After Pregnancy Yoga To Get Back In Form

Pregnancy announces a whole new chapter in the life of a woman. It means a sea of changes to come in her daily habits, behavior, and body. The impression of motherhood is indelible and is meant to remain forever in her mind, body, and soul. It is precious and enriching. As many proud mothers would vouch, a woman’s body is meant to bear a child and provide for its well-being, even if that means putting on a lot of weight. However, that does not mean the woman has to give up on her bikini body!

It is natural for your body to develop slackened muscular tissues that hang lose around where once your smooth curves used to be. The strain of rearing a life inside of you takes a toll. Even post-delivery, the body is pushed beyond the labors it is used to. Constantly carrying, feeding and strolling the little one in the perambulator becomes part of her daily chores. In the long run, these activities result in sore backs, swollen feet, even depression and acute headaches that just won’t go away! To address post-pregnancy health problems ranging from psychological to physical, you need more than prescription drugs and a weekly visit to the gynecologist.

Try the following yoga techniques:

Sthitaprarthanasana or the Prayer Position

This posture with a tongue-twisting difficult-to-pronounce name is a surprisingly simple stance. With palms joined at the chest and the carriage firm and erect, this posture signifies submission to a higher power. Performed during worship at a shrine, this position helps concentration.

In the postnatal phase, the body of a woman can be scathed with stiffness in the back resulting in misbalanced posture. Coping with so many difficult changes also pushes the mind into restlessness. Standing in the erect prayer position before a symbol of worship during these restive times is sure to bring relative calmness. You can stand before the sun early in the morning to practice this prayer or any other symbol of power which holds personal significance for you.

Pelvis Strengthening Yoga

For a mother, the pelvic region is subject to a lot of damage be it a case of caesarean delivery or normal. The lower abdominal region endures unanticipated pressure at the time of delivery. The result is leaky urinal duct and fatigued pelvic floor. Loss of sexual interest is also a result of worn out pelvic muscles.

Do the pelvis-firming utkasana yoga to bring back the strength in your lower back and belly. Perform the mula-bandha involving drawing in the abdominal cavity while rested in a stretched seating position. In the postnatal phase, you must never tire the body by starting exhaustive postures. Rested stances with synchronized breathing and slow movements are ideal.

Knees to Chest to Re-Build Flexibility

Try this simple rocking exercise to breathe back agility in your hip joints. After a long period of bed rest and general lack of movement off the hips, you are likely to experience stiffness. Even rolling over to get down from the bed may feel like a leviathan task. To overcome this rigidity, spread out your yoga mat floor first thing in the morning, hug your bent knees to the chest and do the roll.

Count in your mind how many times you move front and back and breathe in and out to this count, building mental concentration. Take it as slow or as fast as your body allows.

Ujjayi Pranayama or Ocean Breath

Coming out of the labor with a lighter body calls for a revolution in breathing. You are not going to feel that lump between your abdomen and the chest anymore. Let the breath enter your body in abundance through the Ujjayi pranayama or ocean breath. Listen to the inhalation and exhalation through your nose while keeping the mouth closed. Try to create a rhythm in this breath.

Make the experience more special by having your infant as a prop. Hold it against your chest lightly as you breathe. Let your chest heave and fall, feel the little bundle of joy move with it. The rhythmic rise and fall is also a good solution for calming a crying baby.

* This article was originally written and published on http://www.worldyoganetwork.com/articles/yoga-practice/after-pregnancy-yoga-get-back-form