Keeping active during pregnancy is vital
Pregnancy yoga is increasingly popular but time and money may prevent some mums-to-be from enjoying the benefits it has to offer.
Pregnant women who practice yoga often enjoy the way that it helps to build a deep connection and bond with the unborn child: because the babies are doing yoga too.
They enjoy the calming breaths and rhythmic movement, and can really sense the fact that their mum is taking time simply to send a loving and nourishing energy to them in the womb.
And as an added bonus, regular practice of yoga throughout pregnancy can be of great benefit during labour, partly because the postures can help the baby to move into an optimal position for an easier birth, and partly because all those breathing practices and relaxation techniques truly come into their own as the body prepares to give birth.
There’s no need for any special clothes or equipment, just space enough to get down on the floor with a carpet or mat beneath, and an old T shirt and a pair of leggings is perfect. Yoga is best done in bare feet.
The following video is a class run by pregnancy yoga guru, Uma Dinsmore-Tuli, who was first introduced to yoga at the age of four, and has been teaching yoga and meditation since 1986.