HONOURING WOMEN, HONOURING BIRTH – STEP TWO: YOGA TOOLS
When we practice yoga, we are laying the foundations down for self care, self love and support.
Creating a routine that includes a daily yoga practice, allows you to set aside time each day to connect in with your body, your breath and yourself.
Whilst practicing yoga when you are pregnant, you begin to connect in with your baby too.
What a special experience, to be moving, and breathing in connection with this other little life.
The Power of Yoga during pregnancy
Practicing yoga will empower the mother to have a more positive and enjoyable pregnancy and child birthing experience. Setting aside some time each day for your yoga practice, gives you space to focus more deeply on your pregnancy and your baby.
The yoga poses provide valuable tools,that make the option of natural active birth physically achievable. Yoga exercises are a great help in facilitating a gentle and uncomplicated delivery.
There are 5 positive elements that when followed together work wonders on your health and your capability to have a smooth pregnancy, a natural childbirth, as well as working wonders on the physical and mental development of your unborn baby.
5 Elements of Prenatal Yoga
1.The Yoga Postures:
These poses gently work to strengthen and tone the reproductive organs and pelvic floor, to ensure a smooth pregnancy and an easy active birth. Each pose works to bring an optimum supply of blood and nutrients to these organs as well as to your developing baby.
When you practice yoga, you are creating balance within the body.
A well balanced body allows the skeletal system to stay strong and aligned and fully able to support the muscles as they move and change in relation to the growth of your organs, your blood volume and your developing baby.
As you pregnancy advances you will become more aware of the affect gravity has on your bones, your muscles and your organs. Gravity is a very important factor in childbirth, and utilizing the effect of gravity throughout your pregnancy can have a positive influence on your comfort in labour.
YOGA poses can be practiced throughout your pregnancy, provided you follow precautionary notes, and instructions with care. All poses use the entire body as a whole but the major awareness is the focus on the pelvis.
2.The Yoga Breathing
Yoga Breath work teaches you the very powerful techniques to ensure an abundant supply of oxygen enter the blood stream. The breathing techniques are very important when it comes to control and pain management during your birth.
3.The Yoga Locks
Bandhas create a powerful psycho-physical stimulation on the women’s’ reproductive organs. They strengthen the pelvic floor muscles and work to ensure strength in the body as the uterus begins to grow.
ROOT LOCK: works to lift and strengthen the pelvic floor muscles.
ABDOMINAL LOCK: is the engagement of the lower abdominal muscles, hugging the baby, and connecting back to the spine.
4.The Yoga Meditation
Meditation techniques can be used as a therapeutic tool, to help resolve and fear or anxiety associated with pregnancy or birth. Meditation brings an incredible awareness of the body, this helps you to connect with yourself and with your unborn child.
5, The Yoga Nidra
This is the deep relaxation practiced in a yoga class. It is very effective during pregnancy for physical and mental relaxation.
The yoga techniques of BREATHING AND RELAXATION in combination with gentle MOVEMENT and BODY AWARENESS assist in bringing into the world a child that is less affected by stress and potential illness.
Ensuring a healthy baby is every woman’s dream and PRACTICING YOGA will give you the tools to do just that.
