Yoga Momma

So, I haven’t been doing yoga as much as I’d like, nor as much as I should, but I generally bust out a couple poses a day – particularly the ones that feel good and help with various pregnancy complaints.

Out of curiousity, I had hubby take some photos so I could see what my belly bump looks like in the yoga poses!  What a fun experiment!  I also tried out one of my favorite challenge-balance poses that I was able to do last pregnancy – Crow Pose!  It’s a little more awkward while pregnant since you have to work around the belly, but the belly creates a nice counter-balance.

I was surprised (but probably shouldn’t have been) at how belly heavy I looked in the photos, but it’s fun to have proof that I do sometimes get to my yoga and explore my ‘new’ body for a bit.

*If you are pregnant and doing the yoga/exercise thing, remember to talk to your doctor and honor YOUR body.  Keep in mind that it’s like having a new body every day because things change daily.

So, lets look at some of my favorite yoga poses this pregnancy:

Bound Angle pose (aka; cobbler pose, baddha konasana)

Warrior 2 pose (aka; Virabhadrasana II)

*obviously, not ideal having the tv on, but hubby was watching Top Gear and this is the only space in my house big enough for me to break out some yoga!

Low yoga squat (aka Malasana)

This one feels so good on my lower back and is commonly known/accepted as one of the best yoga poses for pregnant women. (or so I’ve been told by every prenatal yoga teacher I’ve ever had the honor of studying/talking with!)

Downward Facing Dog (aka Adho Mukha Svanasana)

This one pulls so much pressure off my pelvis and helps me feel more open overall.  It’s a different animal doing this while pregnant.  I need a wider stance, my hamstrings are WAY tighter when I’m pregnant, and, of course, there’s all that change in weight distribution, but it has helped so much with my lower back and pelvic pain.

It also cracked me up how big my belly looked here

And, Finally… My show-off pose!

Bakasana (aka, crow* pose)

*I guess it’s actually crane pose, but I always knew it as crow pose.

and a second view, attempting to get the belly in and totally failing…

Something to keep in mind (especially regarding bakasana) is that I’ve been doing yoga for most of my life.  Bakasana has been in my ‘repertoire’ for over 2o years.   Please don’t try this pose for the first time while if you have never done yoga and don’t have guidance.  If you are familiar with the pose, please do it with care and with a spotter to watch your back.  NO FALLING Preggy ladies!

Happy Monday, Part deux!

~E.S.