Prenatal Yogini

Areas of Tension - the Throat

Today I'm going to talk about a major area of tension for pregnant women - the throat and neck.  Now, anyone who works at a desk or drives a lot (just two potential causes) knows about neck tension.  It may creep up into the back of your head, sneak up and into your jaw, or even slide across the tops of your shoulders.  As your baby and your body grow, the added weight "up front" can cause your shoulders to slump forward and down, causing even more tension.

What's a mama to do?

Prevention comes first.  Ask yourself:

• Am I staying warm enough?  If I'm cold most of the time, am I scrunching my shoulders up as I try to warm up?  Is my bedroom warm enough when I sleep?
• How's my posture throughout the day?  Do I slump forward at my desk, letting my upper back collapse?  When I'm standing, does it feel like my heart-center (just behind your sternum) is caving in?
• Do I grind my teeth or clench my jaw?  Jaw tension can aid and abet neck and throat tension (it's a chicken-or-the-egg situation).

Now that you've assessed, here are some suggestions to remedy the situation:

• Stretch throughout the day!  When it comes to stretching, it is really helpful to do a little bit here and there.  Give yourself a "body break" - make it simple by doing a shoulder, upper back, or neck stretch every time you get up to use the bathroom.  That way you don't have to schedule your stretching, and you know you'll have lots of opportunity!  ;)
• Notice if your muscles feel tense.  Practice observing how your muscles feel.  You can touch them to assess if they feel hard, even when you think you're relaxing them.  Neck muscles are notorious for staying tense even when we lie down for sleep...they know their job is to hold your head up, and they seem to "forget" that they, too, should rest!  If at first you can't relax your areas of tension, keep practicing with kindness and compassion.  These are muscles that work hard, and they're responding to many changes over little time.  Be patient, but persistent.
• Take time every day to relax.  If you're noticing that your muscles are tense even when you think you're at ease, and you're practicing relaxing them but the going seems slow, make sure to add in a 15 - 30 minute period of relaxation to each day.  Make it a time when you can lie comfortably (legs up the wall pose, side-laying Shavasana, whatever is comfortable for you on that day), tune in to your heart and your baby, and let go of the business of your day.  This will train your nervous system to relax, which will help your muscles get the relaxation message better, too!
• Gently rub raw sesame oil into your sore muscles at least daily.  This will not only feel good, but the raw sesame is a safe and useful anti-inflammatory.  You could also try applying warmth to the area, using a heating pad that you heat up in the oven or microwave.

Yawning is a great way to relax and stretch your throat and jaw!

Energetically, the throat is closely related to the pelvic floor and up into the birth canal.  You could think of your birth canal as another throat.  If your throat/neck is tight, chances are you also have tension in your pelvic floor/birth canal.  This is why it is so important to relax your throat during delivery!  We often don't realize the tension that creeps up, but the sounds you make will give it away.  If you're making high-pitched sounds, there's tension.

Try it now.  Make an "eek" noise, like a little scream, and notice how your throat feels. 

Now make an OM sound, nice and low-pitched.  If you aren't familiar with OM, then make a low-pitched humming sound.  Do you feel the difference?  Did you notice that the sound vibrates in your head, throat, chest, lower abdomen, or maybe all of those areas?

During delivery, making low-pitched moans and groans helps keep tension out of the throat.  This, in turn, facilitates the opening of the birth canal as your baby descends.  You may have experienced support people (such as a doula) who encourage you to make lower sounds as you get closer to delivery.  Now you know why!

As with any physical preparation for childbirth, it is helpful to practice relaxing your neck throughout pregnancy.  If you have persistent neck tension, talk to your yoga teacher, prenatal massage therapist, or chiropractor about additional ways you can treat it naturally.

Safety note:  There are pressure points along the tops of your shoulders, just where a friend's thumbs would work as they massage your upper trapezius, which can trigger contractions.  That is why I recommend avoiding deep massage in that area during pregnancy.

Standing Poses in Pregnancy

Today in my Prenatal Yoga class we worked a bit on standing poses.  This family of poses is excellent for maintaining and building strength in the legs, torso, and arms.  In Purna Yoga we use standing poses to create a stronger sense of "rootedness" - that feeling of being solidly present on the earth, and in your life.  This is very useful for pregnant women, who can feel tossed about by ever-shifting emotions, hormones, opinions, advice, etc.  In addition, standing poses offer a wonderful opportunity to stretch the hips, sides of the waist, and leg muscles.

There are some important considerations to apply during pregnancy:

• Keeping Your Balance - Many things affect balance, from hydration levels to hormone shifts, so it is important for pregnant women to feel that they are steady on their feet during standing poses.  Depending upon how far along the pregnancy is and how you're feeling during the practice, you may choose to simply adjust your foot position (wider gives better balance) or to stand with your back against a wall.

• Avoid Pelvic and Belly Pressure
  • Some poses, such as Virabhadrasana II (Warrior II), are not recommended until after you have felt your baby move.  Then, it is great to do until or unless you feel too much pressure in your pelvic floor.  In that case, it's time to move to a chair for support.
  • Other poses, such as Parsvottanasana, would put pressure on your belly (and therefore your baby) if you were to do the full pose.  Modify by placing your hands on the wall, with your torso angled to whatever degree allows you to feel the opening without putting pressure on your belly.

• Easy Does It on the Lower Belly Lift - It can be hard - and inappropriate - to properly support your spine with a lift of the lower belly when you're pregnant.  When you're pregnant, rather than lifting the lower belly in and up, focus on a strong lift of the pelvic floor, accompanied by a mild lift of the lower belly (no inward movement, though).  Remember, you're trying to avoid putting undue pressure on the belly.

• Don't Overdo It - Whether you practice a flowing style of yoga (such as Vinyasa), or an endurance-style (such as Iyengar), remember that pregnancy is not a time to challenge yourself.  Practice each pose for three to six smooth breaths, giving yourself permission to come out of the pose early if your body tells you to do so!  Develop your understanding of your body's signals so that you can differentiate between wanting to come out of the pose, and needing to come out as a way of caring for your body.
  • Some indicators that it's time to rest include feeling hot, shaky, dizzy, lightheaded, or simply fatigued.

Remember to use your practice as an opportunity to care for yourself, body mind and spirit, while connecting to your baby.  As you do your standing poses, you may notice your baby is lulled to sleep, or she may wake up, roll around, and do some yoga of her own!  Notice those trends, just as you notice the changes in your body, and your prenatal yoga practice will become an even more memorable part of your pregnancy.

New Prenatal Yoga Class!

I am so excited to announce my new Prenatal Yoga class at Purna Yoga Centers in Bellevue.  I've taught the Wednesday evening (5:45 - 7:15) prenatal class there for many years, and now we finally have two weekly classes again!  The lovely Zofia is taking over the Wednesday class.  My new class is on Sundays from 1:30 - 3.  This is such a great time slot - after Sunday morning activities, but leaving plenty of time to enjoy the benefits of your practice for the rest of the day.  It's also a great chance for Moms with a child at home to get away for a little while with (hopefully) fewer childcare challenges.  Moms who have recently delivered and are ready to practice yoga again are more than welcome to come to the prenatal classes!

Prenatal Yoga is a wonderful way to care for yourself and your baby during pregnancy.  We teach techniques to help you deal with the common discomforts of pregnancy while preparing you for childbirth.  These include gentle stretches and toning exercises (what you might imagine when you think of yoga) and also breathing techniques to calm the body and mind and guided meditations to help you connect with your baby.  We have short discussions at the beginning of class to give each woman a chance to connect with herself, her baby, and the group.  Each time you practice yoga, you learn to listen to your body's needs and connect with your inner wisdom.  People are constantly offering unsolicited advice to pregnant women; it's so important to take time to "just be" and learn what feels right for you and your baby.  The connection you practice during yoga helps you do just that!

As a doula and childbirth educator, I look for opportunities throughout class to share the kind of valuable information that will help you be an informed, empowered Mom.  I teach many comfort techniques that are very useful for handling labor and delivery, giving you time to practice them before you need them.  I welcome questions and feedback, and always look forward to supporting women through this amazing transition.

If you have questions about the class, the New Student Special, or Purna Yoga in general, please contact Purna Yoga Centers at 425.746.7476.

If you would like to speak with me specifically about how I teach or about my other services, you can reach me through my contact information listed here.

Happy New Year!

Arya