While prenatal yoga isn’t my specialty I feel it worthwhile to take a moment and give some attention to the subject.  Largely inspired by my own pregnancies and by the growing number of friends as well as students who are going through their own pregnancies, some quality content on the subject may be quite resourceful.

Staying fit during pregnancy becomes a large concern for many new moms-to-be.  While some may be unsure whether prenatal yoga is a good choice during pregnancy others may be determined to maintain a vigorous practice throughout their pregnancies.  Many factors go into determining the right fitness level for you to be engaging in during your pregnancy and a trusted doctor or midwife should always be consulted before beginning a new practice.

In general, if you’ve had a yoga practice for a while prior to becoming pregnant then a prenatal yoga practice may easily become your modality for remaining fit.  If you are looking to begin a yoga practice during your pregnancy then you should consider going into it very gingerly.

Prenatal yoga can be extremely beneficial for both mom and baby.  Not only will prenatal yoga address some of the physical discomforts that can come with an ever-changing body but it can also help with stress relief by addressing emotional and hormonal aspects as well.  A prenatal yoga practice can help deepen the mind-body connection through conscious breathing, guided relaxation and tension relieving asanas.  These practices in turn can become powerful tools during labor as well.

The beautiful thing about prenatal yoga is how simple it can be.  With the help of a prenatal yoga DVD, you can begin a safe practice right in the comforts of your own home and the convenience of your own schedule.  The question is, “How do I find the best yoga DVD for my prenatal practice?”  Choosing the best prenatal yoga DVD is very important so I have several suggestions to help you in your search.

The best yoga DVD available during the time of my first pregnancy was Shiva Rea’s Prenatal Yoga DVD.

Here are some of the best yoga DVD choices and Prenatal Yoga DVD selections that I can recommend:

Shiva Rea’s Prenatal Yoga DVD: This prenatal yoga DVD moves at such a nurturing pace, really taking the needs of a pregnant practitioner into consideration. Furthermore, all of the asanas offered are specifically tailored for the many different aspects of the continually changing needs of a woman’s body over the course of pregnancy. As one’s body grows into pregnancy the need to adapt one’s practice becomes challenging. Shiva Rea’s Prenatal Yoga DVD gives you three different practitioner models to follow throughout the course of your prenatal practice. Each practitioner is at a different stage of pregnancy and easily demonstrates modifications to take to continue an easy practice.

Another recommendation for a prenatal yoga DVD would be Prenatal Kundalini Yoga and Meditation for Mothers to Be with Gurmukh Kaur Khalsa. While I didn’t have this prenatal yoga DVD during my pregnancy my favorite prenatal yoga book was by Gurmukh Kaur Khalsa. Her prenatal offerings are nothing short of inspirational! Her approach is very spiritually connected and her prenatal focus is really forging that spiritual connection between mother and baby not only during pregnancy but throughout motherhood. I strongly recommend anything Gurmukh offers on the subject of prenatal yoga.

Gurmukh Kaur Khalsa’s book Bountiful, Beautiful, Blissful was an amazing resource during my pregnancy! The asana practices offered in this book are not only fun but inspiring. The meditative quality behind every offering within Bountiful, Beautiful, Blissful is infused with a large sense of consciousness. With this prenatal practice it is easy to create a strong connection with your magnificently evolving body as well as the growing being within you.