This is a prenatal yoga sequence designed to calm the mind while opening the body and encouraging a restful sleep.
Do as many or as few of these poses as you wish. Try to move very slowly and really use the breath to flow in and out of each pose. Always use your own body and breath as your guide, never moving into a pose that brings pain to the body or that limits the breath.
Thanks to Nicole and Amanda – our beautiful pregnant yogis featured in this post.
Click here for a printable version
1. Easy pose (sukhasana) with forward bend
– sit on blankets or pillow to elevate hips
– gently start to move torso in a circle (Peanut butter jar ribs) in both directions
2. Cat/cow
– inhale soften upper back and spine, exhale curl spine into a “halloween cat”
3. Child’s pose
– sinking hips towards floor – knees hip distance and big toes touching
4. Seated Pigeon
– can also do this lying down as “eye of the needle” or from sitting (as picture shows)
5. Pigeon pose
– can place pillows under front hip
– another option is to place front leg on bed and stand leaning into the stretch
– ensure that front knee is pointing towards the same corner of the mat
– flex foot to keep knee safe
6. Supta Baddha Konasana
– back supported on pillows and balls of feet together in a butterfly shape
7. Legs up the wall
– lie on back (if not contraindicated or uncomfortable) and extend legs up the wall
– if lying on your back isn’t comfortable prop the right hip with a small pillow or blanket or lie on one side and extend one leg then turn over and extend other leg
– hold for 1-5 minutes or as long as comfortable
8. Left nostril breathing
– to try this relaxing breathing exercise (pranayama), you can either sit up crossed-legged or lie down on your right side
– cover the right nostril with your thumb and extend the fingers out
– take five to ten deep breaths out of your left nostril
Namaste and Sweet Dreams
