Modified Ashtanga Sequence for Pregnancy

When I was pregnant the first time, I scoured the internet to find advice on how to practice, what to modify. I saw a few wonderful resources, and I received some very useful feedback from my instructors. Here are some useful ones:

1. Ashtanga.com's "Ashtanga Yoga Practice During Pregnancy"

2. Ashtangi Wendy Spies's story

3. Ashtangi Mariela Cruz's story

4. Ashtangi Mae Yoshikawa's story

There are more pages of advice these days...and here is mine. I hope that this will be useful for those women who want to continue their practice throughout their pregnancies.

When I found out I was pregnant with my first child, I stopped practicing for a couple of weeks, not sure how to proceed. I was fortunate to have a teacher who called me back and said, "Come to the shala!" She worked with me on modifying Primary Series, with a few Second Series poses tossed in, and I went to the shala once a week and practiced at home daily the rest of the week.

A few months after my child arrived, I began to practice with even more dedication, and now I am at the shala 5 days a week (practicing up to Pincha Mayurasana in Second Series; I have held there for the last year or so while trying to conceive). When I found out I was pregnant with my second child, I went to the shala that morning and told my teacher. He has helped me to modify my practice, and I have been practicing daily at the shala since then. Here is my practice:

•Surya Namaskara A and B, with legs apart. (I include full Chaturanga)

•Full standing sequence. Here are my modifications:

--Parivritta Trikonasana, with block, arm extended straight out (not twisting)

--Parivritta Parsvakonasana, arm extended straight out (not twisting)

--Ardha Baddha Padma Uttanasana, leg in half lotus, arms straight up (no folding forward)

--Utkatasana, legs apart

•Some of the seated sequence:

--Dandasana

--Paschimottanasana, legs apart

--Purvottanasana

--Vinyasas (step back; no jump back); no Vinyasa between sides, but Vinyasa between sets of poses

--Ardha Baddha Padma Paschimottanasana, reach around to bind, reach forward to hold toe (no folding forward)

--Trianga Mukaikapada Paschimottanasana, bind behind foot, folding halfway, knees slightly apart

--Janu Sirsasana A on one side, followed by Parighasana (from 2nd series); repeat on other side

--Marichyasana A, extend chest outward (no fold), then gentle twist on that side (modified C—no bind); repeat on other side

--Pigeon pose on each side

--Baddha Konasana A and B

--Upavishta Konasana A

Move to 2nd Series:

--Yogi squat: wide stance, feet parallel, arms reaching up. Then, interlace fingers, turn hands so palms face up, reach up.

--Krounchasana, leg halfway up, sole of foot in palms of hands, fingers interlaced

--Deep lunge on each side, palms together, arms reach up, back arches so that fingers and gazing reach behind (this is a deep lunge with a deep arch in the back). After each side, take foot in hand and draw heel toward back of leg (to open quads and hip flexers)

--Ustrasana

--Laghu Vajrasana

--Kapotasana (take heels)

--Supta Vajrasana

--Bharadvajasana

--Ardha Matsyendrasana (modified, gentle twist)

--Pigeon pose on each side again

--Pincha Mayurasana

Finishing sequence:

--Urdvha Dhanurasana

--Dropbacks

--Paschimottanasana

--Shoulderstand

--Halasana, feet apart

--Urdvha Padmasana

--Matsyasana

--Uttana Padasana

--Sirsasana

--Balasana

--Sidasana, take elbows behind back, fold forward

--Padmasana

--Savasana

A couple of notes. I do this practice daily (that is, I don't just do Primary on one of the days, as I would if I were not pregnant), and I do a gentle practice (with backbends) on Moon Days (rather than refraining from practice all together). The only day I don't practice is Saturdays... I maintain this practice each day (including Moon Days) because the body is changing so quickly. It is becoming heavier, the skin is growing and stretching, the body's chemistry is always in flux. Skipping days of practice makes going back to practice more difficult. More specifically, taking out the deep backbends of 2nd (as we do when we only do Primary, say, one day a week) makes it tougher to find them again and makes me more prone to injury than it would if I were not pregnant. Keep in mind that I am also negotiating relaxin...that beautiful chemical that fosters flexibility and openness, but can also give way to injury.

I am happy to take questions or comments...it could be quite useful to engage a conversation about this ongoing question of pregnancy and Ashtanga.