A postpartum yoga class can have multiple benefits for someone who has just given birth. For one, it helps acclimate them back to their yoga practice and getting comfortable on their mat again. For another, it’s a great, gentle way to ease the body back into movement. There is enough freedom to start to explore what feels good in the postpartum body.
The postures in this class are designed to help the post pregnancy body stretch and get familiar with getting stronger after it’s already been through so much.
Giving birth is a lot of work! Your yoga practice doesn’t have to be…
Popular postpartum yoga poses
Supported Bridge Pose
Supported bridge is a great way to start to engage your pelvic floor muscles again. It’s also a great stretch for the quads and engages the hips. Getting comfortable lifting your hips off of the mat is a simple and effective way to prepare the body for most yoga asana postures.
How to set up for bridge pose post pregnancy:
- Lie on your back and step your feet to the mat
- Walk your heels in towards your seat
- Press through the soles of your feet to lift your hips up off of the mat
- Roll to tuck your shoulders under and extend your arms out long by your side underneath you or interlace your hands underneath your sacrum
- Hold for 4 or 5 breaths
- Release the clasp of your hands (if you took that option) and lower down
Child’s Pose Piano
Child’s pose is a popular pose in any yoga class and can be practiced safely at home. Child’s pose piano is a variation of the classical Balasana (child’s pose) where you crawl your fingertips to either sides of your yoga mat.
How to do child’s pose piano:
- Start in table top position
- Widen your knees the width of your mat & let your big toes come together
- Start to sit back onto your heels (if there’s a lot of extra space, you can pad up under your seat with a blanket)
- Walk your palms out in front of you and let your forehead come down onto the mat
- Crawl your hands to the top right corner of your mat
- Crawl your hands to the top left corner of your mat *like you’re playing a piano 😉
Virasana with Gomukasana Arms
Virasana is a common seat to start in at the beginning of a yoga class. It’s also common to add in cow face (Gomukasana) arms, where your elbows are bent and hand are clasped behind your back.
This can be a great pose to get a yogi acclimated to finding a comfortable seat and getting the shoulders more mobile.
How to do Virasana with Gomukasana arms post pregnancy:
- Start seated on your shins (option to place a block on the low and wide setting directly underneath your seat)
- Reach your right arm up by your ear and bend your elbow to touch the upper part of your back
- Reach your left arm out to the side and flip your palm to face the back of the room, bend at your elbow and try to reach your right hand (it’s okay if you can’t quite reach to get your hands fully clasped together, just keep pulling them in towards one another)
- Repeat, switching the arms
Gate Pose
Gate pose (Parighasana) is a pose that encourages a deep side body stretch and support of the knees.
How to do gate pose post pregnancy:
- Start sitting up on your shins (facing the left side of your yoga mat)
- Step your right foot towards the front of your mat and extend your leg, keeping your left knee and shin against the mat
- Reach your left arm up alongside your left ear and side bend toward your extended right leg
- Slide your right arm down your extended leg
- Keep reaching towards your extended leg & breathe
- Repeat on the other side
Downward Facing Dog
Downward facing dog is the quintessential yoga pose and makes its way into every yoga asana class. Whether it’s hatha, vinyasa, yin, restorative or pre or postnatal, down dog is almost always incorporated into a yoga class. This posture stretches the entire body and gets people comfortable on their hands and feet.
How to get into downward facing dog post pregnancy:
- Start in plank pose
- Shift your hips up and back
Makrasana
Makrasana, more commonly known as crocodile pose, is essentially cobra pose with your arms underneath your chin or head for support.
How to do Makrasana post pregnancy:
- Life on your belly and send your legs long back behind you
- Bend your elbows and stack your arms under your chin in front of you, or make a cradle with your palms and rest your chin in between your palms (keeping your head upright)
Supine Twist
A supine twist is commonly found in the wind down section of class after all the vigorous work is done. Supine twist is a great stretch for the spine, helping find neutrality before coming into Savasana.
How to get into a supine twist post pregnancy:
- Lie on your back
- Hug your knees into your chest
- Drop them over to the right side of your mat
- Cactus your arms
- Gaze over your left shoulder
- Repeat on other side
Legs Up the Wall
Legs up the wall is another great option for the wind down portion of class and can even be substituted as the final posture (Savasana) for people experiencing a postpartum yoga practice. It allows for lymphatic drainage and healthy blood flow, that is similar to an inversion, while allowing the mind and body to quiet.
How to set up for legs up the wall post pregnancy:
- Option to start with a blanket folded against the wall (for under your seat)
- Sit with your hips up against the wall, legs extended
- Swing them up the wall until you reach a desired position
- Breathe and let the mind quiet
Additional postpartum postures to try
If you’ve already tried all the above poses, here are some additional yoga postures you can try at home:
- Cat/Cow
- Camel
- Boat pose
- Plank pose
*Bonus: Baby & Me Poses
Some studios will offer yoga classes where you can bring your baby. These classes will usually include some classical poses but will make class more accessible by offering the support of blankets, bolsters and other props. When searching for a Baby & Me yoga class near you, you’re bound to find mostly early morning classes tailored to a baby-friendly experience.
Some popular poses to do with your baby include:
- Cat/Cow
- Child’s pose
- Seated wide legged forward fold
- Bound angle pose
