Prenatal Yoga Workout

Healthy Sitting Position on Floor

The following three poses are recommended ways to sit so that you can reduce lower back strain, discomfort, and pressure. Seated on the floor: To help keep the spine straight in any seated position, sit with your entire back -- from shoulders to tailbone -- resting against a wall for support. You may also wish to sit on a firm cushion or folded blanket to help keep the spine straight.




Healthy Sitting In Chair



Rest feet on a cushion or low stool so knees and thighs are at hip level or higher to help prevent slouching and strain on the lower back.







Healthy Sitting: Firm Pose Sitting Position

1. Kneel on a mat with a cushion or folded blanket between your legs. You may need to lean forward slightly to avoid losing your balance. Tops of feet are flat against the floor, pointing straight back.

2. Supporting yourself with your hands, slowly and carefully lower your buttocks between your heels onto the cushion.

3. If you feel any discomfort, adjust the position of the feet or add more height to the cushion.

4. Hands may be placed behind you for support or may rest on thighs. Chest is lifted. *Do not sit in Firm Pose if you have symptomatic (i.e., painful, throbbing) varicose veins.

Modified Bellows Breath Arms Together

The following three slides will show you how to do this tension-relieving breathing. Stand with feet shoulder-width apart, arms held in front of you, palms together at chest height. Shoulders are down and away from the ears. Benefits: - Opens the chest and lungs - Relieves tension in the spine - Promotes a sense of well-being and fulfillment







Modified Bellows Breath

Open mouth and inhale as you stretch your arms to a T position. Lift your chin.









Modified Bellows Breath

Exhale completely as you tuck chin and tailbone, round your back, and bend at the waist and knees. Hands rest on thighs. Repeat 2 or 3 times. Meditation: With every breath, my baby and I become stronger.

Warm Up: Knee Rocking

1. Sit in a cross-legged position with your left leg on top. If necessary, lean against a wall to support your back.

2. Cradling the left leg with both arms, lift it toward your chest and abdomen as far you comfortably can.

3. Keeping your back straight, hold the leg as high and close to you as possible without straining.

4. Moving from the hip joint, gently rock the leg back and forth as though rocking a baby.

5. After rocking one leg several times, switch leg position and repeat with other leg.
Benefits:- Helps alleviate discomfort in the hip joints caused by your growing baby's pressure on the nerves and joints in the hip area, buttocks, and thighs. - Improves flexibility in the hip, pelvic, and groin areas. Note: Do this warm-up whenever you feel discomfort in the hips and pelvic area.

Sideways Swing (Parighasana)

1. Sit on a mat with legs bent to the right of the body. If necessary, lean against a wall to support the back (see Healthy Sitting).

2. Inhale and raise arms up; interlace fingers over your head. Upper arms are alongside the ears.

3. Gently curve your body to the right as you exhale slowly.

4. Hold for 5 to 10 seconds and breathe deeply.

5. Inhale and return to an upright position. Lower arms, rest, and breathe normally.

6. Move legs to the left side and repeat by curving to the left.

7. Repeat once more on each side. Meditation: I move and stretch to the rhythm of life.
Benefits: - Tones and strengthens muscles along the sides of the body - Aids digestion - Increases flexibility of the spin.

Dog Pose

Kneel in "table position," with knees under hips and arms beneath shoulders. Back is straight, head faces forward. Inhale and raise head and tailbone, letting your belly drop toward the floor. Curve your back in a swayback position. Eyes gaze upward. Take care not to overextend the neck or overarch the back.

Meditation: I stretch and move with grace and fluidity. Alternate between dog and the following cat pose several times, inhaling and exhaling deeply.




Cat Pose

Kneel in "table position," with knees under hips and arms beneath shoulders. Back is straight, head faces forward. Exhale and drop head and tailbone. Arch your back, exhaling further. Tighten buttocks and abdominal muscles. Alternate between dog and cat several times, inhaling and exhaling deeply.

Benefits: - Strengthens and relaxes the lower back - Increases suppleness along the spine - Improves circulation - Stretches muscles along the back, neck, and arms. Note: You support a lot of weight in your uterus during pregnancy. Do this every morning and evening. It's a great way to release tension and stress in the lower back.

Hands-to-Wall Pose: Part One

Benefits: This two-part pose tones and strengthens the muscles of the upper chest to better support enlarging breasts. It also strengthens the arms and wrists.

1. Stand erect with arms extended in front of you, palms against a wall. Place the body so you are at arm's length from the wall, leaning at a slight angle.

2. Fingers of both hands point toward each other, touching but not overlapping.

3. Shoulders are relaxed, feet flat on the floor. Buttocks are tucked to prevent lower back from arching. Meditation: I am the essence of strength, health, and happiness.

Hands-to-Wall Pose: Part Two

1. Slowly bend the elbows so that gradually and with control, your upper body moves toward the wall as you slowly exhale.

2. Bring your face as close to the wall as you comfortably can. The body remains straight. Do not bend at the waist or knees.

3. Hold for a few moments, breathing normally.

4. Inhale and slowly push away from the wall until your arms are straight and your body is erect. Lower your arms. Relax and breathe normally. Repeat 2 to 3 times.

Easy Bridge Pose (Setu Bandhasana)

1. Lie on your back with knees bent, feet flat on the floor and close to your buttocks.

2. Arms are by your sides.

3. Start by pressing your lower back into the floor so that the tailbone lifts up and away from the floor. Gradually lift the lower back from the floor, one vertebra at a time, until you are resting on your middle or upper back. Buttocks should be lifted a few inches from the floor. Weight should not be on your shoulders and neck.

4. Hold for 5 to 10 seconds and begin to slowly lower the back from the upper portion one vertebra at a time. Visualize the spine unrolling. Relax with the legs outstretched or hug the knees gently to the body. Repeat once more. Meditation: I see my body growing stronger and more beautiful each day.

Benefits: - Increases flexibility in the back and shoulders - Stretches and releases tension in the neck - Strengthens leg muscles

*As long as comfort allows, women in the second trimester may also do this pose.
Note: When getting up from a back-lying position, turn to your left or right side first and gradually work up to a sitting or kneeling position. This avoids any straining or dizziness.

Easy Pose Meditation (Sukhasana)

Sit in any comfortable position (see Healthy Sitting).
1. Arms are by your sides or folded in lap, shoulders down and away from ears. Close your eyes, breathe deeply.

2. Inhale and exhale deeply as you repeat: Meditation: I become aware of the muscles that support me as I sit.

3. Exhale and scan your body, acknowledging those muscles and the good work they do.

4. Inhale and repeat silently: Meditation: I release all the parts of my body that I do not need to use now.

5. Exhale, allowing those muscles to relax completely. Breathe deeply several times as you continue to relax and let go. Benefits: - Relaxes the muscles - Brings you back to the present moment - Slows the mind - Reduces blood pressure and heart rate - Calms the entire being, promoting peace and serenity

*An important part of birth preparation and labor is learning how to relax muscles not being used.
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i have never known of this prenatal yoga, thanks to Ms. Plinky Recto, i have given the time then to watch her in one of her appearance in television, she is i think if not mistaken was already 8 months pregnant..and still stretching her yoga way.. for all the mothers to be, here are some useful exercises for you and your baby.. what i have notice she is pregnant but her curves is still visible and attaractive.. i will do this as soon as i got pregnant..

What is Pilates?

What is Pilates? It is an innovative system of mind-body exercise evolved from the principles of Joseph Pilates.

Pilates dramatically transforms the way your body looks, feels and performs. It builds strength without excess bulk, creating a sleek, toned body with slender thighs and a flat abdomen.

It teaches body awareness, good posture and easy, graceful movement. Pilates improves flexibility, agility and economy of motion. It can even help alleviate back pain.
Professional dancers have known the benefits of Pilates for decades. Top athletes use it for strength, flexibility, and injury prevention. Hollywood celebrities and supermodels use it to maintain beautiful physiques.

A miracle? Not really. Developed from the rehabilitation techniques of Joseph Pilates, Pilates is a safe, sensible exercise system using a floor mat or equipment, that will help you look and feel your very best. No matter what your age or condition, it will work for you.

Pilates gets your mind in tune with your body. By emphasizing proper breathing, correct spinal and pelvic alignment, and complete concentration on smooth, flowing movement, you become acutely aware of how your body feels, where it is in space, and how to control its movement. The quality of movement is valued over quantity of repetitions. Proper breathing is essential, and helps you execute movements with maximum power and efficiency. Last but not least, learning to breathe properly can reduce stress.
Build strength without "bulking up" - gain long, lean muscles and flexibility

Conventional workouts tend to build short, bulky muscles - the type most prone to injury. Pilates elongates and strengthens, improving muscle elasticity and joint mobility. A body with balanced strength and flexibility is less likely to be injured.
Develop a strong core - flat abdominals and a strong back

Building on the principles of Joseph Pilates, Pilates exercises develop a strong "core," or center of the body. The core consists of the deep abdominal muscles along with the muscles closest to the spine. Control of the core is achieved by integrating the trunk, pelvis and shoulder girdle.
Create an evenly conditioned body and prevent sports injuries

In conventional workouts, weak muscles tend to get weaker and strong muscles tend to get stronger. The result is muscular imbalance - a primary cause of injury and chronic back pain. Pilates conditions the whole body, even the ankles and feet. No muscle group is over trained or under trained. Your entire musculature is evenly balanced and conditioned, helping you enjoy daily activities and sports with greater ease and less chance of injury.
Learn efficient patterns of motion

Pilates exercises train several muscle groups at once in smooth, continuous movements. By developing proper technique, you can actually re-train your body to move in safer, more efficient patterns of motion - invaluable for injury recovery, sports performance, good posture and optimal health.
Be confident and safe

No other exercise system is so gentle to your body while giving it a challenging workout. Many of the exercises are performed in reclining or sitting positions, and most are low impact and partially weight bearing. Pilates is so safe, it is used in physical therapy facilities to rehabilitate injuries.

Pilates is also an extremely flexible exercise system. Modifications to the exercises allow for a range of difficulty ranging from beginning to advanced. Get the workout that best suits you now, and increase the intensity as your body conditioning improves.

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it is very much true that pilates is extremely flexible exercise system, because i am not just a yoga lover and a pilates lover too, true enough after months of doing pilates in only 5-10 mins a day, my muscles are toned and my back pain relieves.

What is Bikram Yoga? What is Hot Yoga?

What is Hot Yoga?

Hot Yoga is a series of yoga poses done in a heated room. The room is usually maintained at a temperature of 95-100 degrees. As you can imagine, a vigorous yoga session at this temperature promotes profuse sweating which rids the body of toxins. It also makes the body very warm, and therefore more flexible.

What is Bikram Yoga?

Living yoga master Bikram Choudhury is a Hot Yoga innovator. His method of Hot Yoga is a set series of 26 yoga poses, including two pranayama exercises, each of which is performed twice in a single 90 minute class. Choudhury, who was born in Calcutta, India in 1946, founded the Yoga College of India in Beverly Hills in 1974. He and his wife Rajashree were both yoga champions in India. Recently, Choudhury was involved in a lawsuit over his attempt to copyright his series of 26 poses done in a hot room. At the heart of the controversy is Choudhury's desire to prevent anyone teaching yoga in a heated room from calling their class "Bikram Yoga." He would like to reserve this title only for those teachers who are certified by his Yoga College of India and who stick to his prescribed method exactly (including not only the temperature of the room and order of poses, but also the carpet and mirrors in the room, and his approved text). The lawsuit was resolved with an out-of-court settlement in which Choudhury agreed not to sue the members of a San Francisco-based collective of Hot Yoga teachers and they agreed not to use the Bikram name. Bikram remains a very controversial figure in the yoga world.

Hot Yoga Tips and Cautions

It is essential to have your own yoga mat and towel when doing Hot Yoga since you will be sweating so much. Students tend to wear very little clothing for the same reason.

Make sure to drink plenty of water before and after class so you don't get dehydrated. It is not advisable to eat during the two hours before class.

If you want to try Bikram's method, make sure the Hot Yoga studio you choose has been certified to teach Bikram Yoga.

Hot Yoga is not advised for pregnant women, since it can raise the core body temperature.
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i am preparing myself for this hot yoga, and need energized myself a bit and get used with this new hot yoga and bikram yoga too

Yoga Positions

Yoga Positions For Beginners Explained In Detail

These yoga positions for beginners are simple but you should still take care when performing them.

If you choose to do yoga positions for beginners or any yoga exercises for that matter, before retiring at night, make certain you are not over-tired, but fully enough awake to relax and concentrate on what you are doing with these yoga basic positions.

Obviously little benefit would be derived from either asanas (yoga exercises) or mudras performed while the mind is in such a state of fatigue that it cannot address itself to the task at hand.

Without the proper mental mood the yoga positions for beginners become so many physical exercises, an exotic but ineffectual substitute for calisthenics.

Remember that all yoga positions for beginners should be performed on the hard floor, using a rug or mat for protection. A mattress or soft bed is inadvisable since you would not derive the maximum muscular benefits from performing yoga exercises on a "giving" surface.

One quick point before we continue. Yoga is all about health so in addition to using the following yoga positions for beginners you should check out this. It's really worth a few moments of your time.

Yoga positions # 1: SAVASANA, or the Death Pose; this is the pose of complete relaxation.

Method: Let yourself lie flat and heavy on the mat. Breathe rhythmically but naturally. Try to feel the weight of your body as though it were digging into the ground. Consciously relax every muscle, starting with the head, neck, shoulders, chest, arms and hands and fingers, down the torso and abdomen, down the back, hips, thighs, knees, legs, feet and toes.

Relax the muscles of your face-forehead, eyes, cheeks, mouth, chin. Pretend you are an old piece of rope lying on the ground. When you have relaxed completely, repeat the process.

You will discover a residue of tension here and there which must be gotten rid of. Do not let your mind wander and free-associate, but concentrate on some soothing image, such as clouds floating in the sky. Hold the image.

Do not let yourself relax into sleep. After a few moments reverse the process by deliberately tensing the relaxed muscles one by one. Stretch hard. In time you should be able to hold most yoga positions for ten or fifteen minutes without either day-dreaming or falling asleep. You will find such relaxation more beneficial than an hour's nap.

Yoga positions #2: UDHITTA PADASANA, or Raised-Legs Posture, is a simple asana which may be done by anyone, regardless of age, weight or infirmities, and is therefore excellent to be included in the list of yoga positions for beginners.

Method: Lie flat on your back, arms along the sides as for SAVASANA yoga positions for beginners. Inhaling slowly, slowly raise your right leg without bending the knee, until it is at right angles to your body, keeping your other leg flat on the floor.

Hold this position for a few seconds, then lower the leg while exhaling in the same slow rhythm. Reverse, repeating with the left leg. Now raise both legs at once. Hold this position for a slow count of three times three (counting to three in waltz time approximates one second) and lower the legs again. Rest. Gradually increase the count to ten or twelve seconds.

At first you may find that doing the three parts of yoga exercises such as this just once is enough to produce slight fatigue. But after a few days you will be able to increase the number of repetitions to three, then four or five.

Eventually you should be able to raise both legs at once half a dozen times in smooth rhythm without stopping. Be sure however, as with all yoga positions for beginners, to always to go through all motions slowly: the tendency is to lower the legs fast, since this is by far the easier way.

You will probably experience slight soreness of the abdominal muscles at the start, but this will not last beyond the first few days.

Therapeutic Value: yoga positions for beginners like this will give the abdomen an internal massage, strengthening all the muscles and breaking down surplus fat.

It is therefore particularly good for persons working at sedentary jobs and for those suffering from or wishing to prevent "middle-aged spread.

It is excellent for preventing prolapse of the stomach and for reconditioning muscles after childbirth. In the latter case, however, it should not be done without first checking with a doctor.

Caution: As with most yoga exercises, yoga positions for beginners or not, it should be avoided by persons with a weak heart and women already suffering from female disorders.

In contrast with the above asanas, which are basically Deep Contraction yoga exercises, the next three yoga positions for beginners are Concentration Poses.

They are listed in the logical order in which you will want to do them, the first being the simplest and the last the most complicated yoga positions for beginners.

But even the first of the yoga positions for beginners will require a bit of patience at first, unless you are naturally very limber.

Yoga positions #3: SUKHASANA, also called the Simple Pose:

Method: For these yoga positions for beginners, sit on the mat with legs stretched out in front. Bend the right leg at the knee and place the foot under the left thigh, using your hands to do it.

Now bend the left leg and place the left foot under the right leg. (You may, if you wish, reverse the order in which the legs are bent. Left-handed persons will generally find themselves naturally doing this in regard to many positions).

Keep the body balanced and easily erect. Extend your arms so that the wrists rest on your knees, palms turned upward. The tips of the thumbs should touch the tips of the index fingers, with other fingers lying straight out.

At first your knees will persist in sticking up into the air, which is only natural, since unlike the Orientals we have no tradition of sitting cross-legged unless our ancestors were tailors! You may find it helpful to start practicing this pose seated on a large book about two inches thick.

Do not force the knees down. Eventually you will be able to achieve this pose with ease and will assume it naturally for meditation.

Therapeutic Value: These yoga positions for beginners help concentration and induces mental and physical stability through calming the nervous system.

Yoga positions #4: SIDDHASANA, the Advanced or Perfect Pose:

Method: Having mastered the Simple Pose yoga positions for beginners, you are now ready to go on to the Advanced Pose, and you will find that your abilities of concentration become much greater.

Superficially there is considerable similarity between the two exercises, and you begin the SIDDHASANA as you do the SUKHASANA.

This time, however, you start sitting upright, tailor fashion, then take the left foot in the right hand and bend it so that the left heel is placed against the perineum (the structure between the genitals and the anus) and the sole of the left foot touches the upper portion of the right thigh.

Be careful not to sit on the heel, which should just feel the two bones of the perineum. Now bend the right leg so that the right heel is against the pubic bone and the toes of the right foot fit snugly into the crevice formed by the calf and thigh or the left leg.

Next, place your left hand, palm upward, on your left knee and the right hand on the right knee. Keep the head erect, pressing your chin well into your neck. Close your eyes and begin to concentrate by focusing your imagination on a spot between your eyebrows. This is not a must; but your mind is likely to wander at first unless you do.

Therapeutic Value: Same as SUKHASANA yoga positions for beginners, with increased powers of concentration.

Yoga positions #5: PADMASANA, the Lotus or Buddha Pose, one of the basic Asana and the one most Westerners will recognize as one the classic yoga positions for beginners. Of the three meditation poses it is the most difficult to achieve.

But since it is also the most beneficial, by all means try eventually to train your body to assume it.

Method: Sit on the mat tailor fashion. With your hands, bring the right foot up to rest on the left thigh, close to the hip joint, with the sole of the foot upturned and the heel near the middle of the abdomen, the ball of the foot almost in line with the thigh.

Now take the left foot, cross it over the right and place it in a similar position on the right thigh. (For left-handed persons, reverse the order). Place the hands on the knees, palms open, the thumb and second finger of each hand forming the letter O.

Because the Lotus Pose, yoga positions, sometimes take months of practice for the Occidental to achieve, many teachers advocate the following preliminary exercise:

Place the sole of your left foot against the right thigh, then begin a bouncing up-and-down movement with your left knee. You will find that the moment you push the knee down to the floor it will bounce up again like rubber-this is true even of the Simple Pose yoga positions for beginners -and the bouncing routine helps stretch and Umber unused tendons and ligaments. Bounce first one knee, then the other.

Therapeutic Value: The Lotus yoga positions, which symbolizes mental purity and a completely developed consciousness, is said to free the mind of temptations and lower physical instincts.

Its perfect symmetry gives the body inner harmony, preserves the equilibrium of our positive and negative currents and increases the effect of our yoga breathing exercises.

Creative energy is said to waken like a great river dammed up so that its rising waters may be harnessed. Its immediate physical benefits are to keep the joints flexible and to promote good posture.

Perhaps you are wondering why such difficult yoga positions for beginners or postures as the last three are recommended for concentration, since it would seem that in order simply to concentrate one might just as well lie down and relax.

Actually, this is not the case.

Experience has shown that if one lies down to concentrate or meditate, it is all too easy to day-dream, drowse or even fall asleep. Standing yoga positions for beginners, on the other hand, make it impossible to relax sufficiently for the mind to be completely free to devote itself to meditation.

Over the centuries those who have perfected yoga positions for beginners have found that the sitting posture is infinitely the superior one, and so have adopted it.

...really feels good when doing yoga, especially when my body is out tune, so thanks to this yoga positions, it is soothing and relaxing...

Includes Illustrations For Yoga Positions For Beginners