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Poses for Moms ( Simple Yoga)
As caregivers, it's crucial for mothers to also care for themselves. Yoga helps. From asanas for pregnancy to poses for moms in need of a refresh, here's the toolkit you need to enhance your practice.

Rag-Doll With Arm Bind:
Separate your feet hips width distance apart and fold your torso over your legs. Soften your knees. Interlace your hands at your lower back lift the arms and wrap your hands over your head toward the floor in front of you. If you cannot easily interlace your hands, grab a towel between your hands. Take deep breaths in and out. Let your head be heavy. This pose can help relieve tension in the head, neck and shoulders that can occur from breastfeeding and carrying a new baby.

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.Kegel Exercises:

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Come into Child’s Pose. Squeeze the muscles that you use when you’re on your third cocktail (or sparkling water!), you’re busting for the loo, and there is a line out the door of the ladies. Hold for five seconds, then release.
Rest for ten seconds and then repeat. Try to do it five times. Then as you progress, increase your sets. Work up to ten, then up to twenty, maybe even thirty after a few months of practice.
Not only will it bring your muscles back to pre-pregnancy, but it might even take them to the next level. It’s great for your sex life and will help prevent incontinence down the line.

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.Modified Navasana:


After you’ve worked your Kegel exercises for a few weeks and you have the ok from your doc, rebuild the abdominal muscles with yoga poses like Modified Navasana. It’s important to take it slow. Most women have large separation between the abdominals after birth — I had a width of four fingers between my abs.
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Sit with your knees bent, toes on the mat just beyond your bum. With a flat, straight back, pull in the abs to support the lower back. Take your fingers to your ‘knee pit’ and balance on your Sitz bones, taking most of the weight out of your toes.

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This might be where you stay for a few weeks until your ready for the next level. When you’re ready, begin to play with lifting one foot off the mat to a 90 degree angle. Maybe then the other so you’re balancing on your Sitz bones, with a flat back, knees at 90 degrees and shins/calves parallel to the mat.

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After a few weeks like this, play with releasing your hands from behind your knees and reach them out straight in front of you.

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Warrior I with Shoulder Bind:

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Many new mamas complain about sore shoulders and neck from constantly looking down at their gorgeous baby while feeding (bottle or breast), or from carrying bubs around all the time. A great way to counteract this is with chest openers.

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Start out in Warrior I. This will alleviate tight hips and strengthen the lower body. Then add a shoulder bind. Interlace your fingers, connect the wrists. If this is too mild for you, expand into Humble Warrior with a shoulder bind. Bow forward, chest towards the Earth. Place the same side shoulder inside the forward front knee.
Hold for three-five breaths.

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.Bridge Pose:

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Lie on you back. Bring your feet flat, knees bent. Lay your arms by your sides and lift your hips up. If you can, interlace your hands underneath you. This helps open up the neck, chest, and back. It revitalizes the spine and reduces fatigue and anxiety.

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.Boat Pose:

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Diastasis recti, i.e. abdominal separation is something that many postpartum women experience. I suffered from diastasis recti after my pregnancy and I found that boat pose was a great way to help increase my abdominal strength.