Prenatal yoga is a comprehensive yoga approach to physical and mental fitness/ well-being during pregnancy. It usually includes stretching and breathing adapted to suit the pregnant female body. Prenatal yoga aims to achieve a calm, centered state of vitality during pregnancy. It is also meant to prepare expectant mothers for the birthing process. It has been suggested by research that prenatal yoga also benefits babies.

Poses

Prenatal yoga poses encourage the female body to improve flexibility and strength. The strong emphasis on breathing optimization is meant to help achieve a sense of physical balance and a state of calm.

Several approaches encourage the use of cushioning props to improve comfort. Most prenatal yoga poses incorporate an attempt to open the energy points in the pregnant body to prepare for childbirth. Prenatal yoga practices tend to encourage a gentle but focused series of strategic poses and movements.

The Baddha Konasana or Cobbler’s Pose is a seated pose that encourages the opening of the hips. It is popular for the way it prepares the body for labour by encouraging the pelvic area to prepare for childbirth.

The Balasana or Child’s Pose is a stretching pose for the lower back, performed seated on the shins with arms stretched overhead, the head facing downwards and knees placed apart to accommodate the baby. This pose targets tension in the lower back and is supposed to alleviate early-trimester nausea as well.

The Viparita Karani or Legs Up on the Wall Pose inverses the body with a supporting prop to deliver vitality to the central energy points of the body and provide relief from swollen feet and tired backs. It is meant to encourage venous blood collected in the lower torso to drain towards the heart.

The Dog and Cat Stretch is performed on all fours by stretching the spine alternatively inwards and away from the baby bump in gentle
flexing movements. Breathing in deep controlled waves is an element of the pose as well. This pose is meant to encourage the flexibility of the spine.

The Garudasana or Eagle Pose works to relieve tension in the shoulder and upper back area. It can be performed either seated or standing, with the pose executed by breathing in turn and bringing the arms to fit together by crossing at the elbows and wrists.

Classes

New York

New York has a number of acclaimed and popular studios offering prenatal yoga sessions: Choose from the Prenatal Yoga Center and Yoga For Two on the Upper West Side. Brooklyn has Bend and Bloom while Queens is home to Creative Vibrations Yoga Studio. Sivananda
Yoga Vedanta Center and Karma Kids Yoga in the city offer courses for newbies and pros. Various branches of the YMCA also offer prenatal yoga sessions, check for locations and timings.

Chicago

In Chicago, the Exhale Mind Body Spa comes highly reviewed, located near North Side. Bloom Yoga Studio (Ravenswood) rates highly for newcomers, along with Soulistic Studio and Spa (Noble Square). Namaskar Yoga in lakeview, Barre Bee Fit (River North), Yogaview Lincoln park (Bucktown)and Bend Yoga & Movement (Ukrainian Village) offer well-reviewed yoga courses. Yoga Trek in Oak Park and Moksha Yoga center in Logan Square are also popular.

San Diego

Prenatal yoga courses in San Diego are available at the reviewer-recommended Pilgrimage of the Heart Yoga studio in Normal Heights, the increasingly popular Ginseng Yoga (Golden Hill), Yoga One (Downtown), Namaste Yoga Center (Ocean Beach), the well-received La Jolla Yoga Center, and the well-reviewed Jade Dragon Yoga Shala.

Seattle

Popular prenatal yoga courses are offered at Be Luminous Yoga in Belltown, 8 Limbs Yoga Centers & Boutique (various branches) and Seattle Yoga Arts (Capitol Hill). Whole Life Yoga in Greenwood, Kula Movement in Ballard, Lotus Yoga in Columbia City and Limber Yoga in West Seattle are recommended by reviewers.

San Francisco

Yoga Garden (Lower Haight), Jane Austin’s Yoga Tree Valencia (Mission), Britt Forhman’s studio (Bernal Heights) and Satori Yoga Studio come well recommended by patrons and reviewers. Other popular spots for prenatal yoga classes include It’s Yoga Kids (Presidio), The Mindful Body (Pacific Heights) are also popular.

Houston

Houston’s most reviewed prenatal courses are offered at YogaOne Studios in Midtown and The Motherhood Center in Highland Village. Both studios offer courses to suit beginners and pros with specially designed prenatal wellbeing programs.

Denver

Denver yoga studios Belly Bliss (Cherry Creek), Samdhi Center for Yoga (Uptown) and I Thrive Yoga (Parker) offer prenatal sessions for expectant mothers at various stages.

Top Rated Prenatal Yoga DVDs

Prenatal Yoga DVDs

Amazon offers a range of prenatal yoga DVDs, several created by popular yoga specialists and celebrities. The Complete Prenatal Vinyasa Yoga & Short Forms 2DVD set offers poses performed by Jennifer W. More of Dolphin Yoga and Doula Centre in San Mateo, CA – reviewed approvingly by the New York Times and Pregnancy Magazine.

The popular Crunch Yoga Mama- Prenatal Yoga DVD offers a safety-conscious yoga workout designed by the titular New York gym- user reviews seem largely encouraging.

The Jane Austin Prenatal Yoga DVD offers the expertise of teacher Jane Austin, received well by reviewers and appreciated for its intimate and refreshing perspectives.

Prenatal Yoga, the DVD by Shiva Rea and Ted Landon offers a combination of meditation and breathing advice, gentle yoga moves and relaxation techniques. Prenatal Yoga with Desi Bartlett offers yogic methods to improve breathing, strengthen the body and increase flexibility with a trimester-wise focus.

Yoga During Pregnancy: Without Prior Yoga Experience features teacher Zoe Miku delivering practical yogic techniques to prepare the body for pregnancy and childbirth derived from her professional learning and personal experience.

Yoga Pregnancy: Pre and Post Natal Workouts by LA instructor Heather Seiniger offers prenatal yoga to relieve back pain, ease childbirth and improve mental focus.