UNDERSTANDING YOGA: Part 01

What makes us different from other species that exist in parallel to us is that we possess the ability to answer questions related to us and our surroundings. But this intelligence has somehow stopped us from thinking that to get the right answers, the right questions need to be asked. Today many people can answer how yoga is beneficial for the body. But interestingly most of cannot answer what yoga truly is. Ok! Lets us begin with a small set of questions:

1. Where did yoga come from?
2. What is the meaning of the word yoga?
3. Which is the text that deals with the earliest elements of yoga?
4. Which language is the text written in?
5. How old do you think is yoga as a practice?

More Extreme Yoga Poses

With the hit of our previous Extreme Yoga Poses posts (click here if you missed them), we decided to bring you even more advanced yoga poses that look a little extreme, yet make yoga so damn cool-

photo by Ron Sombilon Gallery on flickr

photo by lululemon athletica on flickr

photo by Ron Sombilon Gallery on flickr

photo by Luke Robinson on flickr

photo by Ron Sombilon Gallery on flickr

photo by YoGeek Mami on flickr

photo by Ron Sombilon Gallery on flickr

photo by Alicia J. Rose on flickr

photo by Ron Sombilon Gallery on flickr

photo by theloushe on flickr

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Extreme Yoga Poses
Extreme Yoga Poses- 2

5 Yoga Poses for Better Arms

Get lean, strong arms with yoga.

As well as balancing the body, mind and spirit, the toning and strengthening aspects of yoga asanas are evident. Many poses will help you to build strong and lean arms with defined muscle tone. The arm stretches and arm balances shown below will give you a great arm workout and bring desirable results.

Cowface pose or Gomukhasana

A challenging seated pose which opens up the shoulders and chest and stretches the arms.

• Starting in Dandasana (Staff Pose), cross right leg over left leg keeping both knees in line, stacked over each other.
• Extend your right hand back over your shoulder and simultaneously grasp the right hand with your left. The fingers of both hands must be clasped together.
• Hold and breathe. Relax and repeat the entire sequence with the other leg and hand.

Downward Facing Dog or Adho Mukha Svanasana

Increases the flexibility of the shoulders and the strength of the arms.

• Get on your hands and knees, with your hands slightly ahead of your shoulders and your knees under your hips.
• Spread your palms, curl your toes in and push back raising the hips and straightening the legs.
• At first your knees will be slightly bent and the heels lifted away from the floor
• Press your tailbone into your pubis and stretch your heels into the floor. Keep your head between your arms and try lowering your shoulder blades and broaden the collarbone. Look at your stomach.
• Straighten your knees but be careful not to lock them.
• Hold and breathe.

Plank Pose and Side Plank Pose

This upper body workout is excellent for strengthening the arms and spine, and has major toning benefits.

• Starting in downward facing dog, inhale and draw your torso forward until the arms are perpendicular to the floor and the shoulders are directly over the wrists.
• Tuck in your tailbone and firm your shoulder blades against your back. It should feel like the beginning of a push-up.
• Hold and breathe.

• From Plank Pose, shift your weight onto your right arm as you roll onto the outside of your right foot.
• Keeping the both feet flexed, stack the left foot on top of the right with the legs very straight.
• Bring the left arm up to the ceiling and the gaze upwards.
• Hold and breathe.

Upward Plank Pose or Purvottanasana
This inclined plank is an intense stretch and arm balance, providing natural resistance to tone the arms.

• From dandasana, with the arms behind your hips and the fingers pointed either towards or away from your body, begin to lean into the palms.
• Press your inner feet and hands down against the floor, and lift your hips until your torso is at a natural incline but parallel to the floor with arms perpendicular.
• Engage your shoulder blades to support your chest. Your body should be in a straight line. Drop the head back, hold and breathe.
• To release, slowly exhale the hips back to the floor.

*Image credits by Kelly Loves Whales, myyogaonline, lululemon athletica, tarnalberry on flickr

This article is brought to you by YogacaraShop.com – your source for special Yoga Apparel, yoga inspired clothing, comfort clothing clothing designed according to the Colors of the Chakras and the best trendy, high quality and comfortable  Fitness Apparel do visit YogacaraShop.com

Virabhadrasana: The Warrior Pose

Improve balance and agility; tone and strengthen the lower body and stretch the upper body with these three perfect variants.

The Warrior pose or Virabhadrasana is named after the mythic fierce warrior-sage, Virabhadra, an incarnation of Shiva, described as having a thousand heads, a thousand eyes, and a thousand feet, wielding a thousand clubs, and wearing a tiger’s skin. The derived name may seem an unlikely fit in yoga, an obvious non violent practice, however it signifies the spiritual warrior who battles with self ignorance or avidya, the universal source of suffering, as stated by Dharmic Philosophies, found in the Bhagavad Gita.

The three versions of the Warrior pose build, shape and tone the entire lower body. They tone the abdominal section and helps to prevent, reduce and eliminate back pain. The entire upper body is utilized and the capacity of the respiratory system is increased. All three variations improve balance, coordination and agility while strengthening the legs and back. They also provide an exhilarating yet relaxing stretch.

Warrior I

The original Warrior Pose improves balance and agility and strengthens your legs, back, and arms. It also targets the chest, shoulders, neck, and abdominal area.

• Starting in Tadasana, exhale and spread your legs 3 1/2 to 4 feet apart at the feet.
• Turn your left foot out to the left 90 degrees. Rotate your torso to the left. Start bending the right knee till your thigh is parallel to the floor.
• Raise both arms overhead, perpendicular to the floor with your palms facing each other.
• Breathe and hold for 30 seconds. Repeat with other leg.

Warrior II

The second Warrior Pose strengthens your legs, back, shoulders, and arms, building stamina. It opens your hips and chest, and improves balance. It is the simplest of the three versions, and many people choose to learn it first instead.

• Starting in Tadasana, exhale and spread your legs 3 1/2 to 4 feet apart at the feet.
• Raise your arms parallel to the floor and reach them actively out to the sides, shoulder blades wide, palms down.
• Turn your left foot out to the left 90 degrees. Start bending the left knee till your thigh is parallel to the floor.
• Breathe and hold for 30 seconds. Repeat with other leg.

Warrior III

The third and last variation of the Warrior Pose, Virabhadrasana III improves your balance and stability and strengthens the ankles, legs, and shoulders.

• Starting with Tadasana, raise both arms overhead, perpendicular to the floor with your palms facing each other.
• Move your left foot backward. Slightly lean forward, keeping your back straight and your arms stretched overhead. Your left foot, back, and arms should form a diagonal line.
• Lift your left foot higher back, lowering your back and arms parallel to the floor. Give length to the spine by stretching your arms and your legs. This results in stretching from two sides of the back, the legs and the arms.
• Keep on breathing through the belly and hold for 30 seconds. Repeat with other leg.

*Image credits by darmorrow, lululemon athletica and myyogaonline on flickr

This article is brought to you by YogacaraShop.com – your source for special Yoga Apparel, yoga inspired clothing, comfort clothing clothing designed according to the Colors of the Chakras and the best trendy, high quality and comfortable  Fitness Apparel do visit YogacaraShop.com

Iyengar Yoga – Props and Postures

Iyengar Yoga gets its name from its creator B. K. S. Iyengar referred to as Guruji. It is a form of yoga known for its use of props explained in our article A Beginners Guide to Yoga Props, such as belts and blocks, as aids in performing asanas (postures).

In other yoga forms, practitioners are encouraged to find their own way to the asanas by following and imitating their instructor. However in Iyengar Yoga, Guruji lays great emphasis on precision and alignment which is followed by his students to achieve perfection in any asana. B.K.S Iyengar reports that it is ‘research based experience’ and ‘experience based research’ that has helped him in evolving this technique which is now known as Iyengar Yoga. Iyengar still practises today at the age of 91, and sometimes still teaches today, assisted by his son Prashant and daughter Geeta, at his Ramamani Iyengar Memorial Yoga Institute in Pune, India. Like other forms of yoga, Iyengar yoga is a way of life and can be practised by anybody.

Iyengar yoga is based on the traditional eight limbs of yoga as expounded by Patanjali in the Yoga Sutras, emphasizing the development of strength, stamina, flexibility and balance, as well as concentration (dharana) and meditation (dhyana). Regular practice integrates the body, mind and emotions by experiencing the wisdom of these sutras.

It is renowned for being extremely beneficial to those suffering from illness, elderly people and those with weight issues. Iyengar also developed extensively ways of applying his practice to various ailments, diseases, and disorders. The use of props such as wooden gadgets, blankets, bolsters, belts, foam blocks, straps and ropes helps the practitioner achieve the correct posture in any asana, as Iyengar gives importance to the physical alignment of the body in the asanas. The belief is that if the body is aligned with precision, then the breath is also aligned with the same precision. If the breath is balanced then the mind, emotions and senses become balanced.

The props are used to move into postures that a practitioner cannot fully access on his or her own, thus helping them deepen their explorations of an asana before they are supply enough to manage it without the aid of a prop. However, one must use the body’s signals as cues to devise new and effective ways of using props to enhance your practice.

Iyengar is a non-fluid yoga form which is lacking in vinyasa flow or the fluid transition between poses, instead poses are held for longer durations while the alignment is perfected. For this reason, Iyengar is not a great cardiovascular exercise, but great for building strength and flexibility. This makes it a great yoga form to begin with for the unfit and unable to do a flowing style practice.

There are Iyengar teachers and institutes worldwide, and and many yoga centers offer Iyengar classes. However, if you can’t find one at easy reach, Iyengar’s techniques are now prevalent in the way yoga is taught worldwide regardless of type, as its alignment fundamentals are so strong. The utilisation of props comes directly from Iyengar.

This article is brought to you by YogacaraShop.com – your source for special Yoga Apparel, yoga inspired clothing, comfort clothing clothing designed according to the Colors of the Chakras and the best trendy, high quality and comfortable  Fitness Apparel do visit YogacaraShop.com

Photo credits: MZagid, dynamon2001, domestictimes, Andy Polaine, on flickr

Boost Your Energy with Yoga

In our previous article Boost Your Mood, we wrote about various ways to consciously lift your spirit and get you out of a slump. When you’re feeling gloomy or stressed, yoga, as a holistic science, does wonders to alleviate any mental and emotional blockages as well as physical. Here are some classic yoga poses that will help fight fatigue, boost energy and make you feel great.

Here are some yoga poses that will help

Adho Mukha Svanasana or downward facing dog

An excellent stretch that will rejuvenate the body and mind, by stimulating the central nervous system.

• From a position of all fours with your wrists under your shoulders and knees in line with your hips. Curl your toes under and lift your backside towards the ceiling.
• Elongate the spine and straighten the knees, spreading the fingers evenly and pushing down from your forearms.
• Let your head hang and try lowering your shoulder blades and broaden the collarbone. Look at your stomach.
• Pay attention to stretching the thighs and arms but using the abdominal muscles to keep the weight off them look towards your feet making this a resting pose.
• Try lowering your heels to the floor as much as you can.

Uttanasana or forward bend

Maximise your stretch and loosen up tight and tired muscles.

• From a basic standing pose or Tadasana, exhale and hinge forward at the hips towards the ground.
• Allow the head to hang, and place your palms flat on the floor near the feet.
• As you breathe in this position, with each exhale release a little more fully into the forward bend.

Virabhadrasana or Warrior II Pose

Named after a fierce warrior, this powerful pose will strengthen the body and improve mental capacity.

• Starting with your legs wides apart arms stretched out, turn your right foot to the right, keeping your hips and arm facing straight ahead.
• Start bending the right knee till your thigh is parallel to the floor.
• Keeping the shoulders directly inline with the hips, look over your right hand, reaching out with the fingertips of both hands.

Pavanamuktasana or wind relieving pose

This pose eliminates gas trapped inside the large intestine, aiding digestion and circulation.

• Inhale and raise one or both your legs so they are perpendicular to the torso.
• Bend the leg or legs in the knees keeping them together with toes touching.
• Keep the belly pressed with the thighs and clasp the folded legs with both your hands.
• Now bending the neck, raise the head and fix the chin between the knees.

Balasana or Childs pose

Many will admit to doing the child’s pose when they’re in a funk. It’s what I call a nourishing pose, almost foetal in nature that relaxes the body and regulates blood circulation.

• Kneel on the floor bringing your knees to hips width.
• Lean forward, bringing the torso to rest on the thighs and keep the forehead to the floor.
• Arms may be stretched forward in front of the head or backwards towards the feet.

This article is brought to you by YogacaraShop.com – your source for special Yoga Apparel, yoga inspired clothing, comfort clothing clothing designed according to the Colors of the Chakras and the best trendy, high quality and comfortable  Fitness Apparel do visit YogacaraShop.com

Photo credits: Kelly Loves Whales, myyogaonline, Piez, monathematrix, tarnalberry, on flickr

The Key To Meditation

How to Meditate

Modern life is frenetic and fast paced, and stress and over exhaustion are commonplace. But daily meditation can be beneficial in taking the edge off. One of the principles of yoga, meditation is the art of silencing the mind. The ultimate goal is to have a mind completely free of thoughts. Meditation does not discriminate. It is not religious in any way. It is about consciousness and being fully aware of ourselves and our thought process. As little as ten or fifteen minute spent in this state a day will help you find inner peace and balance and ultimately make you productive at all your other endeavors. In our introduction to meditation, we focused on the importance of meditation in yoga and our lives. Read on for how to meditate and why you should.

Some of the many benefits of meditation

- Meditation can make you more patient and tolerant and less bothered by little things.

- Meditation can make you detached from your thoughts, as if you and your thoughts are separate entities. This gives you a sense of control over your thoughts.

- It stops you being a slave to your thoughts. Control over your thoughts will help you block out negative thoughts as well as declutter your mind of unnecessary, distracting thoughts.

- Having a sense of control over your thoughts will also help you cultivate constructive and positive thinking, and be more creative.

- Meditation leads to better health. Stress can cause and aggravate disease. Meditation alleviates stress.

How to meditate

Allocate a time in which you feel ready to quiet your mind. It could be at sunrise before you face the morning, mid afternoon on a hectic day or late evening after a workout.

Choose a quiet place to meditate and sit in a position you find comfortable. Traditional cross legged is popular but it doesn’t really matter, just try to keep a straight back as it will assist proper breathing. You can even sit in a chair or lie down, but don’t fall asleep. Meditation requires you to be alert, even if it is a peaceful time.

Close your eyes if this will help you focus.

Some people use repetitive activities such as deep breathing, humming or chanting of mantra to help induce a meditative state. There are many mantras you can try. Find one that feels right to you or use the simple and powerful Om.

If not an incantation, use a word that reflects how you’d like to feel like ‘relax’, ‘calm’, ‘clarity’ and repeat that.

Mental quiet can be difficult to achieve at first so try concentrating on only one thing, such as a candleflame, a water feature or your heartbeat.

Once you can focus on a single thought with ease, trying throwing out any thought that pops into your head until you can achieve complete mental nothingness.

Aspire towards the inner silence. Meditate with intensity. Most importantly, be patient with yourself and don’t give up. Meditation should make you feel rejuvenated even if it seems tiresome at first.

Once you’ve learned to meditate, you don’t have to keep being seated in the lotus position in a private sanctuary. You can use any time you deem fit from during a busy commute to a boring movie to shut out the world and find your inner silence.

This article is brought to you by YogacaraShop.com – your source for special Yoga Apparel, yoga inspired clothing, comfort clothing clothing designed according to the Colors of the Chakras and the best trendy, high quality and comfortable  Fitness Apparel do visit YogacaraShop.com

Photo credits: connerdowney, HckySo on flickr

Bikram Yoga: Hatha made Hot

Bikram yoga, often also called hot yoga, may have started as a fad but is proving its longevity as a non conventional yoga form with specialized studios popping up all over the country.

Bikram yoga is derived from Hatha yoga, and is a series of twenty six yoga poses ideally practiced in a room heated to 105°F with a humidity of 40%. The Bikram yoga poses and method were selected and developed by Bikram Choudhury from whom it gets its name.

Thousands of practitioners the world over are breathing, stretching and maintaining poses in properly heated Bikram studios known as ‘torture chambers’. The reasoning behind the high temperature is that the warmer the body, the more flexible it is while the sequence of twenty six different postures are said to increase circulation and pump oxygen to every single organ and inch of the body, warming and stretching muscles, ligaments and tendons, in the order in which they should be.

Bikram teachers attest that 105°F is the optimal temperature for a practitioner to perform a posture with ease. Bikram Yoga employs heat to also further that detoxifying process, as the body’s impurities are flushed out of the body through the skin when a person sweats profusely. It employs a method known as the tourniquet effect, cutting off the blood supply in arteries and veins, creating pressure and causing blood to rush when released. Plus as anybody who practices Hatha yoga would agree the yoga itself makes a person feel pretty great, the heat being an added benefit especially in cooler climes.

The Bikram method uses both pranayama and postures, listed below. An 90 minute class would ordinarily have the entire sequence repeated twice.

1. Standing Deep Breathing or Pranayama
2. Half Moon Pose or Ardha-Chandrasana
3. Hands to Feet or Pada-Hasthasana
4. Awkward Pose or Utkatasana
5. Eagle Pose or Garurasana
6. Standing Head to Knee or Dandayamana-Janushirasana
7. Standing Bow Pose or Dandayamana-Dhanurasana
8. Balancing Stick or Tuladandasana
9. Standing Separate Leg Stretching Pose or Dandayamana-Bibhaktapada-Paschimotthanasana
10. Triangle Pose or Trikanasana
11. Standing Separate Leg Head to Knee Pose or Dandayamana-Bibhaktapada-Janushirasana
12. Tree Pose or Tadasana
13. Toe Stand or Padangustasana
14. Dead Body Pose or Savasana
15. Wind-Removing Pose or Pavanamuktasana
16. Cobra Pose or Bhujangasana
17. Locust Pose or Salabhasana
18. Full Locust Pose or Poorna-Salabhasana
19. Bow Pose or Dhanurasana
20. Fixed Firm Pose or Supta-Vajrasana
21. Half Tortoise Pose or Ardha-Kurmasana
22. Camel Pose or Ustrasana
23. Rabbit Pose or Sasangasana
24. Head to Knee Pose and Stretching Pose or Janushirasana and Paschimotthanasana
25. Spine-Twisting Pose or Ardha-Matsyendrasana
26. Blowing in Firm Pose or Kapalbhati in Vajrasana

Those who are interested in doing Bikram yoga should note that this is a high intensity yoga workout, and it’s best to try before you buy as it made not be tailored to everybody’s yogic sensibilities.

Some essential advice

• It is important to learn from a certified Bikram yoga instructor as they are versed in the appropriate training and knowledge to teach it effectively and safely.
• Invest in good quality yoga apparel. Less is more as the high temperature suggest less
• Carry your own yoga mat and towel to classes as you will be sweating buckets and sharing is out of the question
• Make sure you drink adequate water before and after class although many studios will allow you to keep water on hand. Dehydration is a common problem for Bikram practitioners. Being hydrated will also aid you in flushing out the toxins and enough water will also help you tolerate the heat better.
• It’s a good idea to eat before class, but not in the two hours prior. Minerals such as sea salt and potassium will keep you from feeling dizzy and nauseous.
• If you have health or heart problems, consult your doctor before signing on.

*Photo credits: photos by DennisSylvesterHurd, Ron Sombilon Gallery, GraceD on flickr.

This article is brought to you by YogacaraShop.com – your source for special Yoga Apparel, yoga inspired clothing, comfort clothing clothing designed according to the Colors of the Chakras and the best trendy, high quality and comfortable  Fitness Apparel do visit YogacaraShop.com

Alleviate Menopause Symptoms with Yoga

Menopause and Yoga

Menopause is the natural biological process that affects every woman’s life. In most cases, it occurs between the ages of 40 and 60 but can also happen at other ages because of ovarian illness, hormonal imbalance or removal of the ovaries. During menopause, a woman’s menstrual period ends permanently. It may be a gradual or abrupt process, a simple or a tumultuous one. Every woman has a unique menopausal experience.

Symptoms of menopause include irregular menstruation, changes in sexual desire, hot flashes, vaginal dryness and urinary problems, changes in appearance, sleep disturbances, palpitations and backaches. Apart from the physiological, it may also bring with it emotional changes, as the hormonal changes affect mood greatly.

Menopause is divided into two stages, pre and post. During premenopause, the most vivid ‘experience’ of menopause, one may begin to experience the signs and symptoms though she is still ovulating. An uneven rising and falling of hormone levels will cause her to feel hot flashes and variations in her periods. Postmenopausal stage is when you are about a year past your last period and your ovaries no longer produce estrogen and progesterone, nor do they release eggs.

Needless to say, it may be a little difficult for anyone to cope with the massive changes their body goes through during menopause. A good nutritious diet, not smoking, and reduction of stress are effective ways to cope with menopause and can aid in the prevention of any chronic ailments that can occur in the postmenopausal years while
practising Yoga is extremely beneficial in easing the menopausal process.

Menopause leaves women feeling out of balance and alien to their bodies. Yoga reduces the effects of menopause’s hormonal changes by balancing the endocrine system, and prepping the body to cope hormonal and glandular changes. Feeling fatigued is common but those who are inactive, feel even more so. Yoga practitioners who are already familiar with yoga, will definitely find it easier to cope with symptoms by reaching for their favorite restorative poses. However first timers should not be afraid to begin yoga during this uncomfortable time. Below are some particularly beneficial poses

Salabhasana or Locust pose :

This exercise massages the entire female reproductive tract, thyroid, liver , intestines and kidneys. It improves circulation and oxygenation to the pelvic region, thereby promoting healthier ovarian function. This exercise also strengthens the lower back, abdomen, buttocks, and legs, and prevents lower back pain and cramps.

Setu Bandhasana or Bridge pose:

This is an excellent exercise for stretching the abdominal and pelvic muscles. Menopause related vaginal and bladder symptoms are reduced by promoting better circulation and relaxation in the pelvic region. It is also helpful in reducing pelvic congestion.

Dhanurasana or Bow pose :

This exercise helps relieve menopause-related fatigue and lack of vitality, elevating your mood and improving stamina. The exercise also stretches the entire spine and helps relieve lower back pain and cramps. It stretches the abdominal muscles and strengthens the back, hips and thighs. It also stimulates the digestive organs and endocrine glands.

Our article on Energy Boosting Yoga contains five other poses that can are apt for a menopausal yoga routine and can be applied to yours – Adho Mukha Svanasana or downward facing dog, Uttanasana or forward bend, Pavanamuktasana or wind relieving pose, Balasana or childs pose, Virabhadrasana or Warrior II Pose.

Prenatal Poses: Yoga and your Pregnancy

We’ve written about some Prenatal Yoga Poses to Ease Your Pregnancy and Help Childbirth before and so it goes. Whether a new practitioner or a veteran yogini, anyone can enjoy the wonderful benefits of yoga while pregnant. Prepare yourself for the birthing process with some gentle yoga exercises which have a positive effect on your baby and you. Many mummies-to-be and especially those who have never done yoga admit to it being the ideal form of exercise during a pregnancy while dedicated practitioners are elated that their yoga routines needn’t stop but just require modification.

If you are offered prenatal yoga classes at a nearby center, even better. You will most likely meet and gain the support of many other expectant mothers. But home practitioners don’t have to miss out. It’s important to check with your doctor if it’s okay and follow the trimester guidelines that will best exemplify what to do and what to avoid during a pregnancy.

Read on for of how to further incorporate some yoga practices into your prenatal lifestyle…

First of, anytime is a good time to begin practicing yoga in the pregnancy. The earlier the better, but some women suffer from terrible morning sickness and even low impact exercises may seem too intense. As the nausea subsides,  start to incorporate prenatal adaptations of yoga asanas as you deem fit. Be wary that you may overstretch in your pregnancy, as the body produces a chemical called relaxin that softens the pubic bones and ligaments for childbirth. But cultivate the right muscles and you will be rewarded in the birthing process. The following positions are my favorite recommendations for prenatal practice.

Viparita Karani or Legs Up The Wall
Inversions should generally be steered clear of during pregnancy but Legs Up The Wall, a passive, restorative inversion can be highly beneficial. In this mostly self explanatory position, the practitioner lies down on a mat and lifts his legs up the wall, perpendicular to the ground. This pose is well supported and gentle and does well to reduce swelling in the ankles and improve pelvic circulation. You can even touch the soles of your feet together (as you would in the Cobbler’s pose further below).

Cat-Cow stretch
Being on all fours puts your baby in an optimal position, (head down, back to your belly) increases spinal flexibility and strengthens the abdominals. The cat-cow stretch is also extremely useful for those experiencing any lower back pain. Get on your hands and knees, with your hands under shoulders & knees under hips. From this neutral position, inhale, lifting head & tail bone. Exhale, tuck tail bone under, round your back upwards, with your head down as if con-caving (cow) and con-vexing (cat) your back.

Hip Openers
And of course, try hip openers like Pigeon pose (Eka Pada Rajakapotasana), Cobbler’s or Bound Angle pose (Baddha Konasana) and the second Warrior pose (Virabhadrasana 2) which will relax the hips and groin making them more suited for childbirth.

Eka Pada Rajakapotasana

What to avoid:

• Avoid abdominal work. Allow your belly to relax and soften, which it will require for the stretch it endures during pregnancy.
• Avoid Pranayama, instead replacing it with deep inhalation and exhalation, a useful technique during childbirth.
• Avoid lying on the belly. For obvious reasons, avoid poses like Bhujaangasana or the cobra pose.
• Avoid lying on the back after the first trimester.
• Avoid deep twists that require twisting from the belly, instead incorporating low impact shoulder twists into your routine.

And most of all, remember to listen to your body and the inner voice of your yoga practise will be your best guide during this exciting time.
Slowly start to incorporate prenatal adaptations of yoga asanas as you deem fit.

*Image credits: massdistraction, pusspaw, myyogaonline, LollyKnit on flickr

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