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may/june 2018yogajournal.com.auFor many students and teachers of
yoga, pregnancy is an anomaly;
something that we’re not quite sure how
to manage to ensure complete comfort.
Most 200-hour yoga teacher trainings
only touch on the subject of prenatal
yoga, and although new teachers are
aware of the most important safety
considerations (avoid strong twists, core
work, deep back bends and lying on the
belly), many won’t have much
experience in teaching pregnant
students (or being pregnant
themselves).
As teachers, it can be a real challenge
to keep a constant eye on your one
pregnant student in a full room of fit,
experienced practitioners (which is one
reason dedicated prenatal yoga classes
are such a great idea). And as pregnant
students, understanding how to modify
your practice might possibly be the last
thing on your mind. But as more and
more research indicates the benefits of a
prenatal practice for both mothers and
babies, teachers and students will
benefit from a greater understanding of
how it works.YOGA FOR TWO: Considerations
and modifications
Ana Davis is the founder and director
of Bliss Baby Yoga. She has been
practicing for almost 30 years, teaching
for over 20 years and training yoga
teachers in the specialised field of
women’s health for over a decade.
Ana was first attracted to teaching
prenatal yoga 14 years ago when she
became pregnant with her son.
She says, “My whole view of yoga
changed when I became pregnant.
That’s when I realised that as women
we need to approach yoga from a more
feminine place to support us through
the unique changes of our feminine
lives.”
When it comes to safety during
pregnancy, Ana’s advice to students is
“to embody the awareness that they are
now ‘doing yoga for two’.” And while
that might sound like common sense,
“you’d be surprised how many women
who are so used to being active,
powerful, busy and ‘type A personality’
find it difficult to slow down during
pregnancy”, she says. “Prenatal yoga isall about letting go of the ego, which of
course is an important preparation for
the sacrifice (surrender) that is such a
big part of motherhood...Therefore,
the overriding principle and safety
consideration that we talk about in our
Bliss Baby Yoga Teacher Training
courses is to ‘create space’.”
Ana explains that on a physical
level this means avoiding movements
that constrain or compress the belly –
such as closed twists, deep forward
bends and lying down postures on
the stomach. But there’s also a
metaphorical philosophy around
creating this space. She says, “create
the mental, emotional and spiritual
space in your life to prepare you to
become a mother.”
Katie Manitsas agrees with these
sentiments. A yoga teacher of 20 years,
doula, prenatal yoga teacher trainer
and author of The Yoga of Birth,
Katie says, “Yoga practice in
pregnancy should be completely
different to a regular yoga practice
because all the energy of your body
(prana) is engaged in the huge project
of building a human life...Lots of
meditation, yoga nidra, chanting and
restorative poses...What is going on in
the subtle/energetic body is profound
and deserves space to be honoured.”
Amanda Vella is another prenatal
yoga teacher and doula who became
drawn to the practice of prenatal yoga
during her first pregnancy in 2011.
A strong advocate for yoga during
pregnancy, she says, “Pregnancy asks
you to go inwards, sometimes for the
first time in a woman’s life, and yoga
asks the same.”
Amanda explains the importance
of taking it easy during pregnancy to
ensure the mother doesn’t become
injured, “A woman’s body is flooded
with particular hormones during
pregnancy that make her more prone
to overstretching”, she says. She
advises yoga teachers to take the
time to get to know and understand
pregnant students in class. She says,
“It’s good to know what trimester a
woman is in, about any injuries
or pregnancy conditions she is
experiencing and what her yoga
experience is like...The first trimester
is about ensuring a healthy, nourished
uterus and a firmly attached egg. This
is why deep backbends and twists are
often avoided during this time.”