Once you enter the maternity ward, don that hospital gown and begin the first true stages of labor, it won't take long for you to realize that modesty has flown out the window! A great way to mentally and physically prepare for labor is to practice prenatal yoga hip openers. Not only will certain prenatal yoga poses help to relieve discomfort in your hip flexors, which are carrying alot of additional load by the third trimester, they can develop your body awareness to really feel what "open" means in the delivery room, preparing you for labor and the grand finale!
One great prenatal yoga hip opener you can easily practice at home while watching TV is Baddha Konasana, or Bound Angle Pose. For years, yogis have recognized this pose as effective in fighting fatigue, easing menstrual and pregnancy discomfort and sciatica (another common pregnancy ailment). It's also long been thought to contribute to an easier child birth if practice regularly into the final phases of pregnancy.
To practice prenatal Bound Angle Pose, sit on the floor, bringing the soles of feet together . Enclose the hands around the feet. Pull the shoulders down and back, and imagine a string pulling at the top of your head into the ceiling to find a neutral spinal alignment. If you are in later phases of your pregnancy and sitting unsupported feels challenging, try this same pose with your back to a wall for additional support. With the bottoms of your feet touching and hands around the feet, pull your ankles slightly closer to your pelvis. (Note--as you progress in your pregnancy, the hormone "relaxin" can actually make you more flexible than you really are. Avoid the tendency to push your body into "overstretching.") To gently work knees to the ground, think about pushing through the inner thigh muscles moving the knees lower (never push directly on the knees). Hold the position anywhere from one to five minutes.
One great prenatal yoga hip opener you can easily practice at home while watching TV is Baddha Konasana, or Bound Angle Pose. For years, yogis have recognized this pose as effective in fighting fatigue, easing menstrual and pregnancy discomfort and sciatica (another common pregnancy ailment). It's also long been thought to contribute to an easier child birth if practice regularly into the final phases of pregnancy.
To practice prenatal Bound Angle Pose, sit on the floor, bringing the soles of feet together . Enclose the hands around the feet. Pull the shoulders down and back, and imagine a string pulling at the top of your head into the ceiling to find a neutral spinal alignment. If you are in later phases of your pregnancy and sitting unsupported feels challenging, try this same pose with your back to a wall for additional support. With the bottoms of your feet touching and hands around the feet, pull your ankles slightly closer to your pelvis. (Note--as you progress in your pregnancy, the hormone "relaxin" can actually make you more flexible than you really are. Avoid the tendency to push your body into "overstretching.") To gently work knees to the ground, think about pushing through the inner thigh muscles moving the knees lower (never push directly on the knees). Hold the position anywhere from one to five minutes.
Prenatal Bound Angle Photo by Intuitive Flow