Hot 26 / Bikram Yoga Pregnancy Series

Postures and Modifications

Disclaimer: This is how I approached the postures during my pregnancies Please make sure to
check with you and your body and your OB/ Midwife. Everyone and every pregnancy is
different. I continued my practice because if felt good to me and my body and because I had a
long time practice before hand. Please seek medical advice before hand.

After 4 pregnancies practicing this sequence up until the day I gave birth was one of the most
beneficial things I could have done personally for my physical body and mental state during the
40 months I was pregnant. Each posture helps to stretch and strengthen as our growing pelvis
and body take shape growing our baby. I loved how this helped me with my varicose veins,
blood flow, heart rate and calm mind during birth.

This practice helped me during labor with calming breath and strength mentally and physically.
Grab my positive birth stories here if you’d like.

**Start each of these modifications as soon as you feel uncomfortable in the regular postures.

It will be different for everyone, each pregnancy I had to start them earlier and earlier. I would
say the latest to make the modifications would be 18 weeks. Usually beginning of second
trimester is when I started in.

Let’s begin!

Breathing Pranayama Deep Breathing:

Separate feet hip width distance for better balance.

I concentrate on expanding rib cage outward for mid-back mobility as you bring breathe in and
down and try to relax the pelvic floor up on the exhale.
Half Mood Hands to Feet Pose:

Separate feet hip width distance for better balance if you find you need it.
Concentrate on insteps pulling up through inner thighs for stability shifts hips back slightly to
engage lower abdominals (what’s left of them!)

Half Moon:
Watch for doming in the abdomen as you come down, if you see it don’t come down as far.
This is about stretching side body, stay out of your low back you may need to bring bottom
ribs down and pubic bone in.

Back Bending:
Lift through your chest and armpits, should feel great in the upper body. Easy to over arch the
low back here, concentrate on the upper back chest opening and be mindful how much you
push your belly forward so you don’t dome out into your abdomen. Weight in your heels use
your glutes. If you find you get dizzy don’t drop your head back all the way and just keep head
with your arms.

Hands to Feet Pose:

Separate feet a little wider than hips width or wide enough so the belly can fit in between your
legs. Long spine grab the big toes lengthen the crown of the head towards toes elbows out feel
stretch in middle back, do not over stretch the hamstrings (easy to do with relaxin in the body).

Awkward Pose:

Part 1:
Separate feet wider than hips width for stability and so you can sit down low into your chair.
Energetically push your heels away from one another so your glutes get the length. Exhale to
come out pull pelvic floor up and hug baby in to stand up so you don’t put pressure on the low
back.

Part 2:
Heels up as high as you can maintain balance - might not be as high as they would pre-
pregnancy. Hug baby in as you sit down to keep the spine straight. Activate inner thighs to
lower and to come out of the posture with control.

Part 3:
Feet wider than hip width if you need it for balance. Hug baby in to lower down, squeeze knees
to groin for stability in the legs. Activate arms, press them forward to come out.

Eagle Pose:
Wonderful for circulation wrap the best you can as baby and belly grows. If your breasts are
bigger than normal cross the arms above the breasts and pull down from there to feel it in the
shoulders, scapula.
Standing Head to Knee Pose:
Opening pelvis with big toe grip. Work on stability in standing leg bring glute strength down to
the heel, pull up on the quadricep. Extend the leg as the class kicks out (optional) and option to
bring arm out for balance and gaze over the arm.

Standing Bow Pulling Pose:

Same as normal, just be mindful to not over stretch the standing leg hamstring, hip you’ll have
more flexibility from your relaxin and can over stretch, so use more muscle strength from the
standing leg. Upper body should feel a nice opening in the pecs, chest and shoulders. Let the
baby do its thing here.
Balancing Stick Pose:
Hug baby into your body as you come down, come down only as low as it feels okay. If you get
dizzy coming parallel no need to come down. You could even stay up right. Sometimes single
leg exercises can irritate pubic symphysis dysfunction so back off and skip this one or just
keep back leg on the ground and get the stretch.

Standing Separate Leg Stretching Pose:

Engage quadriceps so you don’t over stretch the hamstrings. Use this as a back stretch
breathe into your mid back and pull arms up and back to lengthen through upper back.
Triangle Pose:
You can always use your forearm to prop yourself up if you find you are sinking down into your
bent leg hip. Use the heel on the bent leg and your glutes to activate your thigh so you don’t
over sink into your hip. Squeeze glutes under to stabilize pelvis. Hug baby in as you stretch
arms apart.

Standing Separate Leg Head to Knee Pose:

No compression with baby on board. Keep a flat back, hips squared and level and come down
with arms behind you back either in reverse namaskar or grabbing opposite elbows. Hug baby
in so you don’t feel your lower back. Should feel lovely on the outside of the growing hips.
Tree Pose:
Focus on balance and opening up front side of hips. Keep your ribs over your hips, try not to
push hips forwards of ribs.

Toe Stand:
Optional if you find you have the balance.

Savasana Pose:
Lay on your left side during the savasanas, left arm can act as a pillow for your head.

Wind Removing Pose:

Single Leg:
Avoid belly and rib cage, very good for pregnancy digestion this one!

Double Leg:
Option for happy baby here or bring soles of the feet together and pull them towards the body
pushing the knees away from the body for added hip stretch.
Sit- Ups:
Skip these no need to force pressure out into the abdomen. Will potentially worsen Diastasis.

Spine Strengthening: Switch to these once you feel your baby on your belly - for me it
happening around week 14, start whenever you’d like.

Fish Pose in place of Cobra:

Two options you can press palms and forearms down, lift the chest through the shoulders to
open up the pecs. Relax your head back, extend the legs our straight.

Top of head on floor open up neck muscles hands to center of the chest with legs extended.

Bird Dog in place of Locust:

As you extend leg try not to let hip lift up, not a back bend here.
Half pigeon in place of Full Locust:
No need to open up arms if the hips are not ready but it does make for a nice back bend and
deeper hip opener.

Bridge in place of Bow

Feet hip width distance, lift hips and energetically push knees towards your toes so your glutes
engage. Could do full wheel early on if you are not doming out of your abdomen.

Fixed Firm Pose:

On your way down don’t tuck chin to
avoid doming, use this as a stretch and
a good lymphatic opener.
Half Tortoise:
Spread knees wide and walk yourself into and out of the posture so you don’t put too much
pressure out on your abdomen. Active arms for upper shoulder scapula stretching. Relax your
belly and hips here to stretch lower back, relax glutes and pelvic floor muscles.

Camel:
Support your hands to start on hips and lift through the chest to avoid doming. Relax the head
back and grab heels if they are available otherwise just keep hands supported on hips. I liked
to move my hands up to my ribs and feel middle back and chest opening.

Bridge or Full Wheel in place of Rabbit:

Refer to Bow or if you are attempting full wheel use strength of your legs and push armpits up.
Look up to the ceiling to lower slowly. If you find as you get towards the end of your pregnancy
and you are doming (have the teacher watch you) you should avoid wheel and stick with
bridge.
Separate Leg to Head to Knee with Stretching Pose:

Separate Leg Head to Knee:

No compression here, I like to use this as a side body intercostal stretch. Grab behind the head
to open up armpit and stretch to toes. Or just simply stretch arm up and over your head as you
reach for the foot.

Stretching:
Spread the legs hip width distance enough to put belly in between the legs. Long spine, feel
free to bend the knees pull the chest forward and breathe into mid back here.

Half Spine Twist:

Sit cross legged and without twisting through your belly you twist just the upper back. Place
your left hand on your right knee and open up right shoulder and breathe. Switch sides.
If you feel the belly or abdomen back off of the twist.

Kapalabati Breathing:
Slow exhales to cool and cleanse the body, do not pull or force the belly back to your spine.