Traditional Sun Salutations are not appropriate for pregnancy, even for a seasoned pregnant yogi. Portions of it, like upward facing dog or cobra put too much stain on the labia alba increasing the risk of diastasis recti. Some of the flow like jumping forward or stepping one foot forward from downward facing dog may become too cumbersome as the belly grows. Most moms still want to flow and with some modifications they still can.
How to modify:
– Start with your feet hip distance apart or greater to accommodate belly.
– Inhale your arms up above your head, exhale forward fold. Bend your knees as needed.
– Inhale rise to half back, exhale plant hands and step both feet back in to a plank. Take your time. Its also okay to step on leg back, drop your knee and then to step the other back.
– From Plank drop your knees to the ground and do 2 push ups vice chaturanga and upward facing dog.
– Exhale life your hips up and back into downward facing dog.
– Inhale Look Forward. Exhale walk the hands to the feet or the feet to the hands or a combo of both.
– Add in Crescent or Warrior 1 by stepping back from forward fold. Mamas can also step forward from three legged dog but they may find it hard to get the leg around the baby. I demo both options in the video.
