16 Yoga Poses to Avoid During Pregnancy | Styles At Life

Pregnancy is a great time for you and your inner motherhood. Channel it the right way and you will feel perfect about yourself. However, it might not be the same for you if you aren’t very keen on gaining all that extra weight. Yoga should obviously help, but you need to keep it in check so you don’t overdo it and affect your health in turn. So, we listed here are some of the yoga positions to avoid during pregnancy detailing about which yoga poses to avoid when pregnant.

Yoga Poses to Avoid in Pregnancy:

Below is the list of Yoga positions to avoid during pregnancy:

1. Chaturanga Dandasana:

Talking of the first yoga pose that you need to avoid while pregnant, it is Chaturanga Dandansna (Four-Limbed Staff Pose). Chaturanga of course involves a sharp fall and a step on your heels. Which should be a problem if your belly alignment isn’t right. It could put your baby into risk and it would be the best possible to avoid this move on a whole. Instead, a better idea would be to try a plank or a lower Chaturanga.

2. Marichyasna:

There shouldn’t be any closed twist in your pregnancy yoga routine since this implies that your belly will go deeper into your thigh. Worse enough, this might rotate your spine and chances are your babies won’t be too delighted about the whole idea.

3. Chakrasana (Wheel Pose):

Yoga to avoid during pregnancy is back bend like the wheel pose since as your belly gets bigger, you risk abdominal tearing and wearing your back out even more.

4. Balasana (Child’s Pose):

The child’s pose might sound oh-so-easy and might actually be safe during the second trimester, but by the third trimester, your baby is starting to turn head first and it should mean a big no more these poses like inversions and headstands.

5. Hot Yoga:

Temperature isn’t something that should be in your things to look up. Women with high-temperature surroundings tend to have a bigger risk of miscarriage than usual. Neural tube defects are particularly common as well. Hot yoga is exactly what fits into this list and hence should be avoided on a whole. Sauna yoga and yogas that involves working out in the sun should be kept a distance from.

6. Utkatasana (Chair Twist):

Do try to avoid positions that need you lying on your belly. This might call for positions such as the revolved triangle, chair twist and half prayer twist among many others.

See More: Pregnancy Pilates Exercises

7. Halasana (Plow Pose):

It is advised to avoid this pose by the pregnant women because in order to get into and out of this pose it requires a fold over the position which can put too much stress on your core. Complete backbends like Halasana are contraindicated in the second and third trimester of pregnancy.

8. Shirshasana (Headstand Pose):

Headstands should be avoided on a whole during pregnancy first trimester which can be dangerous if you are not experienced with inversions. Inversions can be tricky and it’s not uncommon to fall out of poses- which could potentially cause harm or injury. During the second and third trimester being inverted can cause the baby to push heavily on the ribs causing difficulty while breathing.

9. Bhujangasana (Cobra Pose):

This pose requires the person to lie flat on the stomach which places unnecessary pressure on the abdomen, and it can become very uncomfortable to lay on the expanding stomach possibly causing discomfort and harm to the baby. A good alternative to cobra pose is the Bridge Pose.

10. Salamba Sarvangasana (Shoulder Stand):

Shoulder stands can be dangerous if you are not experienced with inversions. Inversions can be tricky and it’s not uncommon to fall out of poses- which could potentially cause harm or injury. In the later stages of pregnancy, being inverted can cause the baby to push more heavily on the ribs which can create difficulty breathing.

 See More: Stretching Exercises During Pregnancy

11. Dhanura Asana (Bow Pose):

This pose is named so because when someone performs this pose they look like an archer’s bow in which the torso and legs represent the body of the bow, and the arms the string. This pose again places extreme pressure on the core. Bridge pose may be a good alternative.

12. Virabhadrasana (Warrior Pose):

Although this pose is said to be beneficial for pregnant women during the first and second trimesters to help build leg strength and to support the growing baby but during the third trimester the pose is likely to become more challenging as your body’s sense of balance changes.

13. Shalabhasana (Locust Pose):

As mentioned in the earlier poses, lying flat on the stomach is contraindicated in pregnancy as it puts too much pressure on the abdomen and therefore the fetus. It is advisable to avoid or else modify poses that involve compression of the belly.

14. Paschimottanasana (Seated Forward Bend):

In addition to placing pressure on the abdomen, this pose can put a significant strain on the lower back. A more comfortable and safe forward fold alternative may be a Seated Wide Angle, as taking the legs wide puts less strain on the back and creates more room for the belly.

15. Traditional Savasana (Corpse Pose):

Lying on the back in pregnancy puts pressure on the inferior vena cava, which is a vein that lies on the right side of the body and carries blood from the lower extremities back to the heart to be re-oxygenated. If this blood flow becomes cut off, new blood cannot be easily delivered to mom’s vital organs or the placenta.

During the first trimester pregnant women can practice and enjoy this yoga pose but once in the second and third trimester, it is not advisable to lie on the back. However, Corpse pose on to the side can be practiced.

16. Natarajasana (Dancer Pose):

Dancer pose requires practitioners to balance the whole body on one leg which can be difficult and too risky during pregnancy. It is also too deep of a back bend to be done safely while pregnant. A safer variation can be possible by holding on to a chair or bar while performing this pose.

See More: Arm Workouts During Pregnancy

Pregnancy is a beautiful time in a woman’s life. While there is some practices and yoga poses to avoid during pregnancy as said above, as long as pregnant women follow the advice of their healthcare provider and -most importantly- listen to their bodies, they will likely be able to sustain a meaningful yoga throughout their pregnancy.