I have been a student of yoga for 11 years now. Usually I will take about two classes a week and alternating with other forms of exercise, such as walking or karate, but during my three pregnancies I have taken as many as 4 yoga classes per week, especially near the end. Whether pregnant or not, I have found yoga practice to be very beneficial. I sleep better, I feel better, and I’m more flexible. There are no pregnancy yoga classes in my area, but I have studied with more than a dozen instructors over the years, many of them certified in teaching yoga to pregnant women. I have been given some very strange and contradictory advice over the years — some of the strangest coming from the instructors so certified.
With my current pregnancy well into my 9th month and after months of trying to contain my frustration with well-intentioned but erroneous instructors, today I snapped. I got into an argument in the middle of one of my yoga classes with an instructor who forbade me to lie on my back with my legs elevated against the wall. She informed me (incorrectly) that to do so would harm my unborn child. This was like being told not to take a multivitamin because swallowing the entire whole bottle is toxic. The first time she told me I was harming my unborn child, it scared me. I worried about it, talked to another instructor, and finally asked my doctor. My doctor informed me that, while she wouldn’t want me to lie on my back for an hour or fall asleep that way, there is absolutely NO problem lying on my back during a yoga class for up to 15 minutes (personally, 5 minutes is enough for me). Short periods of lying back with legs elevated reduces edema, and is beneficial for pregnant women.
This is not the first time I’ve been given misinformation regarding pregnancy yoga practice by an instructor who considered themselves knowledgeable. I’ve also been told:
• never to stand on one foot in late pregnancy (e.g. tree pose) because of pressure to my pelvis
• never to use my abdominal muscles
• never to raise my arms in the air
My doctor found these strictures mystifying and amusing.
Reasonable modifications I’ve been given by yoga instructors include:
• not standing on my head
• not laying on my stomach, and
• not doing spinal twists in late pregnancy
For yoga instructors who are concerned about safely supporting pregnant women in their classes, and worried about any of their students’ capacities, I would suggest requesting a doctor’s note. I’ve had massage therapists ask for this too. I would advise instructors to be very specific about any postures of concern (e.g. list and describe any such postures and ask the doctor to grant permission for their patient to do each one). There are many kinds of woman’s bodies, and there is a big difference between someone taking yoga for the first time vs. an experienced long-term student. There is a big difference between a healthy pregnancy and a high risk pregnancy. There is not one type of pregnant body. What is safe for one woman might not be safe for another.
Yoga instructors: get your facts straight. It is obvious to me from my own experience with numerous instructors that many books and teacher trainings about pregnancy yoga are as likely as not to pass on over-simplified, incomplete, or simply inaccurate information. Others are extremely conservative, probably due to fear of liability. If you are going to give advice, make sure it is accurate and complete. Make sure it is evidence-based and not an old wife’s tale. Try to avoid passing on unwarranted fear and stress through misinformation. When in doubt, consult with a health care professional – or more than one.
Pregnant Yoga students: Listen to your body. Take it easy, and do not push yourself beyond your limits. At the same time, if you are used to being physical active in your pre-pregnancy life, are in good physical condition, and have your doctor’s permission to exercise, do not be afraid to give yourself an actual workout. Don’t be afraid to question your instructor. If it does not feel good, don’t do it – even if the instructor tells you it is okay. Conversely, if something feels good, it is probably okay. However, take any of your concerns, or those expressed by your instructor, seriously enough to double check with your doctor or midwife. Too make things even more complicated, health professionals are not always in agreement either. So, when in doubt, we must all navigate sometimes contradictory advice to make as an informed choice as possible.
A teacher student relationship is a trust relationship. The student trusts that the information given by the instructor is accurate. The instructor trusts that the student will communicate their needs and limitations and behave responsibly. This is particularly essential when the student is pregnant, so I am distressed that there is so much contradictory and inaccurate information being passed around. The only advice I can offer, is to seek multiple sources of information within both the health care and the yoga communities. Do not to be afraid to question authority. If necessary, seek additional opinions, new classes and mentors. Make decisions that are thoughtful and informed – not based in fear or ignorance.
Pamela Block, Ph.D.
Cultural Anthropologist, yoga enthusiast, and mother of three