Prenatal Yoga – How it Can Benefit You and Your Baby

I'm delighted to introduce, Lisa Redding's guest blog on the benefits of yoga for soon to be mums...

The holistic approach of yoga means that it is an exercise designed to benefit both mind and body – both of which come under huge strain during pregnancy. For women who want to keep fit, get toned and strengthen their muscles then yoga is a gentle exercise that is safe throughout each trimester. But aside from the physical benefits, the spiritual nature of yoga can also create a calming, harmonious effect on the mind that helps mums-to-be remain stress free throughout their pregnancy. This, of course, is also essential towards maintaining a happy mother and healthy baby. 

Here are some of the ways in which yoga can benefit pregnant ladies and their unborn babies:

Exercises

Yoga poses, or asanas, often involve holding a pose in a way that strengthens muscles and improves flexibility – both of which can help make the labour process much easier. By elasticating the ligaments and improving flexibility, women are able to adapt positions easily which minimises labour pain. Some useful asanas for pregnancy include:

• Pyramid (Parsvottanasana) – This works the pelvic muscles, encouraging and expanding the area in order to ease delivery. It can also help relieve stiffness and lower back pain.
• Downward Dog (Adho Mukha Shavasana) – This helps reduce fatigue by increasing blood flow to the brain. It also helps decrease swelling in the legs and ankles.
• Bound Ankle (Baddha Konasana)  – This helps exercise the pelvic floor muscles and also corrects the pressure of the uterus which can occasionally cause water retention.
• Daily Squats – Performing a daily squatting routine alongside your asanas can help open the pelvic muscles and bring strength to the upper leg muscles.

All of these poses are suitable during the first, second and third trimesters.

Breathing

Breathing exercises, or pranayamas, are key in performing exercises successfully and remaining centred, focused and relaxed. During pregnancy, this deep form of breathing improves the circulation of blood around the body which is good for mother and baby. It also increases the amount of oxygen to the body which can help relieve aches, pains and nausea.

Breathing techniques are also helpful during labour. Deep, slow, heavy breaths enable the muscles to absorb more oxygen which can help reduce the pain of contractions. In addition to this, deep breathing helps the mother to remain calm and reduce the amount of adrenalin flowing throughout her body. Adrenelin is produced when we are scared and actually slows down the process of labour by stopping the flow of labour inducing hormone oxytocin.

Meditation

Meditation in yoga is all about finding that perfect balance between mind and body. There are different forms of meditation, some of which include:

• Mantra Meditation – This involves chanting a specific word or prayer which is thought to balance the body’s energy centres (also known as chakras).
• Vipassana Meditation – This involves focusing on the internal body and immediate environment in order to become more in tune with your inner feelings.
• Walking Meditation – Walking around a chosen spot whilst focusing on breathing and pace. This helps create a calming effect on the mind and body.

Meditation during pregnancy helps promote a greater awareness of inner feelings and sense of self, which in turn helps the mother bond with her baby. It also helps calm and relax the mother and help her to cope with mood swings. During the later stages of pregnancy, some women find that posture and poses become difficult to manage with a bump so meditation can become an important form of relaxation as labour approaches.

Post Pregnancy

Yoga can also have benefits following birth. Postnatal yoga can usually be started approximately six weeks after giving birth and helps to get the body back to its post pregnancy state. It also helps to build up the muscles that were strained during pregnancy and labour (particularly the abdominal and pelvic floor muscles).

Baby Yoga is also a new trend which promotes natural development within the body and nervous system of young babies. The age specific exercises are always gentle and designed never to overstretch your baby’s abilities. These classes often include music and singing with rhythm been used as a major tool in increasing healthy suppleness. The classes also include exercises for mum.

Due to its gentle nature, yoga is a form of exercise that can be enjoyed by a variety of people regardless of age, ability or condition. Many people enjoy it because it has numerous health benefits that improve their physical and mental well being as well as lowering medical travel insurance. But anyone who wants to begin yoga should always consult with their GP or fitness instructor first; as ever, this is particularly relevant in pregnant women. Informing your instructor that you are pregnant will ensure that you are always doing appropriate, relevant and safe exercises and allow you to get the very most out of your routines. 

Still Your Mind and Your Jiggle: A Guide to a Great Fitting Bra for Yoga

Introducing Cindy Prosser's fab post on buying a great fitting yoga bra...

It doesn't matter if you're a DD or don't have a lot on top. Regardless of size, every woman deserves a fantastic, supportive bra that fits how it's supposed to. This is especially helpful in yoga, as you're twisting and stretching your body in every direction.

You may be asking – Why does a perfect yoga bra matter? Small, medium, large – it seems pretty straightforward, right?

Actually, a great fitting yoga bra helps support you better and can make you much more comfortable during your workout. A poorly fitting bra (usually when the band is too tight) can cause restricted breathing and tension in the arms and shoulders. So, we've done our homework and created a list of the top things you should keep in mind when choosing your yoga bra:

Get properly measured. Sadly, about 75% of women are wearing the wrong size bra simply because they've never been properly measured. If you can, visit your local department store's lingerie section and get measured by a pro. If you'd prefer, you can also take measurements at home:

• Stand up straight in front of a mirror while wearing a non-padded bra.
• Use a measuring tape and wrap it around your chest. Make sure it's straight in the front and back. Round the number to the nearest whole number to get your bust measurement. Example: If you measured 35.5, round up to 36.
• Wrap the tape just underneath your breasts (around the rib cage). Make sure you can breathe comfortably and it's not too tight. Take the result and add five inches. If your rib cage is more than 33 inches, add three inches instead. If the result is an odd number, round up to the next even number and that’s your band size.

• Finally subtract the band size from bust size. Based on the result, here's how you find your cup size:
  
  
• A – one-inch difference
• B – two-inch difference
• C – three-inch difference
• D – four-inch difference
• DD – five-inch difference
• Note: Some sports bras come in S,M,L, and XL. In that case, knowing your cup size isn't as important. 

Don't rush. Grab your favorite girlfriend and make an afternoon of it. You'll want to try on several different brands and sizes to find the perfect fit, so it's not something that should be a quick shopping trip.

Try on many. Don't be afraid to try on 10 or 15 different bras. Every brand fits differently, so trying them on individually can really help. Make sure:

• There isn't spillage on the sides or top.
• Your breasts are centered.
• The straps fit comfortably and don't dig in or do the opposite – fall off your shoulder.
• The band is snug enough that it'll stay in place while you're moving your body through a yoga class.

Dance around the dressing room. OK, you don't have to dance exactly, but move around a bit (and perhaps jump up and down) to make sure your breasts stay in place and you're comfortable.

Look (and spin around) in front of the mirror. Make sure the bra sits at the same spot on your front and backside. A good fitting bra shouldn't ride up.

Replace every 6 or 12 months. What many women don't know is how size can change and bras can get stretched out and worn over time. A great sports bra should support you well – so make sure to replace your bras often so you always have great support.

A great sports bra is an essential part of your workout and is something that can make or break it. Keep the above tips in mind for a great workout – and a great fitting yoga bra. 

About the Author:

Cindy Prosser's perfect day is one that includes at least 30 minutes of yoga, time with her family and time for her freelance writing. Being a full-time mom and part-time freelance writer for BareNecessities.com poses several challenges to achieving this perfection, but a gal can dream, right?! Like Bare Necessities on Facebook and, while you're at it, grab the Bare Necessities coupon for super savings!

Yoga and Cancer

I'm delighted to offer this guest blog on how yoga can help with cancer sufferers...

While healthy individuals may practice yoga for fitness, mental clarity or emotional well-being, cancer patients may turn to gentle yoga classes as a form of therapy.

Aggressive cancers such as mesothelioma can cause symptoms that become debilitating if they are not properly managed. Yoga provides a simple, natural way to relieve both physical and mental symptoms. Mesothelioma patients may also use yoga to relieve side effects of other cancer treatments.

These benefits can be noted after just one yoga class, although patients may benefit the most from recurring sessions. Yoga studios, health clubs and senior centers often offer several gentle yoga classes each week that patients can participate in when their energy levels are high. 

Physical Benefits of Yoga for Cancer Patients

Patients can use yoga as a palliative therapy for several different cancer-related conditions.

For asbestos cancer patients, yoga can help reduce chest pain, promote easier breathing and relieve fatigue. Some of the most beneficial yoga poses for patients with these conditions include:

• Cobra and/or upward dog (to open the chest and improve breathing)
• Child’s pose (lessens fatigue and alleviates head, neck and chest pain
• Extended side angle (stretches the whole body, including the chest and shoulders)
• Warrior II (increases lung capacity)

Certain side effects of other cancer treatments can also be relieved through yoga.

Bridge pose and lotus pose can improve digestion that has been disrupted by chemotherapy or radiation therapy. Chemotherapy-induced nausea may be reduced by reclining hero pose. Many patients also find that a general yoga practice can help fight fatigue or stimulate their appetite when sleep and hunger patterns are disrupted by treatment.

Mental Benefits of Yoga for Cancer Patients

Yoga is also an excellent outlet for cancer-related stress and anxiety. Poses such as forward bend and cat-cow stretches can help induce relaxation. Savasana (the final pose in any yoga class) is also excellent for clearing the mind and releasing tension. A brief period of meditation before or after a yoga class can provide patients with even more opportunities to relax and diffuse stress.  

Even off the mat, cancer patients can use yogic practices to relieve anxiety. Yogic breathing (known as pranayama) can be used in a hospital, cancer center or any other location where patients begin to feel nervous. Slowing the breathing and becoming more attentive to the inhalation and exhalation process can help yoga practitioners feel calmer and more centered any time that anxiety strikes.

Author bio: Faith Franz is a writer for the Mesothelioma Center. She combines her interests in whole-body health and medical research to educate the mesothelioma community about the newest developments in cancer care.

“Ouch! It really hurts when I do that...”

How many times have we all said or heard that?

I think most of us get physical injuries at some point, sometimes on the mat, sometimes off it. However ‘good’ you are at yoga asana, however strong/flexible/experienced you are, there’s gonna be a time (or several times!) when something goes twang in your practice or in your life and it hurts.
Fortunately, help is at hand!

John Friend, the founder of Anusara yoga, explains that each person has what he calls an ‘optimal blueprint’ for their body, a perfect (for them) alignment.

Each person’s optimal blueprint is as unique as they are.

There are two big upshots of this. Firstly, if we can learn to bring our body into alignment with its optimal blueprint (for example through the practice of yoga asana) then we are waaaayyyyy less likely to injure ourselves in the first place, and secondly, if we do injure ourselves, we can help our body to heal by putting ourselves back into alignment with our optimal blueprint, and this is the core of yoga therapy from an Anusara perspective. If you talk to an Anusara yoga teacher about an injury, they will use the Universal Principles of Alignment to help you move towards your optimal blueprint, and the closer you get the less it will hurt and the faster you’ll heal.

Easy, right?

Sadly, it’s not so easy, of course. You think you work hard on the mat now? Wait till you’ve tried therapeutic yoga! It’ll make you sweat for sure – you don’t overcome a lifetime of misalignment without a LOT of effort. Before you even start therapy you really need to commit 100% to doing it. It’s first principle stuff – Open to Grace. Are you really open to the possibility of getting better? Are you really ready to work hard every practice, or every day, to get rid of your pain? Or is it serving you in some way? Is it an excuse to avoid something? Is it something you can hide behind? What is your injury trying to teach you? Was it a misalignment that injured you or was it your ego?

When he’s not busy being a yoga therapy geek and Anusara addict, Chris is a yoga teacher, massage therapist and reiki master in and around central London and one of my best yoga buddies!

For more information, or to contact Chris, check out www.chriscarmona.co.uk or Like “Yoga with Chris Carmona” on Facebook.

Guest Blog: Yoga and Its Global Reach

Yoga is all about community so I'm delighted to introduce a new guest blogger Allie Brooks currently lives in Florida and has just graduated from University of Mississippi, with a degree in biomedical anthropology. She is studying in the field to finish an ethnography on the effects of biomedicalization on Bolivian cultures.

How yoga can ‘fix’ just about everything
Yoga is a global movement and this 5,000 year old practice is becoming increasing popular. Yoga teachers are becoming more traveled, all age-ranges of people are beginning to practice, and different reasons for yoga are being addressed. There is something for everyone in yoga and this is why the mind-body therapy has such a global reach.

Since there is much emphasis on health and fitness, yoga has become popular for those trying to shed a few pounds or tone up. Many different forms of yoga are focused on toning the body and are more physically challenging. Some postures, breathing routines, and movements are aligned with a cardio-rich music track to keep the body moving and burning calories. Hot yoga, or Bikram, is another type that is used to release toxins, stress, and help increase the body performance to get into shape.

Restorative yoga is available for those that are tired and/or injured. The poses associated with this yoga form are deeply relaxing and revitalizing. They encourage the body to rest and help to revive the mind-body connection for further healing. This yoga is admired by weary travelers who are homesick and stressed or patients undergoing severe treatments or surgery recovery. Many hospitals offer restorative yoga classes for patients with a stressful cancer diagnosis, like a non-hodgkin’s lymphoma or mesothelioma prognosis.
Acro-yoga is for everyone that cannot wait for the circus to come back in town. It is a fun way to meet new people or practice with a friend, since two yogis normally work together to achieve acrobatic fun and therapeutic release. Not only is this form of yoga great for all age groups, it combines all the “wanted” aspects of yoga. Acro-yoga is fun, physically intense, and a stress-alleviator. Many schools and parents use acro-yoga to keep the children engaged and fit.

No matter what’s the niche, there is a form of yoga for anyone. From curing homesickness to acting as a healing catalyst, yoga can facilitate any goal one could have. Since any form of yoga is a fun way to get fit, get tone, have fun, and relax it should be the new way to bring in the New Year. Around this time, everyone is setting goals and making resolutions, so why no jump start that goal with yoga? Get your friends together or make your significant other drops plans for the plans for the gym and go to a yoga studio. It is a fun way to form human connections, get in shape together, and have fun while you all de-stress.

Contact Allie