Many women turn to yoga for the first time when they become pregnant. Perhaps they feel a need to prepare their bodies for the changes ahead, culminating in the marathon of childbirth. Or perhaps, instinctively, they are drawn to a less aggressive and more sensitive, inward-drawing practice.
Yoga, when practiced correctly, can be a huge benefit both to mother-to-be and her unborn child. BKS Iyengar’s work has given Iyengar yoga teachers very clear guidelines on how to work with pregnant women, the focus being, first and foremost, that there is no injury to the foetus and no pressure on the abdomen. This requires a more sensitive approach to yoga practice during pregnancy. For newer students, this is where a properly qualified teacher is essential. Students may ask for a list of asanas to practice during pregnancy. These lists exist but as often in Iyengar yoga, it is how these asanas are practiced and supported that matters.
A pregnant woman walking into an Iyengar yoga pregnancy class is likely to find not only plenty of bolsters and blankets but firmer blocks and other types of props on hand to facilitate a safe asana practice. Ardha Chandrasana (half-moon asana), for example, in a regular class is an asana you would normally associate with the effort and challenge of balancing on one arm and one leg (see photo). In a pregnancy class, a student may enjoy this asana by working against a trestle or a wall with the help of a chair for the back foot, support for the arm and maybe even the head (see photo). The struggle of the balance is removed, the body is well supported (even the head may be rested) and the focus turns to the space created in the abdomen, a welcome extra benefit being the relief of backache. Other asanas are similarly adapted to cater for the growing foetus and the needs of both baby and mother.
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Sep-22
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