Yoga for Pregnancy: 4 Ways Prenatal Yoga Prepares Your Mind, Body, & Spirit for a Magical Birth

Welcome, Beautiful Mama!

Whether you’re ready to give birth or just found out you’re pregnant, you probably have hundreds of questions. Bringing life into this world is a monumental physical challenge. At the same time, there is so much happening within your mind and spirit.

And so, you may find yourself wondering…

How can I stay present yet full of joy and wonder at each stage of my pregnancy?

How do I connect to this amazing being I’m now growing inside of me?

As your body is changing every day, you may be experiencing shortness of breath, back pain, headaches, or exhaustion. These new feelings can be overwhelming, and you can easily lose sight of the magic of this journey.

If you feel this way, you’re most definitely not alone, especially if this is your first pregnancy. But you are strong. And while caring for yourself and the beautiful life within you requires much, this is a gentle reminder that you have everything needed within you to meet these challenges and exceed them with grace.

For many mothers-to-be, all of this and more is possible thanks to yoga. If you have been searching for an adaptable form of exercise that engages your mind, body, and spirit then it may be worth taking the time to ask yourself:

Is Prenatal Yoga right for me?

Is Prenatal Yoga Right for You?

Take a moment to close your eyes and listen to your body. What is it telling you? Is there any discomfort in your joints? Is your back sore or straining? Do your limbs feel heavy?

Your pregnant body is an amazing and miraculous creation. As your baby grows and changes each day, your body responds in kind. It’s a stunning transformation. And as it occurs, your body can hold on to a lot of tension, worry, and concern about all the different what-ifs. Finding safe and effective prenatal yoga poses, flows,and breathwork to alleviate this tension can breathe harmony back into your body.

Research suggests that yoga, modified for a pregnant woman, is safe to do at any point during gestation and can be very beneficial for both mother and baby.

Prenatal yoga is a mind-body-spirit practice. It combines physical postures, focused breathing, and relaxation techniques that aid in not only helping you move your pregnant body in a safe way but connecting you with your inner confidence and the beautiful being inside of you.

Yoga is gentle and low impact, making it the ideal activity for pregnancy mamas . It helps relieve the physical demands of pregnancy while also fortifying you spiritually before giving birth. Studies show the positive effects of yoga during pregnancy include reducing stress, anxiety, and depression.

Pregnancy and labor do not have to be unpleasant or painful. They can be a time of great enlightenment and peace. It all boils down to how you prepare yourself from within.

Four Magical Ways Yoga Prepares You for Labor & Delivery

To many, yoga is just another form of exercise to burn some calories or maybe learn a complicated stretch or two. However, there is far more to it than physical postures or asanas. Yoga is holistic. It engages every facet of your well-being. On your journey to motherhood, it is so important to take care of ALL aspects of your health. This includes physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual well-being.. Here are four ways prenatal yoga makes this possible.

1. Strengthen Your Physical Body with Prenatal Yoga

Yoga is a multi-faceted approach to exercise that has been proven to impact:

• Sleep: It’s common to lose sleep at any stage of pregnancy, especially during the third trimester as your belly doubles in size nearly every week (1). Practicing breath awareness and regulation can help induce sleep faster and improve the quality of sleep you get each night. This, paired with less tension in your muscles and joints, can offer you better quality sleep and lead to waking feeling well-rested and refreshed each morning.
• Strength and stamina: Two of the most important things required to practice yoga are strength and stamina. Strengthening your arms, legs, back, shoulders, and hips and building stamina in these areas will set you up beautifully for labor on the day your baby decides to make his or her debut.
• Breathing: Many of the breathwork techniques used in yoga help tremendously during labor and delivery. Deep breathing improves oxygen flow, keeps you calm, and helps you focus on bringing your little one into the world.
• Balance: Yoga is all about finding balance in every aspect of your life in the here and now. As your body grows to accommodate new life, your center of gravity shifts. Moving through the poses and postures in a prenatal yoga practice helps you find your physical and emotional balance as your pregnancy progresses.
• Flexibility: Your range of flexibility will improve as you routinely take on each stretch and posture. A good prenatal yoga routine will include poses that put focus on opening up your hips in preparation for delivery day.

Yoga has many benefits to the physical body that are greatly needed during pregnancy. But what about the spiritual journey into motherhood? How can you travel through your birthing journey with a stronger sense of purpose and connection?

2. Nurture Your Spirit as You Move with Your Baby

At its core, yoga is a spiritual discipline that prepares mind and body for the meditative state. It’s a discipline that allows you to cut to the very center of who you are as a person, providing the intuition and wisdom needed to lead a productive, creative, and fulfilling life. It’s a path to enlightenment, peace, harmony, love, and compassion.

Practicing yoga is a spiritual experience. Yoga practitioners learn to be aware of their physical bodies while knowing they are much, much more. They tap into the truth that our inherent nature is pure eternal consciousness and with that comes infinite creativity and unbounded potential.

As you embark on your new journey of motherhood, the answer to the question “Who am I?” can become harder and harder to find as your focus shifts from you to your baby. Finding the answer to this question requires patience and a sincere desire to understand yourself in your new role. The spiritual practice of yoga can aid in bridging that gap, no matter what religious beliefs you have and no matter what stage of pregnancy you are in.

3. Mentally Fortify Yourself While Pregnant and Leading Up to Birth

Prenatal yoga is an ideal way to prepare yourself mentally for birth and life after birth. The psychological toll pregnancy can take on your mind during and after birth can trigger a lot of emotions and thoughts that do not serve you. The practice of regular meditation through yoga teaches you to be kind to yourself and focus on positive thoughts and feelings of gratitude. Taking the time to be present through your breath will aid you as your life changes dramatically once your baby is in your arms.

One study suggests that pregnant women experience a decrease in depressive symptoms when practicing yoga regularly. Yoga can significantly lower levels of cortisol, which is the stress hormone that naturally occurs in your body, helping build your immunity to it. This is so important for expecting mothers like you. Even if you do not struggle with feelings of depression, yoga can be a great preventative measure to take to preserve your mental health long-term.

As you flow through a sequence and relax into meditation, you’ll find it harder to accept negative thoughts and feelings of helplessness or inadequacy many mothers deal with. Instead, you’ll feel more present and able to gravitate towards positivity, hope, and love. This is where the magic is. You may also notice improved:

• Mental Clarity
• Calmness
• Body Awareness
• Attention Span
• Kindness and Patience
• Brighter Moods
• More Energy

You give yourself the gift of positive resolve when you take up the practice of prenatal yoga.

4. Deepen the Beautiful Connection Between You and Your Baby

The ancient Sanskrit greeting/gesture “Namaste” is used widely throughout the yoga community. It is “acknowledgment of the soul in one by the soul in another.” This lovely gesture is made even more meaningful when pregnancy allows two souls to be merged in one body.

When you commit to any type of yoga practice during your pregnancy, you are allowing yourself to move into a deeper experience as a creative being. This will offer you a more profound perspective upon the birth of your child no matter where and how you choose to deliver.

The breathwork you’ll engage in as you practice yoga is ideal for instilling focus, calm, and peace. From there you can begin building the connection between you and your baby. Observe your breath. Place a hand to your heart and one to your belly as you inhale. Notice how your lungs, chest, and ribs expand slowly, then exhale and feel a sense of relief and relaxation. Picture yourself sending love and nourishment to your child through every breath.

Another way prenatal yoga deepens your bond with your baby is through positive affirmations and meditation. Your frame of mind will greatly impact your ability to manage your stress and anxiety levels as you progress through your pregnancy. Thoughtfully chanting positive affirmations such as “My baby is healthy and beautiful” in your mind as you flow through different postures and stretches can strengthen the link you share with your child and allow you to introduce positive messages to your subconscious mind.

Is there anything more magical than taking time each day to reconnect with your divine energy and the precious life within you?

You are holding a miracle inside your belly. Through yoga, you can nurture that miracle along with your own body, mind,and spirit. Watch as they blossom together to create a pure synergy that echoes beyond the womb.

Inspired Yet? Find the Best Prenatal Yoga Class for You

Yoga is the yoking of mind and body. Prenatal yoga is the yoking of you and your baby. Some yoga teachings even suggest that you share the same aura with your baby from the moment they are conceived and then into their first few years of life. Learning to be present in this brief yet amazing time can create a beautiful connection between you and your child. There is no more purposeful and magical act than that.

Yoga’s ability to nourish the mental, physical, and spiritual aspects of pregnancy are the very reasons the Boho Beautiful Prenatal Journey was born alongside our little one.

This program was designed specifically with you and the beautiful life you are creating in mind. It’s a comprehensive guide to prenatal yoga, fitness, and mindfulness. When you add this Boho Beautiful Premium Program to your personal library, you have lifetime unlimited access so you can use it again and again, not only with this baby but during any future pregnancies you might have.

It is offered exclusively in digital format, allowing you the space and time to complete the practices at your own pace and in the comfort of your own home. There are practices specific to each part of your pregnancy journey, filmed throughout my own prenatal journey, with enough content to last throughout your whole pregnancy and beyond.

This course has over 30 videos for all trimesters, giving you access to:

• 10 Trimester One Classes
• 10 Trimester Two Classes
• 10 Trimester Three Classes
• 3 Intro Videos
• 1 Pelvic Floor Exercise Tutorial
• A Prenatal Journey guidebook

The Prenatal Journey is made up of modified yoga movements, postures, stretches, and poses that are safe for you and for your baby. It was specifically designed to offer physical, spiritual and mental benefits to you and your baby.

You can try one class for free from each trimester’s practices right now here.

As you are bringing new life into the world, celebrate yourself and the monumental job you are doing every time you step onto your mat. This is a magical time. Enjoy your journey now and may it be filled with light and love.