It's a given that pregnancy can leave you feeling emotionally and physically exhausted. Looking after yourself and your unborn child can sometimes be more difficult than it sounds. There's not only your diet to consider but your general mental well-being. Keeping stress levels to a minimum will help both you and your baby in the long run.
Exercise is popular with women everywhere because of its numerous benefits during pregnancy. Keeping a lid on stress is often a very important part of carrying a child, and yoga is the perfect way to help keep stress levels to a minimum. This is because it can help you achieve the balance you need between body and mind.
During periods of stress your breathing can become shallow. Yoga's breathing techniques can focus your mind to enable you to breathe more deeply. They will also help you to deal with the process of labor. Practicing yoga before the birth can also help keep you fit. Yoga tones your muscles, improves your circulation and makes your body limber without hurting or straining your joints.
Before you start, do your research and find a yoga teacher who is fully qualified in teaching pregnant women. Tell them you are pregnant and if you find any position particularly uncomfortable, shout out! Don't go for the vigorous forms of yoga which work up a sweat, as they are not suitable for pregnancy.
Poses like the butterfly stretch, cat-cow, cobra, seated forward bend, side angle pose and the standing forward bend are also safe during your pregnancy, but make sure you check with a qualified teacher because some should be avoided in your second and third trimesters.
You can see yoga retreats UK listings here.
