The wonders of practicing Bikram while pregnant

Image Compliments of Claudia's Boutique

Aaaaah.... finally.  After a difficult week last week of practice - first trimester meets jet lag meets a cold meets triangle...  I was able to do 90% of class yesterday and was also able to teach a fun and energetic class afterwards.  I feel amazing today.  Not drunk with pregnancy hormones - but darn near normal!!!!

Class last night I had very few expectations.  I had emailed Diane Ducharme earlier to ask about how my practice seemed to be falling apart last week and she said to skip practicing for my first trimester!  I am not really taking that advice because of how good I feel when I practice - it affects me positively better than any other exercise.  Her message had a wonderful impact on my mind going into the studio - like it was all icing on the cake - whatever I could manage to do.  (Managing expectations.)

The first set of pranayama is so hard.  It takes a lot of discipline not to breathe extra - to last the entire six counts.  But by the second set my body is able to open up and breathe.  It's wonderful.

Warm up yesterday was pretty good - put it this way, I was not struggling to keep my hands in the grip in half moon.  That when you know you're in for it.  I can usually do an abnormally deep backbend - I mean I can get a foot or two away from the floor.  Yesterday as I went back slowly I felt a tug in the uterus area and backed off.  I will see... but it may be the end of my super deep back bending for a while.

I was able to do some kicking out in standing head to knee and standing bow was good on my right leg both sets... left leg I was struggling.  By balancing stick I was starting to get short of breath but I managed to do most of it and catch my breath at separate leg stretching.  Made it through all four sides of triangle (barely) and skipped a set of sep. leg forehead to knee (which is an abdominal compression pose and I don't want to be doing it "hard" anyway.)  I was not dead by tree and was able to do tree and toe - first time in a while.

The spine strengthening series I'm taking really easy now.  I started to go up "like normal" for cobra and felt the tug in my uterus again and slowed way down, using a bit more of my arm strength to get up into it and hold it.  Locust I'm using my forearms right under my hips to relieve pressure in my abdomen and am not lifting high, just focusing on tightening the leg.  Full locust I'm not lifting up high and floor bow I'm not doing much more than getting the grip.  I don't want to create any undue pressure down there.

Beyond that, I felt the tugging in camel so I backed off it a bit and rabbit I'm not really walking the knees to the forehead at all.  I was mostly just so pleased to be able to do class yesterday.  I feel amazing today.

I need to drink about twice as much water as usual after class, and also between practicing and teaching I had an Ultima electrolyte mix and an apple.  Was able to teach a strong and energetic class.  This morning it was the MOST. IMPORTANT. THING. that I got scrambled eggs.  :)