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The Yoga Lounge at Full Circle Family Care Classes taught by
Lisa Harris Fargnoli. Lisa enjoys teaching various yoga
traditions but always reminds her students to honor yoga's true
intentions. "Anytime we link the mind, body and soul and give
selflessly, on and off the mat, we are practicing yoga." She
encourages students to dedicate their practice to the happiness of
all living beings and to encourage inner-peace & freedom for
everyone. She reminds her students that spirituality can be fun
(that's why we see so many laughing Buddahs!) Lisa is registered
through Yoga Alliance and California Teacher's Association. She has
been studying yoga since 2001 and Zen since 2006. -Listen to your body and intuition. If it doesn’t feel right, don’t do it. -If you are new to yoga, make sure to start with a prenatal class. If you have a strong practice you may want to switch between pre natal and your regular practice with some modifications. SOME BASIC GUIDELINES Please note, this is not a complete list, nor a definitive guide. There are many different traditions and styles of yoga, and each has their own guidelines for what to practice (and not to practice) during pregnancy, which varies from an extreme of advising against almost everything to advising that anything goes. In the end, what you want to practice is up to you. -Begin to phase jumping (back and forward) out of your practice. Some doctors will say it’s ok, but it can be jarring during the first trimester and as you get larger you start to lose your core strength which is where you should be jumping from. -Don’t lie on your belly. Even if you can’t feel anything you could be putting pressure on the baby. -Focus on mula bandha (the earth lock) during your practice. It is similar to Kegel exercise and helps to strengthen or maintain the vaginal muscles and pelvic region. -Keep your breathing slow and deep. It’s great for relaxing (especially with all of those extra hormones!) and helps to bring additional oxygen to the organs. Avoid breathing that creates too much heat or can compress the lungs as your belly gets larger. -Avoid deep twists or binds. Light twist that incorporate most of the spine and so not squeeze the organs should feel good. -As your body expands, you may feel lower back pain. Keep knees bent during forward bends. Bring your legs wider apart than you usually would (during down dog, chair and seat forward bending too) to make space for your belly and changing center of gravity. -Your body produces a hormone called relaxin when you’re pregnant. This can make breathing more labored as the diaphragm (the muscle that moves the lungs) more relaxed, as well as the ligaments. Be aware not to overextend. -You may want to take sivasana in the fetal position with blankets in between the knees. Lying on the back for short periods should be fine. Support your lower back with blankets to take any pressure off the vena cava, a major vein that runs up the spine and behind the uterus. Be kind to yourself. Your baby feels your energy and can hear sound. Chant, sing & surround yourself with as much joy, love, and good energy as possible!
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