5 Gentle Yoga Postures for Postpartum

As a mama, you’ve made it through labor…which is a HUGE accomplishment and your body may need some transitional exercise before going full fledge. Being fully present with baby is the most precious gift you can give your child. It all starts with being present to your wants and needs by taking care of your physical and emotional health. 

If you are searching for great postpartum exercise, here’s 5 gentle yoga postures that we love and recommend to include in your postpartum exercise routine.

1. Viparita Karani: Legs up the wall

Legs up the wall by inspired health coach

One of the greatest yoga poses for postpartum is legs up the wall. Here’s how you do this pose and some helpful tips.

Roll out your mat perpendicular to a wall. For extra comfort, you can place a folded blanket on top of your mat for extra padding.  You can also place a pillow under your head. Then, place your bum as close as you can to the wall, lie on your back and shimmy your legs up the wall. *Note- the closer your bum is to wall, the deeper the sensation. If you need less, scoot away from the wall slightly.

This pose helps circulate the blood from the toes to the head. After being on our feet most of the day its incredibly beneficial to release stagnation and let new fresh blood move through our body.

Another thing about legs up the wall is to hold your posture and hang for about 10-20 minutes, you may even take a nap…maybe baby wants to sleep on your belly while you move into this deep relaxation. Light some candles, put on some nature sounds and enjoy!

Looking for the best postpartum workout wear for yoga? One of our capris works best with all the gentle post-partum yoga poses that we will talk about in this post. Specifically, our highwaist postpartum yoga capri pants works like a charm. These capris are perfect for the ATHLOUNGER! You know who you are! The mom who loves exercise and wants all day comfort, especially when doing yoga or lounging with the family.

2. Supta Baddha Konasana: Reclined Soles Bound Pose

Another ultimate but gentle yoga pose for postpartum is the reclined soles bound pose. Here’s the scoop.

Bring the soles of your feet together and bring the feet in towards your pelvis, opening up your hips, then slowly lay down on to your back.

You can place a blanket under you, or under both knees for a gentler experience in opening your hips along with more support.



Reclined Soles Bound Pose

This posture helps the pelvis floor to relax, releasing any toxic or stagnate energy we may be holding from the extreme labor in giving birth.

It’s important to stay connected to your breath and allow gravity to open your body while feeling the support beneath you.

3. Balasana: Child’s Pose

Come to sitting on your knees, you may want a blanket under your knees. You can either keep your knees together or let them come apart.

The wider the knees, the deeper the stretch in the hips will be. But, don’t push yourself too hard at first. If it gets uncomfortable, give yourself some relief.

Keep your big toes together and sitting bones connected to your heels, then slowly start to bring your forehead to the ground by walking your hands out to the top of your mat.

You can also place a pillow under your torso for deeper relaxation. Keep your hands up and out or bring them along your sides to release tension in the upper body and shoulders.



Child’s Pose

This posture helps calm the nervous system along with stretching and lengthening the spine, helping to bring your body into alignment. For a more active, strength building variation of this pose, engage your root muscles.

The muscles that you use to keep from peeing yourself, yeah squeeze those and hold for 5 seconds! Start with 10 rounds, slowly building up and strengthening your vaginal muscles back to their natural form.

If you’re ever in a child’s pose, you’re going to want to be in our postpartum yoga capri pants.

4. Savasana: Corpse Pose

The ultimate relaxing pose AND arguably the most challenging at times. This pose is perfect for postpartum and mentally challenging. Lay down on your mat and on your back. You can have a blanket under and/or over you if that feels good. Let your arms come out and let your legs fall open, take up space.

Corpse Pose

That’s the easy part, here’s where it can be challenging.

Let the thoughts of what you’re going to do next and what you’ve already done start to slip away and find deep relaxation. This state of mindfulness is truly amazing. You are focused, in the moment, not thinking about the future.

It may not come right away; it may feel more exhausting at times then it does enjoyable. Let your mind and body unwind here, let your body fall into the ground, relax, and rejuvenate.  

5. Setu Bandha Sarvangasana: Bridge Pose

 A great gentle yoga pose for postpartum is the bridge pose.

Lay on your and back bring the soles of your feet in toward your gluts and place your feet on the mat, about hip width distance apart.

On an inhale raise your hips up towards the sky and on your exhale bring your hips back down to the floor. Take your time and let your breath guide the movement.

Bridge Pose

You can also hold the hips in the air for a couple breaths to intensify this strength building movement.  Just be sure to tune into your body. When you start to lose your breath…it’s time to come down.

Highwaist postpartum yoga pants

Our highwaist postpartum yoga pants are perfect for all these yoga poses and especially for the postures targeting your core and lower back muscles.

Our highwaist postpartum yoga pants are made of premium performance compression to the midsection and healing abdominal muscles. Feel the support hugging you all while looking good as you love yourself! Let us know what poses you love. Which one helps you with mindful relaxation?