We had some great family news this week! My cousin is pregnant so there will be a new baby in the family next year.

This reminded me, it can be around the time many people start to share their news that they also start to think about pregnancy yoga.

enjoy flowing movements and reflecting on the miracle going on inside your body

At around 12 weeks of pregnancy, the first scan has happened. This can provides a lot of reassurance as you actually get to see your tiny bundle, often for the first time. Also around 12 weeks, many women are starting to feel more themselves whether that’s due to a reduction in morning sickness or just the relief that comes from making your pregnancy public.

This makes it the perfect time to start thinking about pregnancy yoga! As the British Wheel of Yoga recommend waiting until you are 16 weeks pregnant before starting a yoga class, doing a bit of research into local classes is a good thing to do at this stage. Often your health centre or midwife will have information about local classes as well as specialist classes or courses run by yoga studios.

If you’ve never done yoga before, being pregnant is a great reason to start.

Pregnancy yoga is generally much slower than some of the more energetic styles of yoga such as Bikram or Ashtanga. However the slow, fluid styles of most pregnancy yoga classes are deliberate. This is a time to enjoy flowing movements and reflecting on the miracle going on inside your body.

If you’re looking for a great pregnancy yoga book to read I can definitely recommend Wendy Teasdill’s ‘Yoga for pregnancy’.

Are there any resources you’d recommend for pregnant women?

The British Wheel of Yoga recommend waiting until 16 weeks before starting a pregnancy yoga class.