In these days that keep us at home, if we are expecting, let's try to stay strong and energized for ourselves and for our baby. Now more than ever, we can get in deep touch with our inner world.
The second trimester of pregnancy runs from the fourteenth to the twenty-eighth week.
During this period the body changes visibly, and our aim is to accompany it through its changes.
We become more aware of the new life growing inside us and learn to be more connected to it.
This is the ideal time to enjoy the practice of yoga, which should always be adapted to the growth of the uterus.
The weight of the belly will in fact start to strain the lower back, which could cause back discomfort. Let's help ourselves by paying attention to posture with these questions: Where do I feel my weight? On both feet? More towards the toes or the heels? Is my spine straight and lengthening upwards, or is it curved?
Now, with greater body awareness, let's distribute our weight evenly on both feet, neither too far forward nor too far back, and align the spine towards the sky.
This simple exercise can be done at any time of day as a valuable support for keeping the back healthy and strong.
We can get further excellent help from mountain pose. It is one of the simplest and most powerful asanas in yoga, able to give both strength and calm.
Standing upright, feet and legs together, the spine aligned with the sky. Open the arms slightly outwards as if they were the slopes of a mountain, and hold the position still.
After a few breaths, imagine drawing in a yellow light that, from the feet, brings the strength of the earth into you, and, from the head, a blue light that gives the calm of the sky. Hold the position for a few breaths and then release it, bringing your hands to your belly and staying a few moments in listening.
During this important moment, let our inner world absorb the benefits that the asana has set in motion. In pregnancy this allows us to connect deeply with the life growing inside us.
In addition, in the second trimester the nausea and tiredness of the first months decrease or disappear altogether, and we begin to have an aura of new vitality.
Thanks to the sun salutation, adapted for the months of pregnancy, we can feel charged and full of new energy. And with the cat movements we loosen and make the pelvis and spine flexible. You can find both these exercises at this link: https://yogacristallo.it/video/
Experiment joyfully and get in touch to let me know about your experiences.
These months should be celebrated in every moment, which is why it is important to stay connected to beauty. We also need to understand that pregnancy is many things: it has its bright sides and its dark sides. We can observe and welcome both.
A wonderful exercise that I have found very useful is to notice where our fears and worries arise, then shake the whole body from the arms to the legs, as if we were made of soft fabric, and then let them go with an out-breath. Then we pause for a few moments and imagine being wrapped in a golden light.
Let's rediscover ourselves every day, every moment, and always stay connected to the breath and to our baby, sending them serenity, calm, and joy.
L. Bugatti, EFOA Yoga teacher, specialist in maternity and children's yoga (www.yogacristallo.it)