When Yoga Isn’t Always the Right Fit: Pregnancy and the Question of Responsibility

A gentle challenge to the “yoga for everyone” mindset

It’s easy to see why yoga appeals to people during pregnancy,  it’s calm, mindful and often framed as “safe for everyone” but perhaps it’s worth pausing before assuming our usual classes are suitable for someone who’s expecting and maybe even more so if it’s a restful session.

Whilst a pregnant person might feel perfectly fine during a class, or even for years afterwards, we can’t truly know the long-term effects of practising while the body is flooded with relaxin , the hormone that increases flexibility in preparation for birth. This is nothing to do with yoga education and everything to do with current lack of research.

Overstretching when joints are softer and more mobile might feel lovely in the moment but it could have subtle effects on pelvic stability and joint integrity that only become noticeable much later in life.

Even something as simple as a future injury or the hormonal shifts of menopause or future pregnancies, could bring these changes to the surface and influence how comfortably the body heals or adapts. Who knows and why risk it to look like you have a busy class when there are many great pregnancy yoga experts you can signpost to?

It’s important to say that pregnancy does not make someone fragile. In fact, maintaining movement and continuing familiar exercise is often encouraged and empowering. However, from a teacher’s perspective, this is where discernment and ethics come in. Pregnancy is highly individual, just as bodies are, and whilst inclusion matters, so does recognising the limits of our scope. It’s okay to have clear boundaries around what we are qualified, confident and comfortable to teach and to reflect on who we are prepared to take money from – at any cost.

There are also practical and anatomical considerations that are easy to overlook in a general class. For example, lying flat on the back for longer periods,  (think yin) especially after the first trimester, can reduce blood flow by placing pressure on the vena cava ,a large vein responsible for returning blood to the heart. This can cause lightheadedness and affect both maternal and foetal circulation.

Deep twists, meanwhile, compress the abdomen and can strain the connective tissues that are already under tension as the body accommodates growth and whilst breath work and relaxation are often beneficial, techniques involving forceful exhalation, holding the breath, or generating internal pressure are generally best avoided, as they can momentarily alter blood pressure and oxygen levels and even seemingly gentle techniques encourage retention.

Of course, elements like gentle breath awareness, relaxation, and supported movement can be wonderful for pregnancy, labour and general wellbeing. But here’s the honest question: if you’re not a trained pregnancy specialist, why do you want to take on that responsibility?

It’s rarely about immediate harm, it’s about acknowledging that we simply don’t yet have enough data to trace the subtle, long term cause and effect between movement choices made during pregnancy and the changes a body faces years down the line.

If what you’re hoping to offer is a calming, supported experience where people can prop and rest comfortably, then wonderful but why do we need to call that Yin Yoga or fit it into an existing class? There are fantastic pregnancy specialists we can signpost to and opportunities to create dedicated, inclusive pregnancy sessions or one-to-one support.

The determination to make an existing yin or general yoga class “pregnancy friendly” is, at best, questionable and at worst, borderline irresponsible. When we have safer, more suitable alternatives, it’s worth asking: how much do we really need that extra bum on the mat to justify the long-term risk that we may never know about?

Being cavalier isn’t the only choice we have. Yoga isn’t for everyone, your class isn’t for everyone, it’s ok not to take everyone. It dosn’t show your inclusivity or expertise , it screams desperation, justification and forcing a fit at any cost.

Proving we are educated, impressive or important dosn’t really count for much in these situations because in the end, responsibility as a yoga teacher sometimes means stepping back, referring on and trusting that saying “not in this class” can be just as caring as saying “yes, you’re welcome.”