6 Best First Trimester Yoga Poses And Precautions To Take

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Yoga helps improve flexibility, strength, sleep, and posture and reduces stress, aches, and pains. Yoga also helps maintain health and wellness, fostering a sense of calm and connection with your body during this transformative phase. Furthermore, it may help you get through labor and manage labor pains. However, if you plan to include first trimester yoga, it is advisable to check with your health practitioner about its safety. Although it is beneficial and keeps you healthy throughout the pregnancy, there might be some reasons that your doctor can only assess if it is safe for you (1) (2).

If you are currently pregnant and are a fitness freak, read the post about the safe and unsafe poses, benefits, and precautions of first trimester yoga.

Best Yoga Poses For The First Trimester

Some yoga poses you may try during your first trimester are (1):

1. Butterfly Pose (Baddha Konasana)

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Half and full butterfly poses could help loosen your hip joint and boost circulation to the pelvic floor. They stretch the muscles in the inner thigh and the legs, thereby relieving tension and tiredness in this region. Butterfly pose is a hip opener exercise.

Steps:

• Sit on the floor and stretch your legs in front of you.
• Bend your knees and bring the soles of your feet together.
• Keep your heels as close to the body as possible and relax your thighs.
• Now, hold your feet with both hands and gently bounce your knees up and down.
• Use your elbows as a lever to press your legs down.
• Repeat this 20-30 times.

Tips:

• When you get tired, or your legs begin to cramp, straighten your legs and relax.

2. Marjariasana (Cat pose)

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The cat pose is an effective asana, during pregnancy or otherwise. You can practice it during the first two trimesters (3).

Steps:

• Kneel on your palms and knees and keep your palms at a shoulder-width apart, right below your shoulders.
• Keep your knees apart below your hips.
• Inhale while raising your head and arch your spine towards the floor gently.
• While exhaling, bring your chin towards your chest and gently arch your spine upwards.
• Repeat this for five to ten minutes.

Tips:

• Keep your moves gentle.
• Do not excessively strain yourself.

3. Paschimottanasana (Seated forward bend)

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Here’s another easy-to-perform yoga asana in the first trimester. The seated forward bend is known to boost digestion, provide relaxation and allow you to focus internally.

Steps:

• Sit down with your legs extended in front of you.
• Bend your knees slightly and extend your arms over your head. Keep your spine erect.
• Slowly bend forwards and place your hands on your legs, feet, or the floor (as per your comfort).
• Hold this position for up to one minute.

Tips:

• You can use cushions to support your chest, forehead, or knees if required.
• Sitting at the edge of a cushion or a folded blanket could help.

4. Tadasana (Palm Tree Pose)

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This pose helps you work on your posture and improve your sense of alignment and balance. The tree pose is also known to strengthen your back, core, and legs.

Steps:

• Stand with your legs close to each other and slowly shift your weight onto your left foot while lifting your right foot.
• Place the right foot on the side of your ankle, lower leg, or thigh (based on your comfort)
• Now, raise your arms over your head and push your palms together.
• Focus on a fixed point straight ahead and hold this pose for around one minute.
• Repeat the same on the opposite side.

Tips:

• You can do this pose next to a wall, table, or chair for additional support.
• Do not press the raised foot on the knee of the other leg.
• You can elevate this pose to the next level by closing your eyes.

5. Trikonasana (Triangle Pose)

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This yoga asana is useful throughout pregnancy. It helps improve blood circulation and relieves aches and pain in your back, legs, and whole body.

Steps:

• Stand with your feet apart.
• Breathe in and bring your arms parallel to the floor.
• Now, breathe out and bend on your right side to bring the right hand closer to the right foot.
• Hold this position for 30 seconds.
• Breathing in, now slowly come up and relax.
• Repeat on the opposite side.

Tips:

• Spread your feet apart as much as you are comfortable with.

6. Konasana (Restrained Angle Pose)

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This pose involves gently stretching along the sides and spine, offering potential relief from back pain. Some individuals find it helpful for discomfort related to constipation and sciatica while enhancing spinal flexibility (4).

Steps:

• Stand tall with your feet hip-width apart and your arms by your sides.
• Inhale as you lift your left arm and extend your fingers towards the ceiling.
• Exhale while bending to the right from the spine. Shift your pelvis to the left while keeping your left arm elevated for a deeper stretch.
• Turn your head to look at your left palm and straighten your elbows.
• Inhale and return to an upright position.
• Exhale and lower your left arm.
• Repeat the process with the right arm for a balanced stretch.

Tips:

• Be comfortable and seek wall support to avoid losing your balance.
• Extend your spine to a comfortable extent.

Yoga Poses To Avoid In The First Trimester

While some poses are beneficial in the first trimester, it is best to avoid those that involve lying flat on your back or deep twists. Here are a few poses that you should steer clear of:

• Hot yoga (5)
• Intense forward and backward bends
• Asanas that put excessive pressure on your belly
• Inversions

If uncertain, consult a healthcare provider before trying new movements during pregnancy.

Safety Measures To Take While Practicing First Trimester Yoga

Here are some tips that could be useful while performing yoga in pregnancy:

• Learn from a qualified teacher: If you are new to yoga, take classes from a qualified teacher only. Not only is it safe, but a qualified yoga teacher understands the right asanas for you. Communicate any discomfort or medical concerns with your instructor so they can guide you with safe, comfortable postures.

Experts say

The relaxin hormone is responsible for the laxity of muscles, tendons, and ligaments, and peaks in the first trimester, causing accidental overstretching of joints and muscles. Therefore, choose yoga asanas that help achieve strength and stability and do not require you to flex your body too much (3).

• Listen to your body’s cues: Even before your baby bump begins to show, you will begin to feel different inside. These changes develop in your first trimester and continue even after giving birth. Yoga can help you understand your body and its needs better.

Sarah Bregel, a mother, writer, and yoga teacher, had a difficult pregnancy with severe symptoms of nausea and vomiting for the first 16 weeks. She listened to her body and did only as much yoga as she could. She shares, “In the first trimester and the beginning part of the second, the only yoga I was doing was deep breathing. I would tell myself, ‘Okay, I’m going to practice.’ Then I would lie down (okay, I was usually already down), and I would focus on my breath (and trying not to throw up). I sometimes worked on my shoulders, stretching my legs or releasing my hips, but that was about it. That was my practice. Deep breaths and a wee bit of stretching (i).”

• Continue practicing yoga throughout your pregnancy: Yoga has innumerable benefits for a healthy and safe pregnancy and prepares your body for childbirth. If you have been doing yoga before your pregnancy or have started practicing in your first trimester, it is recommended that you continue doing it.

• Be gentle and begin slow: In the initial stages of your first trimester, the fetus is still trying to get a good hold of itself in your uterus. Also, the risk of miscarriage is the highest during this trimester. Therefore, you should be gentle with your yoga practice and if you are new, start it slow. The goal of yoga during all trimesters is to build strength and stay active while being as flexible as possible.

• Adjust your poses to accommodate your growing belly: You should perform yoga asanas that accommodate your growing belly during your pregnancy. Avoid twists, turns, and inversions as they can compress your uterus and overstretch your abdominal muscles (1).

• Include meditation and mindfulness: Along with yoga asanas during pregnancy, meditation and mindfulness also play a role in overall well-being. Begin and end your yoga routine with a few breathing exercises.

Quick fact

Pranayama is an effective controlled breathing exercise, and when combined with safe yoga poses, it may help achieve several health benefits (1).

• Take it easy from time to time: The first trimester is usually difficult with nausea, morning sickness, and fatigue. While you may be tempted to stay active with yoga, it is best to begin slow and give yourself a break from time to time. If you feel discomfort, dizziness, or pain at any point, stop and modify your practice.

Infographic: Precautions To Take When Doing Yoga During The First Trimester

Yoga can be the best way to keep yourself physically active and rejuvenate your soul and mind during pregnancy. However, since the first trimester of pregnancy carries a higher risk of miscarriage, you need to be more careful when doing different yoga poses. Check out the infographic below to learn about these precautionary measures.

Illustration: Momjunction Design Team

Illustration: Best First Trimester Yoga Poses And Precautions To Take

Image: Stable Diffusion/MomJunction Design Team

Embark on your holistic prenatal yoga journey with help and tips from a registered and professional yoga teacher in this video.

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Dr. Kritika Shashank VermaMS

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Rebecca is a pregnancy writer and editor with a passion for delivering research-based and engaging content in areas of fertility, pregnancy, birth, and post-pregnancy. She did her graduation in Biotechnology and Genetics from Loyola Academy, Osmania University and obtained a certification in ‘Nutrition and Lifestyle in Pregnancy’ from Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich (LMU).

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