Yoga for Postpartum Women
Yoga for Postpartum Women by ShareLove.Fund’s Rainbow Women Social Enterprise endeavor and sponsored by your generous donations.
Postpartum. The little one is here and they are your everything. Having said that, bringing them into this world has ended up taking its toll on your body. You’re exhausted, you have to wake up every two hours to feed the tiny one, your muscles are tight and your nerves are jangled. The list goes on and on.
So what do you do? Well, once you have the go-ahead from your doctor, you could consider turning to yoga. It can help you with a lot – right from loosening tight muscles to strengthening your pelvic floor, releasing tension, and calming your nerves.
You need to be gentle with your body postpartum, so we have put together a list of simple and gentle poses you can do to strengthen your muscles. Remember, ask your doctor or midwife about the feasibility of the exercises (especially if you’ve undergone a C-section) and, above all, be kind to yourself, mama.
Kegel– Kneel down on your yoga mat keeping your knees at the edges of the width of the mat. Lean forward with your chest and rest your forehead on the ground. Bring your arms forward and stretch them out straight in front of you. Now, squeeze your vaginal muscles for five seconds and then release. Then rest for a period of 10 seconds and do it again. This exercise helps strengthen your pelvic floor, opens your lower back and hips and helps with chest, neck and head pain.
Mountain Pose –Relax your neck muscles. Lift your arms gently in front of you with the palms facing each other and open. Now slowly raise your arms over your head towards the ceiling, while, at the same time, pushing your shoulder blades down. Feel the stretch in the sides of your body as you extend your arms upwards. Make sure that your lower stomach is sucked in and then hold for 30 seconds. Doing this pose helps to stimulate your back, torso, pelvis and abdomen.
Bridge Pose – Lie on your back on the mat with your knees bent and your heels as close to your buttocks as is comfortable for you. Breathe out. While doing so, press your arms and heels into the floor and lift your buttocks off the floor without tightening them. Your thighs and your inner feet should be parallel. Now raise your buttocks higher till the thighs are parallel to the floor. Remain like this for 30 seconds while breathing in and out and then, on an exhale, lower yourself back into your starting position. This pose really helps you manage pain in your thoracic spine. At the same time it stretches your hip flexors, opens the chest and shoulders and strengthens the legs. Most importantly, it helps relieve anxiety that many a new mother can feel postpartum.
Yoga is a great way to get some me time after the little one’s arrival and make sure that your body and mind stay healthy so that you can take the best care possible of your baby. Remember to consult your midwife or doctor before starting any exercise regime postpartum.