Simple Yoga Asanas: Easy Poses for Pregnant Women

Easy yoga poses for pregnant women

Beginner yoga poses won’t pose a problem even for expectant mothers who have never engaged in sports, as they come in various difficulty levels and are performed using aids that reduce strain. Pregnant women with good physical conditioning who have practiced Eastern gymnastics for a long time, will find it beneficial to include simple poses as relaxing and compensating elements between difficult daily yoga routines between difficult exercises.

Simple Yoga Poses

Movements in poses are performed smoothly, adhering to the rules of safe entry and exit from the pose. If any discomfort arises, it is recommended to stop the exercises. The correct body alignment in easy yoga poses is shown in the photos.

Shavasana (Corpse Pose)

The first yoga asana for body relaxation, helping to restore breathing and rest after practice, calm down and clear the mind of unnecessary thoughts:

Lie on your back with your arms extended to the sides away from the body and a small pillow placed under your knees. If lying on your back is not comfortable, you can lie on your side and hold a pillow between your thighs to reduce the load on the abdomen or bend one leg at the knee, placing it on the pillow over the other leg.

Jathara Parivartanasana (Belly Twist Pose)

Performed from Shavasana and serves to stabilize the digestive system, helping during exacerbations of gastroenterological diseases:

In a reclining position on your back with arms extended at shoulder level, move your legs together to the side of the body. It’s comfortable to place a pillow between the thighs. The legs should be turned at an angle that is comfortable for your current condition and pregnancy term.

Virabhadrasana I (Warrior Pose)

Strengthens the legs and develops a sense of balance, eases breathing by opening the chest, helps with concentration:

Take a wide step along the mat, bend the front leg at the knee, and extend the back leg to stand on the toes. Join the palms of the straight arms raised above your head, trying to keep your back straight and open the chest as much as possible.

Marjariasana (Cat Pose)

Helps with back and neck pain, provides a gentle massaging effect on the abdominal organs, improving their function. Performing this exercise after childbirth helps to “gather” the belly and return the figure’s slenderness:

Get on your knees, supporting yourself on the mat with your shins, toes, and palms of straight arms. On an inhale, round your back, lowering your head between your arms; on an exhale, arch towards the floor, lifting the crown up.

Adho Mukha Svanasana (Downward-Facing Dog Pose)

Helps gently stretch the body, strengthening the muscles of the legs and ankles. Performing the pose daily at the end of the day will help relieve fatigue and tension:

By leaning forward, position your body into an angle over the mat, with the straight sides formed by outstretched arms and legs. Mastering the classic pose can be quite difficult for beginners, so the following methods can simplify the execution of the asana:

• Support yourself on the toes, bending your knees and lifting your heels off the floor;

• Begin the exercise with a partial forward bend toward a chair or other support, placing your straight arms on it.

Malasana (Garland Pose)

Recommended for relieving lower back pain and reducing fat deposits in the lower body:

Standing with your feet about one meter apart along the mat, squat deeply with your hands in namaste. Hold the pose for 3-5 breathing cycles, trying to keep your back straight and breathe calmly.

In this position, perform pelvic floor exercises to improve blood circulation to the pelvic organs, preventing blood stasis and the occurrence of gynecological diseases:

On the inhale, contract the pelvic muscles, and on the exhale, relax them. Perform this exercise at different paces. You can start with the rhythm of calm breathing, then alternate muscle tension and relaxation as quickly as possible without linking them strictly to inhale and exhale.

The Importance of Daily Light Poses

When mastering yoga starting from simple asanas, it’s beneficial to simultaneously learn proper breathing, without which the Eastern practice will be incomplete. Yogic breathing techniques help oxygenate organs and tissues, enhance the positive effects of exercises, improve metabolism, and aid expectant mothers in alleviating pain during contractions and childbirth.

The first poses in Hatha yoga teach pregnant women how to listen to their bodies and their needs, prepare muscles and ligaments for performing other asanas, improve well-being and mood, and provide energy for daily tasks. The positive effect that simple yoga elements have on the body makes their daily practice essential and encourages further integration into a more advanced level training regimen.