Less than a month since Anushka Sharma gave birth to her firstborn, Vamika, and the diva is already taking the Internet by storm with her transformation pictures featuring her back in shape. If the Bollywood star was working right till the last trimester of her pregnancy, her post-pregnancy transformation is fitness goals too for all the new mommies out there.
1. Marjariasana or the cat pose of Yoga
Stand on all fours to form a table top with your back while your hands and feet from its legs. Keep your arms perpendicular to the floor and place your hands flat on the floor, right under your shoulders while keeping your knees hip-width apart. Look straight ahead, inhale and raise your chin as you tilt your head backwards.
Put stress on the spine, push your navel down while raising your tailbone and compress your buttocks by so that the back can turn into a concave shape. Hold the pose for a few seconds as you take long deep breaths.
Exhale, drop your chin to your chest and leave it between the arms facing the thighs as you stretch your spine in the upward direction and relax your buttocks. Hold the breath for 3 seconds then, go back to the tabletop position.Benefits – Marjariasana is called the cat pose and gives the body an amazing feline stretch while strengthening the shoulders and wrists. It massages the digestive organs and also stretches, strengthens and adds flexibility to the spine which is useful because the back has to support more weight as the pregnancy advances.
Lie straight on your back. Join both the legs and lift them up. Take the legs slightly behind to lift your lower back. Support the back by placing the palms on the lower back with elbows on the ground. Keep the legs perpendicular to the floor and your back inclined at an angle of 45-60 degrees with the floor. Breathe normally. Begin with 1-minute and then slowly increase the duration of practice to 10 minutes.
Benefits – This asana enables quicker movement of water from the small intestine to the larger intestine, which cleanses the stomach. It is also a great practice to stimulate the hormone system and strengthen the core. It allows you to completely relax your mind and body and helps to cool it down while refreshing the circulatory system.
This pose also helps in easing lower back pains, swollen ankles and varicose veins which are a common symptom of pregnancy.
Precautions – In case you suffer from severe eye problems such as glaucoma or have serious neck and back pains, do not perform this asana.
3. Trikonasana or triangle pose of Yoga
Stand straight on a flat even ground with your feet comfortably apart. Turn your right foot to face outside while keeping the heel inwards. Both heels should be in a straight line. Inhale and bend your body from your hip to the right and raise your left arm straight up. Meanwhile, your right hand can either rest on your ankle or shin or even on the mat if you are comfortable.
Keeping your head in line with your torso, you can gaze up at your left palm if comfortable. With every exhale, let the body relax a little more.
Benefits – Since Trikonasana involves the whole body, its benefits are immense including treating the neck sprain, stimulating and transporting the blood flow throughout the veins and body hence, reducing any risks of a block or stroke, stimulating the digestive system, improving the flexibility of the spine and correcting the alignment of shoulders. It also relieves gastritis, indigestion, acidity and flatulence while strengthening the ankles and the palms, reducing the piled up stress and anxiety and reduces discomfort.
This cow face pose is another seated asana in Yoga which is sometimes used for meditation.
Sit with your legs stretched out and then, bend the left leg and place the foot under the right hip. Next, bend the right leg over the left leg and draw it towards the left hip.
Keeping the right knee on the left one, bend the left hand behind and bring the palm up. Raise your right hand to reach the left one and clasp it. Breathe slowly while sitting in this position while keeping your eyes closed and release after 30 seconds or one minute.
Benefits: Gomukhasana is a part of Hatha Yoga which helps in building stability and though it is a great stretch, the pose is calming.
Known as a beginner’s best friend, plank pose challenges your arm balances. Place your hands directly under the shoulders and your knees underneath your hips, parallel to the floor which is similar in position to when you do cat and cow poses of Yoga.
With your index knuckle on the floor, keep pressing your hands down. Spread your shoulder blades away from each other to keep the plank straight.
Benefits: Kumbhakasana strengthens the shoulders and arms, muscles along the spine and also helps to build stamina and endurance. The plank pose tightens the abdominal muscles.
Instead of rushing back to drop baby weight and hit the gym hardcore, initiate the healing process with Yoga to not only reduce the symptoms of postpartum depression but also build strength, increase energy levels and improve posture. Some of these postpartum Yoga poses help in the recovery process and are the best to help new mommies in healing their bodies.
