A few months ago, I wrote about my inspiring friend, Eliza, who practiced next to me in our regular yoga class until she was nine and a half months pregnant. In that post, I shared 5 Standing Prenatal Yoga Poses that are perfect for building strength and increasing dynamic energy during your pregnancy.
Today, I’d like to share 6 more prenatal yoga poses that will help open your hips and shoulders, stretch your spine, and take you upside-down to shift your perspective.
Prenatal yoga works great at home or at a studio, whichever works best for you, whenever it suits your schedule.
Recommendations for Prenatal Yoga
Five recommendations for pregnant women practicing yoga:
- Avoid backbends: This includes Cobra Pose and Upward-Facing Dog Pose. These intense backbends pull too harshly through the front of the body and the lumbar area.
- Avoid twists: Twists stop the blood flow to your uterus and are not recommended for pregnant women.
- Do not engage in breath retention: Pregnant women should not restrict their oxygen supply to their bodies, so breath retention is not advised.
- Transition slowly: The following six yoga poses are designed in a yoga flow sequence. Remember to transition slowly into each pose. Your center of gravity is likely to have shifted, so your balance might be off.
- Rest and meditate: Use your yoga practice to find comfortable positions to rest and meditate. Take a few deep yogic breaths to quiet your mind and calm your body.
6 Prenatal Yoga Poses
Eliza shows us some of the prenatal yoga poses that are perfect for opening your hips and shoulders, stretching your spine, and taking you upside-down:
1. Squat Pose
Come down to a squat position, with a straight spine, shoulders back, palms together, hips out, and feet flat on the ground. Take a few deep breaths here, sinking deeper into the squat with each breath.
Squat Pose
2. Downward-Facing Dog Pose
From the squat position, reach down and place your palms flat on the ground. Step your feet back to create an upside-down V shape with your buttocks high in the air. Straighten your legs, elongate your spine, relax your head and neck, and look down between your legs.
Downward-Facing Dog Pose
3. Cow Pose
Drop to your knees in an all-fours position. On an inhale, look up, arch your back, and open your chest.
Cow Pose
4. Cat Pose
On an exhale, drop your head, round your back, and tuck your chin into your chest. Repeat this Cow-Cat flow for a few breaths.
Cat Pose
5. Extended Child’s Pose
Sit back on your heels. Bring your knees wide while keeping your toes together. Slowly bring your forehead down to rest on the ground between your knees, rest your arms out in front of you (if that’s uncomfortable, rest your forehead on your folded arms), and take a few deep breaths.
Extended Child’s Pose
6. Cobbler’s Pose
Shift back to sit on your buttocks with a tall spine and your shoulder blades squeezed together. Bend your legs and place the soles of your feet together. Use your hands to gently massage your feet. Feel your knees gently pressing towards the ground, opening your hips. Close your eyes (if that’s comfortable) and turn inward. Take a few deep breaths.
Cobbler’s Pose
A special thank you to my dear friend, Eliza, for being our prenatal yoga model and to my gorgeous cousin, Trish, from Salt Water Photography for her amazing photography skills.
Please consult your health professional to design a safe and beneficial yoga practice that works for you.
You might also like:
5 Prenatal Yoga Poses
Yoga Books for Kids
To continue practicing yoga with your little one, purchase one of our yoga stories for kids. Our yoga book, Good Night, Animal World, is perfect for infants and toddlers to practice calming yoga poses before bedtime.
 Good Night, Animal World |
 Good Night, Animal World Yoga Cards |
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