33 Reasons To Support Yoga For Mothers.

Mothers can put a lot of stress on their spine as their baby develops all the way up to the time their child is well past the toddler years. We can double that for Single moms —and many moms are single moms no matter what their partnership status may be.

Seven (7) cervical, twelve (12) thoracic five (5) lumbar, five (5) fused sacrum, and four (4) coccyx make up the 33 reasons moms need yoga. The stress on her vertebral column is affected by many situations.

During Pregnancy

The joints and ligaments begin to loosen to help the body adjust as the baby develops. This creates back pain for 50-70% of pregnant women. It’s important to distinguish the origin of the pain. There are two common origins: the sacroiliac joint better known as the SI joint, and the lumbar spine.

After Birth

We could argue that lack of sleep alone puts strain on the spine. Add the fact that a new mom is also picking a 6-10 pound newborn enumerable times a day —a newborn that is getting heavier by the week. With the joint laxity, exhaustion and stress overload new moms have the perfect recipe for throwing their back out completely.

In the sole

What moms put on their feet can contribute to back pain as well. High heels everyone knows are bad for the back. What some us may not consider is that flats can be just as bad if not worse. In a Redbook article on the subject, Michael Hisey, M.D., an orthopedic spine surgeon from Texas said, "The discs in your lower back are filled with cushiony fluid, but walking in flimsy shoes all day long wrings them out like a sponge."

Alignment Matters

In 80-90% of cases, understanding spinal pain doesn’t mean doctors can provide a solid diagnosis. That’s where Iyengar Yoga can help. With its deep understanding of proper alignment, even mothers with no physical training can find a safe way to bring strength, flexibility, and better alignment to their spine with Iyengar Yoga. The Iyengar Method of instruction begins with understanding gross actions in a progressive sequence of poses to build cognitive awareness of basic alignment of stabilizing muscles groups. Once this is achieved instruction moves deeper to more subtle actions that create communication synthesis between mental, skeletal, muscular, and nervous systems. The therapeutic effects of pregnancy yoga before and after birth, along with the effects of Iyengar Yoga specific to lower back pain are astounding.

When a pregnant mother-to-be works with a Pregnancy Certified Iyengar Instructor they can be sure they are giving their spine all the love and care it needs to support them now and in the years to come. Whether you’re a mother-to-be or have been playing Mom for a long time, Iyengar Yoga is here to support your wellbeing on Mother’s Day and every day. Namaste.

By Rhonda Geraci