Postpartum is the life changing phase for any women as she goes through physical and emotional change in the life. As mom also needs to be pampered and cared for, along with baby. Proper care and support at this phase will give a new beginning to the mom.

Yoga will heal physically and balance emotional stability as mom goes through with many changes. Yoga will also calm the mind.

When it comes to postpartum recovery:

• A whole lot changes, as the first 6months after childbirth is said to be postpartum period. Where a mom goes through many adjustments and changes in life.
• Very common issues during the post-partum are emotional ups and downs, fatigue, physical changes and discomfort and weight gain and hormonal changes or fluctuation.
• Proper care in postpartum restores strength and emotional well-being of new mom.

Benefits Yoga during post-partum

• Gentle movement: gentle movement of yoga with low-impact movements brings relief to the muscles and increases the flexibility and mobility of the body.
• Core strength: yoga strengthens the core muscles of the body which have been stretched during pregnancy and childbirth. Pelvic floor muscles and abdominal muscles will be strengthened with yoga.
• Stress relives: Breathing is everything when it comes to yoga.as being a new mom its like you will be on your toe and sleep less nights brings much more mental stress and physical as well. Yoga creates a beautiful way of reliving stress with breathing techniques. Yoga not only helps physically but also helps in relieving stress with proper breathing techniques.
• Hormonal balance: yoga brings hormonal balance with proper postures and asana create a blood flow in the body which brings the energy level to high and create positive mindset which lead to the hormonal balance.

Safety and yoga during the postpartum

• Consult doctor: as it is the new phase of life where you need more information and guidance, please do consult your doctor before starting any physical activity.
• Start slowly: there is no hurry as nothing happens overnight you need to put gradual effort slowly one step a day is much more important than 100steps in one day and being hurt later for few days. Slow and steady start your yoga for restoring energy and positive body and mindset goal.
• Listen to your body: as I said before start slowly listening to your body while doing yoga. If you’re not able to achieve certain poses it’s ok, take your time just listen to your body what exactly it is saying observe and act accordingly. Each body is different in the way it heals, respondents, moves and flexibility also. No rush breaths take your time.
• Pelvic floor exercises: this is far from the most important thing that you do when you are practicing yoga as pelvic muscles need more strength. Which also prevents pelvic urinary incontinence and pelvic organ prolapse.

Things to keep in mind while Building a Routine

• Scheduling your yoga routine is the biggest task when it comes to a new mom. Make sure you manage your time while your baby asleep take few minutes out for your selfcare and health and start practicing during that time.
• If your struggling baby and unable to manage time just include baby to your yoga small stretches alone with baby, you will be relived with guilt feeling as its such a huge emotional phase where you will be going through emotional rollercoaster.it gives relive and baby will be next to you. Which brings more smiles and happiness around you.
• Taking support or seeking support is also a great way that you can incorporate. You might find some groups where new moms will be there to support you mentally and emotionally or else take support of other family members who can take care of the baby for a few minutes so you can take care of yourself, which is crucially important. If you’re healthy and strong you can take care of your family very well.
• A well-balanced diet also plays a vital role during the postpartum period. Eating healthy, having enough water, and sleeping schedule also matters a lot.

Types of yoga that you can follow during postpartum period:

1. Child pose:

Child pose is also called Balasana in Sanskrit, which is gentle stretch for your back, hips and thighs.

How to do child pose:

• Start by Kneeling down on your yoga mat.
• Sit on your heels, then slowly bend over, and let your torso between the thighs.
• Stretch your arms towards your front palm facing down or else let it be on your sides.
• Rest your forehead on the floor.
• If you need support, take some pillow between your thighs and torso.
• Sink into the position for about 2 minutes to 5 minutes, breathe slowly, stretch your body, let the body feel good and relaxed.
• Once you are done, gently bring your arms backwards and you move yourself back to the seating position on your heels.
• It’s a great pose for relive tension and stress in the neck, shoulder and back.

2. Bridge pose:

Bridge pose is also called setu bandhasana is basically a back bend pose which strengthens the spine and pelvic area, opens the chest, hip and quads.

Benefits of bridge pose:

• Strengthens lower back, hips and quad muscles
• Increase the mobility and flexibility
• Increases blood flow, enhances the mood and energy
• Strengthens the pelvic area and lower abdominal muscles
• Brings calmness in mind by reducing stress by stimulating parasympathetic nerves system

How to do bridge pose:

• lie on your back, bend your knees and feet grounded on the floor
• let your arms face the floor facing the heels of your feet
• lift your hip off the ground squeezing those gluts
• Once you lift just relax your glutes and engage your quadriceps and hamstrings.
• Breathe in and out, try to keep your hips high for a few breathe/sec
• slowly come back to the neutral position and repeat it for few times

3.Cat cow stretches

cat cow pose helps in increases the flexibility and stretch in the neck area and back. It’s extremely beneficial to the new moms where it gives much more relaxation to the back muscles and stiffness in the neck.

Benefits of the cat cow pose.

• Improve spinal strength.
• Improve the posture.
• Relax the back muscles and stretches
• Strengthen the core and abdominal muscles

How to do cat cow pose

• Come to the tabletop position, hands on the mat, and knees straight under the hip, keeping the spine neutral.
• Inhale deeply, let your belly be downwards facing a mat, lift your head, chest towards the ceiling hold it for few secs,
• breathe and stretch those shoulder blades apart, create a slight arch from your upper back hold it for few secs, you will feel that stretch in your back and chest and spinal area
• Repeat it a few times

4. Seating fall forward pose:

Seating fall forward pose is very beneficial for new moms as it strengthens the core, eases the back pain, and help in overall well-being (emotional and physical) of the new moms.

Benefits of seating fall forward pose

• strengthen the core
• strengthens the pelvic muscles
• improves the posture
• strengthening the muscles
• Relax and relief the pain
• reduces backpain

how to do the seated fall pose:

Its most effective yoga poses for the backpain, hamstring and shoulder as well as calming the mind. Let’s see how to do

• sit on the floor stretching your legs straight in front of you,
• inhale, reaching your hands towards up and start falling slowly towards your stretched legs.
• Take deep 4 to 5 breaths and relax
• Inhale slowly start raising back to seated position.

5. The pelvic tilt pose:

The Pelvis tilt is a gentle and effective pose for the post pregnancy recovery as it strengthens the core, abdominal muscles and supports the lower back.

Benefits of pelvic tilt pose:

• Strengthens the core muscles
• eases the lower back pain
• Helps with pelvic muscles recovery
• Improves the posture.

How to do the pelvic tilted pose:

• Lie down on the floor with knees bent and flat feet on the floor.
• Inhale deep and keep the back neutral
• Exhale, engage your core tilt the pelvis upwards while keeping your lower back on the floor.
• Hold it for a few breaths
• Inhale and come back to the neutral spine
• repeat the same thing for few more times.

6. Butterfly pose:

Butterfly pose is gentle and restorative yoga for postpartum recovery which helps in stretching the inner thighs, groins and hips along with calming the mind and body.

After childbirth usually the women’s feels the tightness in the pelvic muscles, hip and lower back area, butterfly pose helps in the restoring the flexibility and strengthens the pelvic muscles which were weakened during the pregnancy time.

Benefits of the butterfly pose:

• Strengths the lower back.
• Gentle stretch for groin
• Strengthens the pelvic floor muscles
• Opens the hips and pelvic area
• Improve posture
• How to do the butterfly pose:
• Sit on the floor stretch your legs in front of you.
• bend the knees, bring the feet together closer to pelvis
• hold your feet and gentle press down your knees towards the ground
• lengthen the spine, keeping the shoulders relaxed.
• Breathe deeply and hold it for few minutes.

7. Warrior pose:

Warrior pose is one of the powerful poses which strengthens the legs and core. Improves the posture and increase the focus and energy.it support the back and pelvic area after the childbirth.it supports the physical recovery and mental clarity as well.

Benefits of warrior pose:

• Strengthens the legs, calves’ muscle, thighs and abdomen area
• Helps in balancing body, alignment and stability
• A great stretch for hips, chest and shoulder, it relaxes the tightened muscles.
• It helps in boosting the energy level and reduces fatigue
• It increases the focus level and calms the mind, creates mindfulness and good for mental health.

How to do warrior pose:

• Stand with feet apart stretching your right feet at 90 degrees.
• Bend that right knee parallel to your ankle
• Extend your arms to your shoulder level parallel to the ground
• Keeping the hips and shoulders forward
• Breathe and hold it for 30 to 40 seconds and switch the sides.

8. pigeon pose:

pigeon pose is one of the effective ways of releasing the tension in hips, lower back, groin and thighs.it beneficial for the new mother as it targets the hips flexors and the piriformis muscles, its calming, restorative posture helps new moms to get connected to their bodies and enhances the recovery.

Benefits of pigeon poses

• relieve the hip muscles, it’s a deep hip opener as pregnancy leads to tightness in the muscles.
• Improves flexibility and stretches the thighs and groin area
• Improves the posture as it helps in open of chest, shoulder and enhances the spinal alignment.
• Eases the lower back pain as it takes a lot when it comes to childbirth these poses give great relief to the lower back pain and tightness.
• It gives emotional relief and brings mental clarity

How to do pigeon pose

• Come to the tabletop position in the beginning
• Bring your right leg towards your right-hand wrist
• Extend your left leg straight backward
• Square your leg and try to bend yourself/fall forward on your hands
• Hold and breath for a few times and switch the sides

9. Gentle Back Twist:

It’s one of the relaxing and spine realigning yoga poses which reduce the stiffness in the lower back and gentle massaging the internal organs as well for post-partum recovery.

A gentle twist in the pose helps in relaxation of lower back muscles, hips, chest and shoulder relives the tension and improves the flexibility as new mom will be nursing the kid every 2 hours it makes the stiffness in the lower back and hip area specially. Improves the posture and relaxes the mind as well.

Benefits of back twists:

• Relives the lower back pain one of the common problems associated with post pregnancy health.
• Realigning the spine increases the flexibility and mobility of spines with soft gentle twists.
• Releases the tightness of hips and in the shoulder.
• Gentle twists lead to good digestion, improve the internal organ health and reduce the bloating.
• Deep breathing helps to relax the nerves and promotes the calmness of mind by reducing stress
• Increases the blood circulation in abdomen and pelvic area helps in faster post-partum recovery

How to do gentle back twist:

• Lie down on your back extending your legs
• Bring that right knee towards your chest
• Gentle twist that right knee towards your left side of your body
• Extend your right hand and head to your right
• Hold it for a few seconds and switch side

As you hold it for a few seconds you feel the stretch in the spine, with deep breaths you will feel relaxed.

10. Cobra pose

Cobra pose is gentle and effective way of relieving the lower backpain by gentle back bending and stretching the spine, opening of the chest, and shoulder gently.as new mom will be nursing and taking care of the baby it creates a lot of tension and stress on her lower back, this pose is gentle on the lower back and helps in reducing the stress tension and stiffness around the lower back and shoulder, improves the posture and strengthens the lower back as well.

Benefits of cobra pose:

• Strengthens the lower back helps in post-partum recovery.
• Improves posture
• Opens the chest and shoulder
• Improves the flexibility and mobility of the spine
• Improves the mood and boosts energy
• Relieves back pain.

How to do cobra pose:

• Lie down on your mat facing the mat, stretching your legs straight.
• Put your arms under your shoulder.
• Press your feet and thighs down the mat.
• Take a deep breath, push your chest off the floor with the help of your arms, keep your arms slightly bent, use your back muscles to push yourself up keeping your legs grounded. Followed by deep inhale and exhale.
• Relax your shoulders and keep the shoulder away from your ears. Hold it for a few breaths.
• slowly exhale and lower your chest back on to the top.

Conclusion:

Post partum yoga is a way of restoring the physical strength and emotional stability after child birth.it helps in rebuilding the muscles strength, improving posture and reliving stress from lower back, hips, pelvic area and shoulder.

Yoga poses like warrior pose, cobra pose, butterfly pose brings great relief from the pain and slowly one can restore strength and overcome discomfort or stiffness in the muscles, increases mobility and flexibility over time.

Postpartum yoga helps in being mindful and relaxing, reduces stress and brings emotional balance in life as we all know how stressful in being mom it’s a really a great challenge for emotionally and physical as well.

Along with yoga include the meditation and breathing exercises too, which also helps in calming the mind, reducing anxiety and stress and improving sleep. Mind and body will be well balanced, which creates a great smooth transition into motherhood. Selfcare is also an essential part of life.