’m a pregnant endurance athlete who plans to continue running in pregnancy and after postpartum recovery. My yoga practice should support my desire to keep running strong and keep endurance exercise a healthy part of my life!
Would you like to know more about how I’ve utilized those principles in relation to my yoga practice? Stay tuned for further updates in the days and weeks ahead.
By the way, if you’re looking for a yoga teacher with all the answers to tell you exactly what you need to be doing during pregnancy, you’ve come to the WRONG place. One of the most subtle parts of who you are lies in your wisdom-body, or your Vijnanamaya Kosha in Sanskrit. This is where you hold powerful, inner-wisdom. I’m here to empower you to tap into this inner wisdom and make the best decisions for you, your body, your baby.
Do you feel inspired to write out your principles? Let me know what they are and how I can help YOU get through this! I’m in this with you!
