06/30/2020
Yoga tips for new moms from - Posted •
Yoga is an exceptional, life-long movement and consciousness practice. I'm a at heart and in my own workouts, it forms the bedrock for everything else I do.
B U T - and this is a big but, folks - I thrive in because I have formed a strength-based practice.
A mom's body needs are very specific because after you give (even if it was years ago), you have that odd tight/unstable sensation pretty much everywhere.
You yearn to open up the tightness, but aren't sure what is safe or how to your weakened .
The first thing to understand is that you don't want without . That just creates instability and weak joints which often leads to more pain and .
Here are the things you need to consider when getting into yoga post-baby:
1️⃣ Breath relaxes you, but it is also the gateway to strength. This is different than 'sucking in' or 'uddyiana bandha'...you want to actually feel your transverse wrap and engage when you exhale instead of just hollowing out. Think about this when lunging, in down-dog, or working into arm balances.
2️⃣ Your posture is internal and is accessed through your pelvic floor. Keep your feet in parallel tracks to your knees and front hip bones when setting up mountain pose or utkatsana (chair pose). It will give you more while strengthening thighs + protecting your knees and low back.
3️⃣ The 'vinyasa' needs to be built from the ground up. As good as a flowing and up-dog feel, if you're not moving with a connected mid-line, integrated arm strength and rib stability, you are just stretching and compressing your waist and low back. This can exacerbate an already fragile pelvic girdle and diastasis recti.
*In Phase 2, I teach you how to work a and approach back-bending from the inside out. I also show you how to modify so that you are building progressive strength while protecting your body's healing process.
So, don't let fear stop you from getting on your mat. Educate yourself, listen to your body.