While expecting my little bundle of joy, I found solace and a balance between my health and my baby’s development through yoga. Beyond easing the pregnancy process and the discomfort that comes with it, some asanas help baby brain development while in the womb.

We can make our pregnancy journey easy by adding one of these asanas to our lifestyle.

Let’s learn those ideal asanas for pregnancy to ensure a healthy pregnancy.

This asana, or pose, helps strengthen the arms, shoulders, and lower back. It is most helpful for expecting mothers having weakness or constant back pain. It was a quick relief in my case, so I highly recommend this one to those who are into this currently and seeking a solution to it.

In your second or third trimester, this asana will be a great help.

This asana:

• helps with blood circulation,
• improves the connection between mind and body,
• improves overall mental health.
• And most importantly, the improved blood circulation helps baby brain development by ensuring all essential nutrients and ample oxygen are reaching the womb.

Virabhadrasana Practice – Stepwise

These simple steps will help in performing Virabhadrasana: –

• Place your feet at some distance parallelly (as given in the picture) and raise your arms parallel to the ground.
• Ensure your right foot heal is aligned perfectly with your left foot center.
• Exhale and twist your torso right, then bend your right knee over the ankle. Bring your palms together, and hold position for 30–60 seconds.
• After all this, straighten your right knee, exhale, and return to Tadasana. Now, repeat the same on the left side.

Finding the right sitting comfort or adding a bit of flexibility to your thighs with Baddha Konasana will be a great help in the day-to-day walking or sitting while you are in your last trimester or even in labor.

It may feel difficult if you are a beginner but surely will be a relief when tried regularly.

Baddha Konasana Practice – Stepwise

• Start by sitting in Sukhasana or normal seating on the edge of a cushion, or opt for a folded blanket, ensuring you tilt your pelvis forward for a proper start.
• Press your foot soles together, bringing them closer to your hips for better stretching shaping like a diamond.
• Straighten your spine and root your lower body firmly to the ground.
• Once you do that interlace your fingers, or place your hands on your shins or ankles (the choice is yours).
• Hold this for at least a minute and repeat it 2-4 times to experience its benefits.

Read More – https://beingmomandmore.com/5-easy-yoga-asanas-for-new-moms/

When we talk about prenatal yoga, Agnistambhasana is one of the most beneficial ones. I was having backaches during my pregnancy, and this asana did wonders! Besides preventing lower back pain, this yoga asana also helped in strengthening the hips and lower back.

If you feel relaxed, your baby in the womb will feel the same! During pregnancy, it is crucial to remain calm and relaxed since stress can affect baby-brain development by increasing stress hormones.

This particular yoga is safe to do in the third trimester of pregnancy.

Agnistambhasana Practice – Stepwise

To practice Agnistambhasana or the ankle-to-knee pose,

• Sit comfortably with relaxed shoulders and your feet resting on the ground.
• Cross your legs, placing the right ankle on the left knee and the left ankle on the right knee.
• Relax and let your arms rest on the sides of your body.
• Close your eyes, take deep breaths, and enjoy the moment.

Tadasana (The mountain pose), one of the best prenatal yogas for women, offers remarkable benefits to expecting ladies. This was like a freshness for me after a sour morning start in my third trimester.

Tadasana is a gentle pose that helps improve posture during pregnancy and strengthens the abdomen and lower body muscles. Additionally, it helps reduce stress which is a must when your body is going through so much. Embrace the benefits of Tadasana to elevate your pregnancy journey.

Tadasana is safe to perform in your first trimester of pregnancy.

Tadasana Practice – Stepwise

To practice Agnistambhasana or the ankle-to-knee pose,

• Stand with your hips apart and your toes pointing upwards.
• After this, bring both hands together and close to your heart with your fingers pointing upwards. Then close your eyes and start taking slow breaths.
• If you feel comfortable, you can extend your arms above your head and gently arch your back.

Ujjayi Pranayama is another prenatal yoga practice expecting mothers should add to their pregnancy lifestyle to ease the process and to help their baby brain development. Ujjayi pranayama (belly breathing) is a slow breathing technique that helps reduce stress and anxiety, aids in bringing focus, and prepares expecting mothers for childbirth.

Ujjayi Pranayama Practice – Stepwise

• Sit comfortably with crossed legs and arms on the knees on a mat or your bed.
• Ensure your spine is straight and in line with your shoulders.
• Inhale slowly and deeply through your nose while ensuring to constrict the back of your throat and feel the touch of air to it.
• Relax and repeat this process for a few minutes.

Read more: https://shorturl.at/CGY47

Matsyasana, or the supported fish pose, helps expecting mothers during their pregnancy while also helping with the development of the baby. Matsyasana did well for me; it will do the same for you too.

During pregnancy, practicing this yoga stretches the abdominal muscles, opens up the hips, and ultimately relieves the stress on the back we all feel during our pregnancy. This yoga requires two yoga blocks, and only then will you be able to practice it.

When discussing the right time to do this yoga, the second trimester is believed to be a good time.

Matyasana Practice – Stepwise

You need to have two blocks to practice this yoga.

• Sit on your yoga mat and place the two blocks behind you. Secondly, place one block where you will rest the back of your head and the other at the center (where your mid-back area will touch the mat).
• Now, start bringing the soles of your feet together with your knees falling to the side.
• Find a comfortable position, lie back gently on the blocks, extend your arms to the sides, and feel the relaxation.

Malasana (the squat pose) is another form of prenatal yoga that prepares the expecting mother’s body for birth. If the mother is healthy, it leads to a healthy baby.

Aside from performing this yoga, it is vital to include diets in your routine that are rich in Omega-3 fatty acids/ DHA that are building blocks for optimal baby brain development.

The second trimester is a safe time to practice Malasana.

This particular yoga asana (Malasana) stretches the pelvis, hips, and inner thighs. Even though it is beneficial prenatal yoga for expecting mothers, it is advisable to first consult your doctor before practicing Malasana.

Malasana Practice – Stepwise

To perform prenatal yoga Malasana (garland or squat pose),

• start sitting on a stool with feet extended to the front. It looks like a squat pose. Bend your knees and place both feet wider than your hips.
• Then, bring your hands into the prayer position, close your eyes, and breathe deeply in a rhythmic manner.
• Now, this is optional; if only you feel comfortable, tell your partner to remove the stool with utmost care.