ANSWER: Fortunately there are so many pre-natal yoga classes and yoga & pregnancy books on the market that I am sure you won't have any problems finding an outlet for your practice for the duration of your pregnancy.

A woman's yoga practice during her pregnancy depends, to a certain extent, on her practice before she got pregnant. Since I don't know you personally I will make some general observations. If a woman has a skilled backbends and inversion practice, and she gets pregnant, she can practice backbends and inversions well into her eighth month. If she is in good athletic condition, her practice can be fairly dynamic for the first and second trimester.

If she has never practiced yoga or if she does not practice backbends or inversions then this is not the time to learn them. If she is in a weakened physical condition when she gets pregnant, then her practice should be restorative and nurturing in nature. If she has practiced the "hot" and "power" types of yoga, she now has the opportunity to practice yoga differently and expand her concepts of what yoga is.

The three big things to remember are 1) do not exhaust yourself 2) do not compress the fetus 3) do not lie flat on your back.

The standing poses are excellent as long as you keep in mind rule #1, don't exhaust yourself. As the fetus grows, your center of gravity will change. As you get bigger you should use support in the standing poses. In fully equipped Iyengar studios there is a piece of equipment called a trestler horse. Certified Iyengar teachers know how to use the horse to provide support in the standing poses. If a trestler horse is not available, using a wall for support for your back and a chair under the thigh in bent knee poses.

During pregnancy there is additional stress on the anterior spine. Back bends are the best poses to provide tonus (both strength and flexibility) of the anterior spinal muscles. As stated previously, if backbends come fairly easily to you, then they can be practiced, but not to a point of fatigue. A nice level on dynamic energy is appropriate, but not exhaustion. If back bends do not come easily to you, then using support is necessary. At Iyengar schools there is a piece of equipment called a "backbender" and sometimes called "the whale". It is a curved wooden frame that supports the curve of the back. This provides the benefits of backbending without the dangers.

The Baddha Konasana and Supta Baddha Konasana are very beneficial for the pregnant woman, as is Upavistha Konasana. (seated spread leg pose) They provide elasticity of the pelvic muscles to prepare for child birth. They should be practiced with blankets under the pelvis and thigh bones (3-4 inches of lift) They should be practiced for a minimum of 5-15 minutes twice a day for full benefit.

As you get bigger the way you practice forward bends and twists will change. If you bear in mind rule # 2, do not compress the fetus, you should be fine. The standard instruction for forward bends in "lengthen the front spine". During pregnancy this is not correct. The back should be rounded so that there is still space around the fetus. In the twisting postures the abdominal area should be left fairly still and open while the thoracic (chest) area can be moved into a twist.

Finally, the third rule, do not lie flat on your back. The All of the blood in the body will eventually flow into two veins, the superior Vena Cava and the inferior Vena Cava. The two vena cava veins drain into the right atrium of the heart. The Inferior Vena Cava lies right under the fetus when lying in a supine position. As the fetus grows the weight presses down on the vein and can cause circulatory problems. I received a question about the Viparita Karni pose during pregnancy. I talk about this situation in greater detail. It should post about the same time this letter posts. congratulations on your pregnancy and please feel free to contact me again if you have further questions

Kevin Durkin http://www.kevindurkinyoga.com