Buddhabellies: yoga for pregnancy
Pose of the month - April 2009

Standing forward bend:

“Inverted postures are some of the most beneficial of all the Yoga asanas. Spending time, literally upside down, improves circulation, reduces fatigue and releases the spine. After 36 weeks, inverted postures are not advised to avoid potentially disturbing an already engaged baby. Prior to that, and so long as you are not suffering from any back injury or lightheadedness, then gentle inversions can be of great benefit. As with all Yoga for pregnancy, it is important to moderate the pose to accommodate your daily well-being, as well as the size of your baby.
   Traditionally, when practising Uttanasana or Standing Forward Bend, the aim is to lengthen the spine and release the hamstrings sufficiently so that, eventually, you can direct your nose towards your knees. Obviously pregnancy precludes this ultimate pose. Instead, we want to seek the benefits of being inverted without the strain of trying to achieve anything at all – a good lesson for one’s Yoga practice whether pregnant or not. All too often, we lose sight of Yoga’s true purpose when we seek a ‘final’ pose.
   To practise Uttanasana during pregnancy, begin in Mountain pose. Bring your feet hip width apart, the outside edges of the feet parallel. Release down into the ground, feeling each and every part of the foot respond gently to the pull of gravity. When you feel this downward pull, adjust the pelvis in response, making sure that the tailbone is also being drawn down towards the floor. The pelvis should feel balanced, like a basin of water. Now gently lift the arches. Feel the balance achieved between grounding down with the exhalation, and then gently lifting through the legs as you inhale. Spend a few breaths doing this...”

This series on Yoga and Pregnancy is written by Nicole Croft, who is an Active Birth and Yoga for Pregnancy teacher who is based in Woodstock in Oxfordshire. She is also the founder of Buddhabellies, which is dedicated to empowering women to birth instinctively and with confidence. For more information please visit her website at www.buddhabellies.co.uk.