The upside down pregnancy

Childbirth is an experience in a woman’s life that holds the power to transform her forever. Passing through these powerful gates – in her own way – remembering all the generations of women who walk with her… she is never alone.” – Suzanne Arms

A friend of mine who is in her seventh month of pregnancy shared a picture of Anushka Sharma’s headstand this morning and asked me if it’s the right thing to do. The picture upset me quite a bit as I zoomed in to notice the dip in her lower back and the flawed, not-so-optimum head positioning. To add to that, Virat was holding her legs instead of pulling her hips up to offer support at her waist region. I shared the picture with one of my fervid Iyengar-yoga comrades, and he sneered, “Wow, I think film stars are really allowed to break any code of conduct.” And another experienced yoga teacher who said, “When a woman conceives, there are many, many changes that happen in a woman’s body and her intrinsic nature. The entire preparation to welcome a new soul happens over nine months, and it’s important to come out of your own frame and go with the flow instead of holding on to old habits. A child is born, but a woman is reborn.” Je baat, Madam. The modifications in the belly during pregnancy throws off the centre of gravity, affecting the balance. While it’s important to tune into your innate instincts and listen to your body, one must be aware of the possible strain and chance of injury. 

“There are a lot of subtle energies moving around in the area of the Muladhara and Svadishthana chakras, and these energies are to remain there. Taking them upward is not good for the mental health of the mother, and is a chance of the umbilical cord getting around the neck of the baby,” affirmed another yoga and Kalaripayattu teacher and friend.

The point of writing this article is to emphasise the impact of social media (I remember the time I went crazy imitating the ‘Ashtanga Yogis of IG’. Thankfully I wasn’t pregnant. And I saved myself a hip and knee replacement surgery. A serious spinal injury, even), and if you’ve never practiced inversions before, it’s best to wait until after you deliver. If you ask me if you must do a headstand (even though you might have been a regular yoga practitioner in the past), I’d say no. Poses lying on the belly, inversions, deep backbends, closed compressed twists, poses lying on the back and core strengthening asanas are a complete no-no during pregnancy. And there are reasons for it:

• The growing belly is bound to put the strain on the back, making it difficult for the diaphragm to expand, and that might trigger a stress response rather than a sense of relaxation. 
• In order to make room for the growing baby, the body produces a hormone called relaxin, which relaxes the mother’s joints and ligaments. – –• This is a time when the back and the pelvic region become more vulnerable. The change in the centre of gravity can make the expectant mother feel dizzy.
• There’s also a chance that the baby gets confused and suddenly changes position. 

Fear of missing out
Well, there’s no reason to have that feeling in the presence of a good prenatal yoga teacher. Pregnant or not, yoga always has to be done for your own self. And imitating someone only means disregarding what your own body has to say. Move slowly, gently. Use lots of props, do vocal toning, breathe fully and exhale completely, include sukshma vyayam (loosening exercises) in your routine practice relaxation techniques (especially when on bed rest), and most importantly – have fun. Pick from a platter of resting poses, hamstring, hip and chest openers, and only if you’re dying to do an inversion, do Viparita Karani (use a prop to elevate the hips as lying flat on your back can compress the inferior vena cava (IVC). The sequences, however, have to be monitored keeping in mind the week of pregnancy and based on the complications, if any. 

‘Mom-to-be’ Anushka might have ‘nailed’ an ‘effortless Shirshasana’ with her ‘baby bump’ and ‘set major fitness goals’. But remember, yoga is different from fitness. It’s an unceasing dialogue between your mind and body. Listen to it – mellowly and mindfully.

– An article by Priya Chaphekar
(The following article comes from the limited knowledge and experience of the author. And just in case of any mistake and/ or lack of understanding, the author is open for criticism and corrections).