Why right body alignment matters during pregnancy?

How prenatal yogic practices can rescue you from misaligned posture? Is there any yogic exercise for right body alignment?

Before understanding the concept of right body alignment, you should know that during pregnancy, a female body undergoes several anatomical changes in the uterus, cervix, musculo-skeletal system, increased lordosis, center of gravity, respiratory system, postural changes like – forward head, rounded shoulders, hyper extended knees, pronated feet, muscular changes, cutaneous system, pigmentation, weight changes, etc. Prenatal yoga helps in coping up with these changes by making body muscles flexible and well aligned. Here, you will learn how yoga can prevent you from practicing wrong posture in routine and make the pregnancy truly aligned and blissful. You will also get to know about basic yogic exercises to handle these changes like a pro.

From milk ducts to vagina, pregnancy introduces minor to major alterations in the female body and these changes can at times make the phase really difficult for a mother. Everything becomes compact and more compressed to make space for the baby.

• The breast size increases as the milk ducts start growing rapidly
• Lungs get compressed in the later stage due to growing uterus
• Packed diaphragm makes it harder to open the lungs
•  Stomach squashing in later stage of pregnancy doesn’t allow mother to have large meals
• Liver gets pressed by other organs
• Intestines get shifted during pregnancy to accommodate the baby
• Size of the uterus becomes 4 times larger the normal during pregnancy and the stretching of the ligaments may cause discomfort
• Pressure on bladder due to baby’s head causes the urgency to pee
• Vagina walls become softer and expandable as labor approaches

During pregnancy, it is crucial to practice right postures while sitting, standing, or sleeping because it can directly impact the spine health. Right body alignment will help prevent long-term pain.

Symptoms of having a misaligned spine-

• Chronic headache
• Neck pain
• Knee pain
• Lower back pain
• Excessive fatigue
• Frequent illness
• Numbness in the feet and hands
• Walking abnormalities

The symptoms when ignored can make the minor issues major ones and you may suffer from-

• Joint stiffness
• Slouched back
• Decreased mobility
• Discomfort while sitting, standing, and sleeping
• Permanent joint or bone deformity
• Broken bones in the spine
• Sciatica

It takes a lot more efforts and time to redirect the spine misalignment and it happens when you detect it. Early detection may prevent the surgery and post detection; you can join a good yoga program for alignment. Now you may think why it is important to have right body alignment?

Having a proper body alignment especially in the pregnancy can prevent muscle and joint injuries. Any kind of misalignment in the bones or joints can put unnecessary pressure on the muscles and joints and this may result in pain and injuries.

Why it matters to have a good posture?

There are several reasons to support the theory of good body alignment. It helps in preventing pain and injuries by reducing the stress on muscles and joints. The spine becomes straighter and you look taller. You will be able o take deeper breathes. The proper body alignment helps enhance the body balance and coordination.

Some great yogic practices for achieving good posture

It is important to be conscious while sitting, standing and sleeping during pregnancy phases. You can practice few things like-

1. Pull your shoulder back whenever you sit and keep your back straight. Make sure you press your buttocks with the backrest of the chair.
2. Position both the feet on the floor evenly so that your weight on your buttocks can be equally distributed.
3. Place a stool under the table to support your legs for easy blood flow.
4. Always stand straight and allow your shoulders to drop naturally.
5. Pull your butt; your center of gravity should be on the hips.
6. Put your feet at shoulder distance and let the body weight spread evenly on your feet.
7. Always lay on your side instead of lying on your back as it will help in taking deeper breaths.

Some may practice yogic stretches such as cat-and-cow, tilted tree, and some safer twisting practices to help adjust organs in better way. You can connect with us and get the healthiest aligned body posture during your pregnancy and post pregnancy with our prenatal and postnatal yoga program.