bloodPregnancy means experiencing ongoing physiological changes not just weekly, but daily. While it can certainly be exciting, there are also many unknowns that can make this transition difficult.
If you practiced yoga before pregnancy, learning how to modify your poses can help you stay active and continue practicing, which can help you feel a little more like yourself. But if you're new to yoga, now is the perfect time to start.
“Yoga is a low-impact, full-body practice that can be a huge help during pregnancy,” says Jenn Gelfand, DPT, E-RYT, a physical therapist, yoga teacher, and owner of Root to Rise Physical Therapy. Pelvic floor health, prenatal and postnatal care. “Getting in tune with our physical and emotional bodies is very important during this time and can help reduce stress and anxiety.”
Because there are so many yoga poses that can be modified, we wanted to start with the basics: Sun Salutation A (Surya Namaskar A). This mini-sequence is typically done as a warm-up in most modern yoga classes.
So, to help you feel confident and comfortable on the mat, let's break down the best way to practice this popular full-body yoga warm-up that's safe for both you and your baby every three months.
How to Fix Sun Salutation A During Pregnancy
A full round of Sun Salutations includes flow through mountain pose, forward folds, half-lifts, high planks, low planks, upward-facing dog, and downward-facing dog poses.
Depending on your level of fitness and how far along you are in your pregnancy, some of these poses may need to be modified or skipped entirely, while others can be performed safely, no matter how far apart you are.
Here are the most important things to correct while practicing sun salutation during pregnancy:
1. Mountain pose (Tadasana)
Stand on the mat with your feet hip-width apart. If you're in your second or third trimester, spread your feet wider. This provides more support and better balance as your belly grows and your center of gravity shifts.
- Stand with your feet hip-width apart (or wider, depending on how comfortable you are) with your arms relaxed at your sides and palms facing forward.
- Roll your shoulders back and open your chest.
- Without straining, reach the crown of your head toward the ceiling to lengthen your spine.
- From here, take a few deep breaths as you ground all 10 toes and heels.
2. Forward fold (Uttanasana)
Maintain a wide stance to ensure sufficient stability and tummy space when folding forward. Raising the floor to body level by placing a yoga block under each hand can relieve tension in your core and spinal muscles and provide support.
If you feel unbalanced or dizzy while moving from mountain pose to forward fold, modify to a high squat by pausing, bending your knees, resting your elbows on your thighs, and taking a breath. When you feel ready, move on to the next pose.
- Place a yoga block about 6 to 12 inches in front of each foot.
- Stand with your feet hip-width apart (or wider, depending on how comfortable you are) with your arms relaxed at your sides and palms facing forward.
- As you exhale, bend your hips forward and arch your lower back, folding your torso over your thighs. Bend your knees slightly.
- Place one palm on each yoga block in front of you.
- As you move into the pose, feel the stretch in the back of your legs and spine.
3. Intermediate Lift (Ardha Uttanasana)
Like the forward fold above, the wide stance of this pose provides stability and tummy space. Make the pose easier by placing a yoga block under each hand to raise the floor above your body.
- From forward fold position (above), inhale and press your palms or fingertips into the yoga block, lifting your torso halfway up.
- Lengthen your spine forward, extending from your tailbone to the crown of your head, creating a straight line from your head to your tailbone. Keep your spine long and flat and engage your core to support your lower back.
- To keep your neck neutral, keep your gaze slightly forward.
4. From high plank (Phalakasana) to low plank (Chaturanga Dandasana)
“Recommendations vary greatly depending on how stable the abdominal wall is,” says Gelfand. “If you have excessive pressure or abdominal tension, putting your knees on the floor can be a huge strain.”
Additionally, if you have wrist pain or carpal tunnel syndrome, place a folded blanket or wedge yoga block under your palms to relieve pressure.
- Start at the top of a push-up position with your hands under your shoulders and your body in a straight line from head to heels.
- Brace your core to keep your hips in line with the rest of your body. To keep your neck neutral, keep your gaze slightly forward.
- As you exhale, lower your body toward the ground by bending your elbows back just next to your ribcage. If this isn't possible, lower your knees to the floor in a tabletop position instead.
5. Upward-Facing Dog (Urdhva Mukha Svanasana)
During pregnancy, it is important not to press on your stomach, so upward facing dog (even cobra pose) is off-limits. Instead, lower to your hands and knees and arch your spine into cow pose for a safe, smooth backbend.
- Start on your hands and knees in a tabletop position. Your wrists should be directly under your shoulders, and your knees should be directly under your hips. To keep your neck neutral, keep your gaze slightly forward.
- Look at the ceiling, lift your chin and chest, and lower your stomach toward the floor. If you feel comfortable doing so, lower your stomach completely to create a deep curve in your spine. If the full curve is uncomfortable (as is the case later in pregnancy), move more slowly or gently.
- Take a few deep breaths here and hold them.
Try Hero Pose (Virasana) for a more refreshing chest opening and modification for Upward-Facing Dog. For this pose, Gelfand advises listening to your body to make the best judgment.
- Kneel down and then return to your heels.
- Clasp your fingers behind your back and puff out your chest.
- Take a few deep breaths here and hold them.
6. Downward Dog (Adho Mukha Svanasana)
Downward facing dog is safe to do throughout every three months and provides a dynamic stretch for your entire body. That said, depending on how you're feeling and what stage of pregnancy you're at, modifications may be useful.
As your tummy grows, open your posture wide enough to give your baby enough room to sit, and if your wrists hurt, use padding or a wedge yoga block under your hands.
- Start on your hands and knees in a tabletop position. Place your wrists under your shoulders and your knees under your hips.
- As you exhale, tuck your toes down, lift your hips toward the ceiling, and straighten your arms and legs.
- Press with your palms and fingertips as you lift your hips high. Your body should be in an inverted “V” position.
- Use your quadriceps muscles (front of your thighs) to lift your kneecaps and lengthen your legs.
- Allow your heels to sink toward the floor, but don't worry if they don't touch. Focus on lengthening your spine and legs.
- If you feel tension in your hamstrings or lower back, bend your knees slightly.
There may come a time during pregnancy when it is more comfortable to practice Table Pose (Varmanasana) on all fours with your knees lowered on the mat.
- Start with your hands and knees, with your wrists under your shoulders and your knees under your hips.
- Press your palms into the floor.
- Take a few deep breaths here and hold them.
How to Fix Transitions in Sun Salutation
If your belly has grown so large that it's nearly impossible to step onto the mat in downward-facing dog, lower your knees and step forward (recruit blocks if you need extra space!). For a smooth and easy transition. The same goes for stepping back from a forward fold to a plank position.
“Taking wide, slow steps onto the mat with intentional breathing can be gentler than jumping forward,” says Gelfand. “This may help reduce pressure on the pelvic floor if this is a concern.”
“Sun Salutations have so many opportunities to meet you where you are, as long as you move intentionally and modify as needed.” —Jenn Gelfand, DPT, E-RYT
Benefits of doing sun salutations during pregnancy
This intentionally short series of poses warms up the entire body and promotes full and free breathing.
“Sun salutations are a great way to move energy and connect to your breath during pregnancy because they are traditionally practiced as a movement and breath connection,” says Gelfand.
Supporting blood flow and encouraging oxygenation throughout the body is essential for a healthy baby and parent. But Gelfand says that breathing well is also a component of deep core strength during pregnancy, but it's also an unexpectedly important one.
“Physically manipulating our breathing helps us connect to our deep core and improve the mobility and function of our abdominal wall, pelvic floor, and diaphragm,” she says.
As your baby grows and the uterus expands, there is less space for the diaphragm (the body's main breathing muscle) and increased pressure on the lungs can make breathing more difficult.
According to Gelfand, tight pelvic floor muscles are also very common, and you rely much more heavily on other muscles, such as your chest muscles, to take deep breaths. Practicing sun salutations at an appropriate pace can help establish a full, healthy breathing pattern that supports the entire body, and “when done intentionally, can strengthen deep core, hip and lower body strength.”
Safety Tips and Precautions
Fortunately, when performing these modifications, sun salutations are “generally safe during pregnancy,” says Gelfand. “Sun Salutations have so many opportunities to meet you where you are, as long as you move intentionally and modify as needed.”
This is even more true during pregnancy that listening to your body and paying attention to your sensations while practicing yoga is important for a safe and satisfying experience on the mat.
While honing your awareness and intuition is key, Gelfand advises pregnant people to avoid doing the deepest stretches because “ligaments and connective tissue can loosen up and allow you to go deeper than you would without the pose. Always work on your muscles and joints.” “It is the best.”
To counteract this extreme flexibility and remain fully engaged, her best tip is to “exhale before and during the transition. [from pose to pose]. This manages pressure along the abdominal wall and pelvic floor and naturally engages your deep core when you need extra support.”
No matter how often you practice sun salutations in yoga during pregnancy, always give yourself as much extra support as you think you need for a happy and healthy pregnancy to help prepare you and your baby for the next stage of your life. .