Along with the bundle of joy that comes to you in the form of your baby, there are quite a few stress-aggravating factors every new mother has to face. And, the prime one is the weight gain that is packed along with sagging muscles. These two factors add to the other woes such as post natal depression, nagging sore muscles, back pain, and the weakness. Losing the weight you gained in 10 months should be a slow and steady process and yoga is the ideal way. Here are some of the time tested yoga asanas and breathing techniques that will help you to lose your stress, weight, and other issues after pregnancy.
The Yoga Way of Losing Post Natal Weight
1. Vinyasa Dandasana
Plank or dandasana is a whole body balancing pose which helps you strengthen your core. It improves the overall strength and stamina, while adding an extra dose of power to your lower back and abdominal muscles. Make sure you breathe deep with every movement, while the core is sucked in completely.
How to do:
- Stand erect on the mat, feet together, hands resting on either side of the mat, and spine straight.
- Bend forward from the hips allowing your palms to rest on either side of the feet.
- Stretch your legs backward, one at a time, allowing your entire body to be balanced on the feet and forearms.
- Make sure that your spine is straight here and body is making a 180 degree angle with the floor.
- Tuck in your core and align your head in with spine.
- Elongating the spine and balancing on the toes, take a deep inhalation.
- Exhaling bring your right knee towards your chest as you balance yourself on the left foot and hands.
- Inhale and come back to plank.
- Switch the legs and repeat. This makes one round.
- Start with 10 rounds and increase the counts to 25 or 30 as your stamina improves.
2. Tiger Breathing
This is a very deep and powerful breathing process. Just make sure that you can balance yourself on your knees. You a towel to cushion your stand and to avoid knee injuries. Along with focusing on the saggy lower abs muscles, it also helps in easing down that nasty back ache experienced after delivering the baby.
How to do:
- Sit straight on the floor in Virasana or Vajrasana. You can opt for even sitting cross legged.
- Take a deep inhalation lift yourself off the thighs and come on your knees.
- Keep the feet flat on the floor while palms are placed beneath the shoulders. Ensure that your knees and hands are placed at your hip’s width.
- Ensure that your spine, in this posture, is neutral.
- Taking a deep inhalation, tilt your neck backward. Simultaneously, push your spine towards the floor, allowing your abdomen to be filled in with plentiful of air.
- Once you feel that pressure in your tummy, exhale forcefully. Simultaneously, bend your head downward and let your chin rest on the chest.
- Suck your core as inward as possible and expel the air completely.
- Once your tummy is empty, go back to step 5.
- Start with 15 times, improving your count your maximum.
- Relax in Balasana.
3. Setu Bandhasana Vinyasa
This is the Bridge pose and this one is a vinyasa, which is quite equivalent to the pelvic tilt exercises. Along with being a good back strengthening yoga exercise, it is also beneficial to keep you de-stressed. This pose is essential to strengthen your lower abs and pelvic floor.
How to do:
- Lie down on the yoga mat on your back.
- Keep your spine straight while hands rest along your body palms pressing firmly into the mat.
- Bend the knees and spread out your legs at hip’s width. Legs should make a 90 degree with the mat with soles resting firmly on it.
- Inhaling deeply, push your torso off the mat, hips and pelvis raised up towards the ceiling.
- Exhale and with each inhalation keep lifting the pelvis and hips as much as possible.
- Breathing deeply, hold the bridge for 5 deep breaths.
- Lower yourself as you exhale and relax.
- Repeat 10 times.
4. Bhujangasana Vinyasa
Cobra on movement – that is what this yoga asana is all about! Along with soothing out your back ache, it also helps in creating a symmetry in the whole body. A wholesome chest and upper back opener, it improves the circulation to your ovaries and uterus. It also bestows you with tones waistline, arms, and butts.
How to do:
- Lie on the mat on your abdomen, legs stretched out backward, feet spread out at hip’s width.
- Let the hands rest alongside your body aligned at chest level, beneath your shoulders.
- Inhaling deeply, press your palms firmly on the floor and lift your upper chest off the mat. Keep your elbows bent.
- Taking yet another deep inhalation, straighten your elbows and bend your torso backward, balancing yourself on your tummy. Roll the shoulders backward and tilt head backwards.
- Hold the pose for 5 deep breaths.
- Exhale, relax your arms, and come down to initial position.
- Repeat 10 times.
5. Ardha Matsyendrasana
Seated spinal twist or Lord of the fish pose is an awesome abs and spine rejuvenating yoga asana. The girdle punch it renders to the abs helps in strengthening the muscles present there while streamlining the waistline.
How to do:
- Sit erect on the floor, both legs stretched out to the front.
- Keeping the left leg stretched out, cross your right foot over left thigh and let the sole rest on the floor firmly. Keep the toes of your left leg flexed inward.
- Ensure that your sitting bones are placed firmly on the floor.
- Pressing the right knee towards the chest, inhale deeply, and lengthen the spine through the neck.
- Exhaling, twist your torso towards your right, moving your right knee towards left armpit.
- Place the right hand behind you, palms pressing deeply into the floor.
- Bring your left hand outside the right knee and hold the right ankle. Beginners can try holding the calf muscles of the right leg.
- Turn your head to your right and indulging in full breath, hold the pose for at least 45 seconds.
- Release the hold and switch sides.
Toning down those saggy abs muscles and getting back your pre-pregnancy body is quite easy with this enjoyable yoga routine. The good news is that you can do this as a single workout or complete it as separate exercises throughout the day. Along with the exercises, ensure that you are drinking plenty of water, eating healthy every 3 hours, and breastfeeding your baby. And see the difference it brings to you in few weeks!