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

Trikonasana or Triangle Pose
There are two ways that a Yoga pose or asana can be practised. More traditional is the static pose in which we dynamically move into an asana, hold it for several cycles of the breath, and then move out of it. In this way of practice, appearances can be deceptive. Often the beginner can assume that because the body in the main is stationary, the pose is also stationary. In fact, even when a pose is held, there should be fluidity and breadth which derives from the breath: the expansive quality of the inhalation and the softening quality of the exhalation.
   The alternative, which is a dynamic asana, enables the body to get used to the position gradually, and lessens the chance that we strain or stress the body to maintain a particular stance. Even for the more experienced practitioner, introducing some dynamism to your practice encourages you to see Yoga as a constantly changing and flowing practice. In pregnancy, viewing Yoga in this way is essential. During pregnancy the body is changing far more than normal and ailments have a tendency to come and go. As well as physical changes, a woman’s emotions can also be more highly accentuated and changeable during pregnancy due to greater fluctuations in hormone levels.
   For all these reasons, it is important that your Yoga practice reflects this fluidity of mind and body, by itself being fluid. Be willing to change the way you practise according to your stage of pregnancy and how you feel on a particular day.

Caution: With all Yoga practice during pregnancy be sure to work well within comfortable limits. If you are suffering from any ailment, do consult your midwife before practising. If your problems are severe or on-going, only practise with the supervision of a qualified teacher.

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.