5 prenatal yoga asanas that pregnant women can do

Yoga is a boon to the humanity . It is a practice which helps to relax the body and makes your body healthy and flexible through various postures or asanas . 

Rather than being in so much hustle and requiring too much of motion . Yoga is just a simple exercise which requires you to sit or stand at one place and calmly perform different asanas . It helps you to cure many diseases .

In case of pregnancy , women are found to battle with different mood swings , breathing problems , nausea , vomiting , backache , leg cramps as they enter into entirely different phase . Yoga is found to be a healer for such problems  as it ensures an easy labour  and smooth delivery which make you realise the essence of yoga in a pregnant women ‘ s life .

What actually is Prenatal yoga ? 

A type of yoga which is designed for pregnant women . It helps you to  create a balance between spiritual , mental , physical and emotional aspect .

So here are some of the 5 great prenatal yoga asanas that pregnant women can do :-

1. Downward dog Pose  

Procedure

• Lie  on the floor with your frontside towards the floor . 
• Keep your hands shoulder width apart with your shoulders above your wrist . Now align your inner shoulders with your index fingers . 
• Tuck your toes against the ground and extend your legs and lift your both knees into the air. Now make your body into “V” shape.
•  Extend your spine by pressing palms of your hands and balls of your feet. Pull your pelvis up by using the triceps in your upper arms to stable your body .

Caution :- Instead of placing your hands on the floor take support by placing them on wall .

2. Bound angle Pose

It releases your knee pain and improves flexibility . It reduces overall fatigueness of the body . It opens the hips and knees making it easier for childbirth .

Procedure

• By using a floor mat ,Sit on the ground by keeping your legs stretched and straight in front of you . Bring your knees closer to the pelvis by bending them .
• Now slowly drop your knees on sideways  on your limit . Don’t overdo it .
• Relax your lower body now .
• Keeping your thighs on the sides and the soles of your feet will be pressing against each other .
• Grasp the big toe of both foot with your hands .

3. Wall Squat

It helps in improving posture and provides potential to assist with birthing process .

Procedure

• Start this pose by placing a stability ball against a wall at your lower back ‘s height .
• You have to turn your back towards the wall for resting your body gently on the ball .
• Place your feet at the width of your hips .
• Breathe in and slowly squat down . Your knees should be at 90 degrees angle .
• The ball will  now roll up to the upper back .
• Your pelvic floor muscles will stretch in same direction as that at the bottom of your movement .
• Slowly breathe out and return to the initial position . Repeat it about 5-10 times .

Caution :- Place a block between your thighs for maintaining proper alignment in your knees . 

4. Ankle-to-Knee Pose  

This pose helps during childbirth . It also relieves pain and leg cramps .

Procedure

• Prefer mat for this asana . Sit on the floor by bending your knees and relaxing your shoulders .
• Now place your right foot under the left knee , so that your right knee rest on the floor .
• Stack your left shin of the top of the right .
• Your left foot should rests on the right knee and your left knee should rests on the right foot.
• make your palms gently rests on the knee and foot and bring them together in prayer position .

5. Puppy Pose

It stretches your hamstrings , calves , shoulders etc . It provides relief from backpain and headache .

Procedure

• Stand on the ground against a wall with your feet hip-width apart 
• Place your hands on a wall by keeping them shoulder -width apart slightly above the height of your hips .
• Walk your feet back until your torso become parallel with the ground .
• It lengthens your spine and  contract your thigh muscles .

Many other poses such as garland pose , cat-cow pose , pointer dog pose are also considered as great prenatal poses . Start slowly and patiently , you can feel your body relaxing .