Sun Salutation for Prenatal Yoga

Hi pretty mums!
I've decided to make this video on my own, as i could not get something suitable elsewhere. This is a simple sun salutation you can practice at home. Get into each pose for a good slow 5 breaths, and move on to the next. You can do for about 3-5 rounds. Yes, you probably will get sweaty... that's a good sign!



Sun salutation is one of the best workout to loosen up the stiffed joints, warm up and strengthen the muscles, cardiovascular and lungs. Take your time to go through them.... and remember: Please do not practice after meal. Enjoy!

Sweat it out, to cool it down!

Most pregnant mum-to-be by now are experiencing episodes of "hot flushes" or/ and " rising body heat". You probably sweat easily, or may even feel tired easily due to the internal body heat.

If you're thinking of surrounding yourself with air-conditioners, think again.

Putting your body under air-conditioner environment for prolong hours, you may increase the chances of:

- sinus 

- catch a flu or virus

- chest tightness

- all other muscles and joints aches

Staying in cool room doesn't mean the heat has gone off.

Alternatively, a good way to release your body heat is through sweating.

Some good activities during pregnancy are highly recommended:

- walk

- swimming

- yoga ( sun salutation) * i will touch in this in the next post.

Basically, any low-impact exercises are suitable. Keeping your body active is essential to stay healthy. Through sweating, you will not only reduce body heat, internal toxin will also be expelled out from the body.

Do remember to drink lots of water to replenish!

Breaths, a connection for mums and babies

As the weeks go by, and your little protruding tummy has becoming like a basketball---
while busying struggling each of your movements, you still want to keep the connection between you and the little one strong. What do you do?

Now, your yoga practice needs to flow with you. Shift your practice from varieties of poses to breath works.
Pick a few pose for relaxation that can help you to focus your practice on breathing instead.

If you think doing long breath works is going to bore you to tears, think again.

Our breath is the reason of our existence, the very basic of life. And now, you're on a duty of creating a new life, and that's when breath sets in. Take breathing as a teacher to guide you to the connection with you baby.
Every breath you take, the baby does feel it, and he/she takes on the pattern of your breathing.

Short shallow breaths create anxieties, long deep breaths invites harmony.
Breathe slowly, and smile...

   

Grow Healthy with Folic Acid

How much has your diet change since the little one has started growing inside you?
Sudden increasing of appetites, what's more... cravings for random food--- eating doubly more in the name of    " i've got two mouths to feed!"

Weight gain is part of pregnancy, but accelerated weight gain ( due to eating habit) is going to give you a lot more discomfort.
There're few things i would like to highlight to your daily meals...

Charge up with Folic Acid ( Vitamin B9)
Pack your every meal with Folic Acid!

This nutrient promotes a healthy growth of spinal cord, columns, production of red blood cells, cell growth & development of the baby--- reduces the risk of defective growth of new born.

Where to find it?
- Dark Leafy Vegetables : Kale, Spinach , broccoli, corn, bok choy, romaine lettuce, beetroot
- Beans and peas
- Fruits: berries, banana, grapefruit, orange, honeydew
- Grains: cereals and bread
- Sunflower seeds
- Egg yolk
- Liver and kidney

Remember: Eat in Quality, not Quantity. 

Your body will thank you, and your baby will love you too!

Buzz your tension away!

Insomnia, fear, discomforts, anxieties... aren't these all throwing at you all at a time?

Release them all with... " Humming Bees"!

Yes, Humming Bees is a breathing technique, targeting to release the deep and long hidden negative tension built up in your head. And its very very easy to practice..:)

Here you go...

Either lying down ( on bed too!) or siting, be in a comfortable position.

Inhale through the nostrils.

Exhales with a closed lips, and making a "hmmm...." ( like a bee) sound till the next inhale.

Take some time to rest after the practice. 

This can be done early in the morning or just before going to sleep. 

Starts with a duration of 5 minutes and building up to 10, 15, 20.... minutes.

* Don't worry about the number of counts, just flow with the breaths.

Surrender to the calmness, and release the tight knots of tension with the buzz!

Warmer air for deeper breaths--- Ujjayi Breathing ( Part 2)

From the previous post: Warmer air for deeper breaths

Once you are comfortable with " fogging the mirror"; next, we're going to keep the Ujjayi going with closed lips.

Yes, only through the nostrils.

We'll focus on the exhalation first ( its easier). So natural inhale, Ujjayi exhale.

A short practice to direct the air from the mouth to the nostrils:

Taking 6 counts to start...

Take one full natural inhale through the nostrils for 6 counts;

Exhale through the mouth: Haaa~ for 1, 2, 3... keep exhaling 

with closing lips: Hmmm~ for 4, 5, 6

* don't worry if you don't get it immediately, always go back to the practice of " fogging the mirror".

Once you're confident with the exhalation, draw the inhalations through the same air pipe.

The meaning of Ujjayi is Victorious. But, i like to describe it as the Ocean Breath. 

Because when doing correctly, try blocking your ears while in this breathing... there's a nice sounds of waves created by our own breaths.

Breathe in the ocean inside us, enjoy the vastness, and relax in the calmness...

Warmer air for deeper breaths--- Ujjayi Breathing ( Part 1)

How to create a warmer and deeper breath for better expansion of the lungs capacity?
I will recommend Ujjayi Breathing.

There are many instruction on sites and books of how to do it for beginner practice.
Unless there's a teacher by your side, its really challenging to able to differentiate its Ujjayi breaths or just sniffing around.

I'm going to make it really really simple for starters to practice at home. Instead of breathing through the nostrils, lets start off by the mouth:

1) Stand in front of a mirror
2) Drop your jaw and fog the mirror ( inhale through the nose, exhale through the mouth)
3) Check: you should be making a low " Haaa....~" to blur the mirror surface

Once this is ready, Take inhale 4 counts through nose;
                              Exhale 4 counts through mouth ( fog the mirror!)

Ujjayi Breathing helps to warm the air ( leading to) slower pace of breathing ( leading to) deeper breaths
( leading to) greater expansion of the internal muscles.

Until you're comfortable with the practice.... check out for the second part of the Ujjayi Practice soon!

Love your H2O!

If you are now transiting from late second trimester to third trimester.... congratulation!
Welcome to the world of " Water Retention"!
But then again, some mums are lucky to keep off the bloated-ness, aw!

No matter how bad is the retention, even if you can't fit into your usual shoes size... keep drinking water.
Because, not drinking water will not make the condition any better. Dehydration will worsen the case.
But, know what you're gulping down your throat...

Not all liquids that go into you can hydrate your body. Some drinks cause dehydration instead.

Fluids that dehydrate:
- tea
- coffee
- beer ( hope you're not taking this right now..)
- carbonated drinks

Fluids that hydrate:
- pure drinking water
- natural fruit juices
- de-caffeinated tea leaves

Hydration helps to flush out impurities out from the system,
regeneration of  new body cells,
reduces the heat in the body,
prevent giddiness,
helps to relaxes any tension and anxieties..... so many more.

Take frequent sips instead of few big gulps.

Cheers!