Getting back to your yoga practice postpartum

Are you returning to your yoga practice postpartum? We recommend waiting till you get clearance from your care provider before returning to your regular fitness routine. And even after you get clearance you may find it takes some time to have that time, energy and drive to get back on your mat. Not to worry, start when you like and know that you have the support of short online postpartum yoga videos that can help support you get back into the swing of things and also do so with the small snippets of time your little one may be allowing you. Ready to go back to your regular yoga class? If you can, find a postpartum yoga class to attend in your area. If you can't, here are some tips for ways to modify your yoga practice to support your body.

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Be mindful of anything on poses on the belly as breasts are tender and often swollen and those who have had c-sections may be uncomfortable on belly. Instead try:

• Sphinx pose instead of cobra
• Resting on stacked fists instead of palms when face down
• Doing a standing quad stretch at the wall instead of bow pose

Be aware of deep stretches and over stretching. Just like when you were pregnant, relaxin is still present in the body postpartum and you'll need to be careful not to overstretch or put too much pressure on joints.

Be careful to not spend a lot of time on the hands. as hands, wrists and forearms are often sore from holding/carrying baby.

• If you are in table top try being on the fists or forearms on a bolster.
• For downward dog or plank both can be done on the forearms as well.

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Avoid chatarunga (lowering down in push-ups) as much as possible. This muscle group is heavily overworked postpartum and should be minimally used in practice. Plus core is still weak and cannot support the low back fully. Instead you can:

• Skip them entirely and stay in plank on the knees.
• Take plank on the knees and lower from there.

Be mindful around swan dives and other forward folds that rely heavily on low back. The low back is being overworked picking babies up and there is less abdominal support for the back. Instead try:

• Bending the knees as you come up and down from folds.
• If you are staying in a hanging forward fold, consider bending the knees and resting the forearms on the thighs.