Low blood pressure in pregnancy may leave a pregnant person feeling uneasy about doing the type of yoga that is currently most popular in the western world, which involves going up and down a lot throughout a medium to fast-paced yoga sequence. Many of us have had that sensation of getting up too fast from lying down or coming up from a forward fold in a yoga class, which has left us feeling like we may crash to the floor if we don’t sit down immediately. As a yoga teacher, I’ve seen the blurry looking focus of yogis that have come up too quickly, and thank goodness that no one has ever passed out in class. As someone who tends to air on the side of lower blood pressure, I’m very familiar with the signs and sensations of that almost passing out feeling. When I was pregnant, it was 10 times worse. When I had to pee during the night, which was about every hour or two, I’d have to sit on the edge of my bed for a few breaths, and then stand up and walk to the bathroom. I had to pause and feel my feet on the ground, and I carry that same practice of pausing and feeling the ground into my cuing in a prenatal yoga class. While low pressure in pregnancy can be a nuisance, its silver lining is that of pause and slowing down. It gives us a moment to embrace presence, to catch a glimpse of our rapidly changing babies, and to acknowledge our growing baby/ies.
Low blood pressure in pregnancy is caused by the increased production of the hormone progesterone, which softens smooth muscle tissue, like that of the uterus and blood vessels. The progesterone is insuring that the uterus will be able to stretch as pregnancy progresses, and as it is widening the blood vessels, it is helping blood to circulate throughout the body. You’ve probably heard of or seen for yourself that radiant “glow” of a pregnant person, which is partly due to the increasing blood volume in their body. The extra blood flow can actually “glow” through the skin and make one appear to be slightly flushed giving them a vibrancy. Throughout a pregnancy, one’s blood volume will increase by 45%, and the blood vessels will need to be able to stretch and widen to accommodate this extra blood flow.
The greatest dip in blood pressure occurs around 16 weeks of pregnancy, and it will gradually rise throughout the 2nd trimester and into the 3rd trimester. In my prenatal yoga classes, I’m making sure to include cues to especially keep those early 2nd trimester yogis aware of this drop and the sensations which it carries.
Here are some tips to consider when practicing prenatal yoga with blood pressure that is lower than usual for you but still within normal range for pregnancy:
- Stand up slowly from forward folds & Lift your head – After being in standing forward bends like Uttanasana (standing forward fold) or Adho Mukha Svanasana (downward facing dog pose), come to standing upright very slowly. The steps I cue in classes are to: plant your feet (that means to pause and feel your feet), bend your knees, bring your hands to your knees, look forward or up (this is a really important step), roll your shoulders back, and when you’re feeling stable and not dizzy, press your feet into the floor to stand up. As an instructor, remind 2nd trimester yogis that they may need to stand up extra slowly. This slow method of raising is often necessary after a child’s pose (Balasana) as well. When it’s time to exit from Balasana, I recommend that you come to an all 4s table position and circle the hips or do a few rounds of cat and cow spinal movements. Then, make your way into the next posture.
- Opt out of Lifting your arms if you’re feeling lightheaded – Some may decide to skip lifting their arms over head in certain postures if they’re feeling at all light-headed. When I instruct pregnancy sun salutations, we move quite slowly, but I still give the option once we’re standing to keep the arms down if one is feeling lightheaded or dizzy. Give the option to skip that move.
- After inverting rest in Child’s pose – While I don’t teach inversions in prenatal yoga classes, if you are an intermediate to advanced yogi that is continuing to practice asanas (postures ) like Sirsasana (headstand), Handstand (Adho Mukha Vrksasana), or Inverted L-pose with the wall during pregnancy, after you’ve completed one, come to child’s pose or resting on the left side for one minute or more to let the blood return back into the lower extremities. This will feel gentle and loving to your body and the process of pregnancy. And, I encourage you to be honest with yourself if inversions are no longer feeling great to you. If they’re not serving your needs, omit them from your practice or swap them for Viparita Karani (legs up the wall) for 3-10 minutes with your low back on a bolster or the Spinning Babies Forward Leaning Inversion (only suggested after 20 weeks of pregnancy) for 3 breaths. See the instructions and contraindications here. If you decide to omit the yoga posture inversions from your prenatal yoga practice, they’ll be there for you when you’re ready after pregnancy. You have the rest of your life to enjoy inversions, if you so choose.
If you’re pregnant and experiencing low blood pressure and dizziness, make sure you’re drinking plenty of water and electrolytes, and rest on your left side when you need breaks. Check-in with your pregnancy healthcare provider to make sure that your symptoms are within normal range and that it’s okay for you to practice yoga.
See below the gentle progression from a forward fold to a standing Tadasana (mountain pose) that I instruct in prenatal yoga. It feels so good that even as I am now a mama 4 years postpartum, I still often take this much time to stand up and pause in my yoga practice. Keep in mind too, blood pressure is usually on the lower end during the first 6 months postpartum as well. So, practice slow and mindful standing up in your postpartum and baby and me yoga classes too.
SEE VIDEO BELOW FOR SAFELY STANDING FROM A FORWARD FOLD DURING PREGNANCY YOGA