Prenatal Strengthening

sit and breathe

Baby Holding Preparation!

Back off! This is one continuous motion, pushing the air (and annoying people) away from you

Back off! pt 2

Back off! pt 3

Scarecrow- begin with shoulder blades relaxed down back

Scarecrow- drop hands, keeping shoulders relaxed and upper arms stationary

Windshield wiper- begin in the same position as Scarecrow

Thumbs up- also to stabilize the shoulder

Thumbs down or figure 8s from upward starting position

Thumbs both directions to work posterior and anterior muscles at one time

oblique work- begin in hands and knees

Hold block firmly between hands, pull shoulder blades back toward one another

keeping thigh internally rotated (knee facing down), extend one leg

on an exhale raise arms above head and squat while keeping natural curve of spine (no tucking!)

raise leg off ground, keep foot active and flexed, raise opposite arm straight forward or to the side

maintaining squat, raise and lower arms several times with breath

All of these exercises are from Jane Austin’s prenatal yoga classes at Yoga Tree Valencia in San Francisco.  We spend a good ten minutes working our “baby holding” muscles near the beginning of each class.  I have been taking her class at least once a week since the middle of my first trimester and attribute much of my strength and calm to her teachings.  You can purchase her DVD online!

To release the psoas muscles after standing poses or during a stressful day, try juicy hips.  Stand with feet wider than hip distance apart and knees slightly bent, then girate!  Circles, figure 8s or jiggling your booty all work great.

Always maintain the natural curve of the spine and avoid tucking the pelvis under.  The looser the hips and more spacious the pelvis, the easier it is to birth your baby (or so I’ve been told!).