Prenatal yoga exercises are gentle poses and breathing practices adapted to the changes of pregnancy. Yoga counts as a moderate-intensity activity in pregnancy and as a way to build muscle strength, alongside walking and swimming, within the roughly 150 minutes of moderate activity a week that’s usually suggested.1 In this guide, we walk through poses for each trimester, what to avoid, and how to build a routine you can keep up.
Please note: This article is for general information and is not medical advice. Please talk to your doctor or midwife before starting yoga or any exercise in pregnancy or while trying to conceive, and stop if something feels wrong. Shvasa classes complement medical care and do not replace it.
Before you begin: 6 safety basics for prenatal yoga
Every pregnancy is different, so start with a conversation with your doctor or midwife. If you have a known health condition, ask your midwife which activities are safe for you.1 A few basics to keep in mind:
- Let your teacher know you’re pregnant, so they can adapt the class for you.
- Pause or stop if something feels off. That includes feeling uncomfortable, overheated or unwell.
- Drink water, keep cool and wear something comfortable.
- Don’t practise on an empty stomach, as it could make you faint.
- Try the talk test. You should be able to chat while you practise, but not sing.
- In later pregnancy, don’t stay flat on your back for more than a few minutes. It can make you dizzy and isn’t good for your baby.
Practices differ between teachers, and some poses suit one body better than another. Please treat the poses below as a starting point to talk through with your doctor, not as a prescription.
When can you start prenatal yoga? A gentle start for beginners
There’s no single start date that suits everyone. If you weren’t active before pregnancy, you can begin with about 10 minutes a day and build up gradually. It’s best not to take up a new vigorous activity, such as running.1 If you already practise yoga, ask your doctor or midwife how to adapt your routine.
Prenatal yoga exercises at a glance
- Cat-Cow (Marjaryasana–Bitilasana). Trimesters in this guide: 1 and 3. Prop or change: go slowly; rest on forearms if wrists feel strained.
- Seated Butterfly (Baddha Konasana). Trimesters in this guide: 1 and 3. Prop or change: sit on a folded blanket; support knees with cushions.
- Alternate nostril breathing (Nadi Shodhana). Trimester in this guide: 1. Prop or change: breathe softly; no breath holding.
- Warrior II (Virabhadrasana II). Trimesters in this guide: 1 and 2. Prop or change: short holds; a chair or wall for balance.
- Supported Garland (Malasana). Trimesters in this guide: 2 and 3. Prop or change: sit on a block or bolster.
- Wide-knee Child’s Pose (Balasana). Trimesters in this guide: 2 and 3. Prop or change: bolster under chest; knees wide to make room for your belly.
- Side-lying rest. Trimesters in this guide: 2 and 3. Prop or change: pillows between knees and under your head.
- Humming bee breath (Bhramari). Trimester in this guide: 3. Prop or change: seated and supported.
Prenatal yoga in the first trimester: gentle and steady
Many people feel tired or queasy in the first weeks. Short, slow practices that you can stop at any moment usually fit best.
1. Cat-Cow (Marjaryasana–Bitilasana): link breath and movement
How: Come onto hands and knees, wrists under shoulders and knees under hips. Breathe in and lift your chest gently. Breathe out and round your back. Move with your breath for 5 to 8 rounds.
Why teachers use it: It’s a gentle way to move the spine and link breath with movement.
Modify: If your wrists feel strained, come onto your forearms, or do the same movement seated in a chair.
2. Seated Butterfly (Baddha Konasana): a comfortable seat for breathing
How: Sit on a folded blanket with the soles of your feet together and your knees falling out to the sides. Sit tall and rest your hands on your ankles or shins. Stay for 5 to 8 breaths.
Why teachers use it: It gently opens the hips and gives you a comfortable seat for breathing practice.
Modify: Place cushions under your knees if they don’t reach the floor.
3. Alternate nostril breathing (Nadi Shodhana): soft, even breath
How: Sit comfortably. Close your right nostril with your thumb and breathe in through the left. Close the left with your ring finger and breathe out through the right. Breathe in on the right, then switch. Keep the breath soft and even for 1 to 2 minutes.
Note: Many prenatal teachers skip breath holding and forceful breathing in pregnancy.
4. Warrior II (Virabhadrasana II): short holds with a chair nearby
How: Stand with your feet wide apart. Turn your right foot out and bend the right knee over the ankle, with your arms reaching out to the sides. Hold for 3 to 5 breaths, then switch sides.
Modify: Keep a chair or wall within reach for balance, and take a shorter stance.
Prenatal yoga in the second trimester: strength and space
Energy often returns in the second trimester, and your belly begins to show. Poses that make room for your belly and keep you upright tend to feel best.
5. Supported Garland (Malasana): sit on a block or bolster
How: Place a block or bolster behind you. Stand with your feet wider than your hips and toes turned out. Bend your knees and lower your hips onto the support, with your palms together at your chest. Stay for 5 breaths.
Why teachers use it: It’s a deep, supported hip opener that many people find comfortable in pregnancy.
6. Wide-knee Child’s Pose (Balasana): rest over a bolster
How: Kneel with your knees wide and your big toes touching. Place a bolster or stacked cushions lengthwise in front of you, and fold forward to rest your chest and head on it. Stay for 5 to 10 breaths.
Modify: Make the gap between your knees wider if your belly feels pressed.
7. Warrior II and a wall-supported Goddess: strength with props
How: Repeat Warrior II as above. For Goddess, stand with your back against a wall, feet wide and toes out, then bend your knees to slide down only as far as feels comfortable.
8. Side-lying rest: rest without lying flat on your back
How: Lie on your side with a pillow under your head and another between your knees. Rest for 2 to 5 minutes, breathing slowly. This lets you rest without lying flat on your back, which is best avoided for more than a few minutes in later pregnancy.1
Prenatal yoga in the third trimester: supported and soft
As your baby grows, props do more of the work. Keep practices short, and stop whenever you need to.
- Cat-Cow on hands and knees, slowly, for a few rounds.
- Seated Butterfly with cushions under your knees and your back against a wall.
- Wide-knee Child’s Pose with a tall bolster so you feel supported.
- Supported Garland with a higher block.
- Side-lying rest, then humming bee breath (Bhramari): seated and supported, breathe in, then hum softly as you breathe out.
What to avoid in prenatal yoga
In general, steer clear of sports where you could fall or be hit in the abdomen, don’t exercise on an empty stomach, and avoid lying flat on your back for more than a few minutes in later pregnancy.1 For yoga specifically, prenatal teachers often also avoid hot yoga, deep twists that squeeze the belly, lying on the belly, and intense backbends.
A simple weekly prenatal yoga routine
A common goal is about 150 minutes of moderate activity a week, in shorter sessions if that suits you, and any activity is better than none.1 Here’s one example. It’s an illustration, not a prescription:
- Three 20-minute practices on days you feel well: a few poses from your trimester, then rest.
- Two 5-minute breathing sessions on days you feel tired.
- One walk or other activity your doctor or midwife has approved.
Count the minutes of other activity too. Yoga is one part of staying active, not the whole of it.
Why practise prenatal yoga with a live teacher?
A teacher who can see you can adapt a pose as your body changes. Shvasa is a community of practitioners who care about doing this safely, and our prenatal teachers adapt each class to your stage of pregnancy. Only your teacher sees you in class, and your camera is your choice. [privacy_statement: team to add anything further]
If you want to know what a full programme looks like, read what pregnancy yoga can and cannot do for labour, or learn about the Garbh Sanskar program that sits alongside our prenatal classes.
Shvasa’s prenatal yoga classes online run live in small groups, in 3-month batches. Only your teacher sees you in class, and your camera is your choice. Join the next prenatal batch now.
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