Tai Chi for Pregnancy (and Beyond!)

Interesting reading

2010-08-14T18:15:00.001+01:00

I have just finished reading Chapter 14 of 'After The Birth: A Woman's Guide to Wellness' by Robin Lim and I heartily reccommend it. Excellent detailed instructions for beneficial post-partum Qigong exercises.

Change the baby's position

2010-06-11T19:43:00.000+01:00

One of my students asked me a question this week about ho to change the position of the baby in the weeks before labour and I realised i haven't written about it in detail so here we go.

1. Just because you're thinking the birth is really soon in only a few weeks, don't worry, the baby thinks that's ages and may just be leaving it to the last minute.

2. If like me, your ankles are swollen and you're sitting down with your feet up a lot (or you're just knackered and doing it to chill out!) this can encourage the baby to end up in a less ideal position. My midwife suggested that I stop putting my feet up but I found that lying on my side with my feet on a cushin sorted both things.

3. One midwife suggested lying on my left side at night and I did this during the day when having rest too and I always found Ehan had moved more into the right position afterwards.

4. Pelvic tilts are great too. On all fours shift the weight onto your elbows on the floor. This can help the baby find space to turn.

5. If you are a tai chi practitioner, stop turning the waste mechanically at about 8 months as this works the womb laterally. Instead, work on settling into the hip crease and lung point on that side so that the lymph is being pumped but leave the rib cage static.

Obviously I'm no expert, and you should always check with your midwife, mine were really helpful with this and everything else.

Tai Chi and Sleep

2010-03-22T09:43:00.002Z

Like all new parents, I am obsessed with sleep. Although Ethan is generally a very happy, calm and contented 9 week old, he is one long growth spurt (he's already wearing 3-6 month clothing and occassionally 6-9) and so his sleep pattern is a cycle anywhere from 2-5hrs. I remind myself that sleep deprivation is a form of torture and I haven't cracked yet - step aside James Bond.

Thankfully, Tai Chi is fantastic for sleep. Studies in older adults and heart patients show that Tai Chi players fall asleep quicker and stay asleep for longer. Tai Chi has long been understood to help regulate hormone levels and this is utilised in Chinese hospitals and TCM as a method of treating a variety of hormone related issues including insomnia.

As well as helping with sleep during the tricky 'fourth trimester' Tai Chi boosts serotonin which aids with relaxation and appetite, helping parents recharge their batteries without reaching for the cookie jar or coffee pot (at least, not every time!) This in itself aids better sleep and more stable hormone levels.

So, although I feel like I'm not sleeping enough, I feel proud of how surprised people are at how energised Simon and I seem compared to their picture of a new parent.

Research studies/articles:
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15161452
http://www.aarp.org/aarp/live_and_learn/Learning/articles/tai_chi_helps_sleep.html
http://www.taichiresearch.com/1124/study-finds-tai-chi-improved-sleep-stability-in-individuals-with-chronic-heart-failure/

Tai Chi and Labour

2010-03-03T13:10:00.005Z

Well, after a bit of a break to adjust to the arrival of Ethan Owyn Robins on January 13th, I'm back with more knowledge and understanding of just how amazing Qigong and Tai Chi are.

Despite everyone's horror stories of how terrible it could be, labour was actually a fantastic, life affirming experience for me.
Positioning:
Knowing that my mum had had issues with the position of my brother and I, and my grandma the same, I did lots of work beforehand to make sure Ethan was in the best possible position: I found that waist turning tended to move him into a more horiaontal position and so adjusted my practice to do less of these exercises.

Early Labour
Labour started at around 7pm with my 'show' and ended at 1.26 in the morning with a beautiful baby boy - around 6 hours. The first stages were all about learning to breathe with each cycle - a great insight into my qigong practice. I found that the exercise of breathing into and out of the Ming Men was really helpful at this stage, it helped to slow my breathing down, to relax the back muscles where they were cramping and deepened by physical breath to help me take in more oxygen. It also gave us enough time to work out how to use the TENS machine.

Second Stage
Once we arrived at the hospital, my breath work helped to create a focused state of intention which blocked out everything apart from the relationship between myself and Ethan and our need to help each other through his journey to the outside world. As a study in the qualities of resting in and supporting it was a truly fantastic experience; I understand much more about the qualities of connection trained in jue shou and tui shou now that before those few hours. Feeling his head transition from the womb into the birth canal and then feeling it descend and ascend, descend and ascend with each wave of contraction and working with my ability to push clearly and release the push completely to enable it to happen as effortlessly as possibly was an enlightening journey for me.

Many of our students have said that they found tai chi helped them in labour, sped things along, reduced the need for pain relief; I agree. I was more relaxed, more focused, stronger, more confident and able to trust my body's instincts because of my practice. Thank you to all my teachers.

Massage in Pregnancy

2009-12-29T16:39:00.002Z

I had a fantastic Hydrotherm massage today with Rick Stone of Stones Hydrotherm clinic in Lewes. He turned up at home with everything ready and I just had to lie there and be pampered. Now 37 weeks pregnant, with an enormous tummy its great to have someone give me that extra bit of support with my circulation and work on my 'cankles' as muy students are so supportively calling them.

The reason that both Si and I reccommend this kind of massage to our students, is that it's all about resting in and supporting. One of the reasons that Hydrotherm is so good as a pregnancy massage is that you are able to lie on your back not your side or front and on top of large warm water bottles so your muscles are more relaxed when worked on. Because you are being massaged from below you have to completely let go and rest in - I have to say, it is so far the most luxurious Jue Shou practice I have found!

Unlike a lot of massage, Hydrotherm can be done throughout the pregnancy. For more info contact Rick on 07722 005905

Antenatal Qigong

2009-10-27T15:39:00.005Z

At 7 months pregnant, I am really loving my Qigong practice. The repetitive movements are really soothing and gentle on the body. Great for stress release, deepening breathing, conditioning and strengthening the body, easing my back out - the list goes on. And baby seems to love it too, he is really active afterwards, just as if he's doing his own version.
So which ones would I reccommnd? Well there's about 3,000+ Qigong and some are contraindicated, some are for martial purposes and some are for people with experience, so, obviously I'd reccommend finding a good teacher if you've never done it before.

Basic Conditioning Qigong
1. Waist Turning:
Seated in a chair to keep the pelvis stable, gently turn through the waist to the right and then relax to come back to facing front. Repeat on the left. Make sure that you keep the head facing with the chest and that you turn gently through the spine. It's great for freeing up the ribs and easing out any tension which can be increasing shortness of breath.

2. Four Directions Breathing:
This short set of 4 flowing movements can be repeated over and over again to loosen tense shoulders and centre mind and body. The key element to work on is keeping the shoulder blades down as if they are dropping down the back. To see my partner, Simon, performing them, follow this link: http://www.youtube.com/user/taichiwisdom

Which baby carrier should I use for doing Tai Chi with my baby?

2009-09-06T20:53:00.004+01:00

We are currently researching which sling/carrier to use for when bundle is small enough to be in a carrier while we do our tai chi practice. We found this blog which is really interesting and put us off buying a sling: http://babyslingsafety.blogspot.com/

What books are there on this stuff?

2009-08-22T18:51:00.003+01:00

There are probably loads of books that I'm not aware of which are available. The books I've chosen are on the holistic end, as, after opening a book in Borders to find a whole fully-illustrrated page on problems, illnnesses and issues I decided I wanted a more positive approach. Here are the ones I've found, feel free to let me know about any others you come across.

Shiatsu for Midwives by Suzanne Yates with Tricia Anderson
This book has been a real find in terms of ideas, points to work with and avoid, little meditations and visualisations to reccomend or adapt. It also shows what level of support and help you and your newborn could receive from a trained practitioner.

Magical beginnings, enchanted lives: a holistic guide to pregnancy and childbirth by Deepak Chopra
Informative and calming with clear information and lots of suggestions how to connect more depely with yourself and your baby during this magical time. Quite aspirational, don't feel you have to achieve the ideal that is painted.

Eastern Body, Western Mind (revised) Anodea Judith
Working through the chakras as a psychological model has been a long term process of over a decade for me. This book, is the best explanation I have ever found. Particularly useful at the moment, it looks at the chakras as a model of child development, overlapping many systems to show their similarities. The section on the base chakra is especially relevant. A truly outstanding work and one I think I will be referring to for the next decade both for me and for bump.

And Finally...
The Descent of the Child: Human Evolution from a new perspective by Elaine Morgan
A play in the title of Darwin's famous book 'The Descent of Man' this book considers evolution from the perspective of conception, pregnancy and child development in the womb. A fascinating book which highlights how centred around the male body and theories of male authors much of evolution has been since Wallace and Darwin's great insight into natural selection. It is a great way to refocus on how important and valuable the role of motherhood is to human existence.

Can I still practice pushing hands and weapons when I'm pregnant?

2009-08-17T18:08:00.005+01:00

As Simon and I teach a full curriculum, this is a question I have been asked frequently by students wishing to continue their Tai Chi progress during this busy year or so. Obviously, the medical recommendation, and therefore ours, is that you should avoid contact martial arts during pregnancy (also, during breastfeeding, women sometimes find pushing hands can be tricky if they have sore breasts). However within the study of applications, pushing hands and weapons training there are many levels before full contact sparring.

Jue Shou
The study of sensing hands is a perfect study during pregnancy. It is an internal meditative exercise which heightens your ability to listen to your body and become aware of its changing alignments in a soft and yielding way. It is also ideal for work with a birth partner as it develops a deep rapport that will enable them to support you more deeply thoughout pregnancy and labour.

Tui Shou
Pushing hands in the Yang Style starts with a series of preparatory exercises starting with single circle and progressing from there. With some adaptations these are all possible throughout pregnancy until the last month or so. The key is to ensure that the partner ytou are working with understands how to work with you and the baby, that it is a cooperative practice and that you are comfortable throughout.

Weapons
I have ben practicing sabre and spear throughout the first and second trimesters and am finding it fine. My teacher, Sam Masich, is always on hand to give advice and has advised that I keep training. During the first trimester, I did find that I became tired quicker and that I needed to take frequent breaks, some days I just didn't feel like it and wanted to do more Qigong, but during the second trimester it all feels fine.

I guess that's the message overall really: do what feels right for your body and learn to trust that that is right for you and the baby. It's natural to second guess yourself and to wonder if you're getting it right. Whatever your situation in life though, Tai Chi is always a process of listening to your body, letting go and learning to trust.

So what are the benefits of Tai Chi or Qigong during pregnancy?

2009-08-08T11:33:00.004+01:00

Any meditative practice will have benefits for pregnancy. Here are some for Tai Chi which I, my students or friends have experienced over the years:

Relaxation
Tai Chi teaches you how to be comfortable in your body through correct alignment and posture. If the skeleton lines up correctly, the muscles are in their optimum position for relaxation. Now, as anyone who's been doing this a while knows - that's easier said than done! My body had so many bad habits when I began, that I didn't really know which one to tackle first. A good teacher will help you to work out what your next steps are for your body and its peculiar little quirks.
Pregnancy could be considered a Yin state - thoughts and awareness move inward as you focus on your body and the new life growing inside you. Whereas for many women, the normal, day-to-day attention is outside on work and obligations, suddenly there is a huge new responsibility inside. Trying to balance the internal and external worlds can feel overwhelming, stressful and not how you imagined pregnancy would be. Tai Chi, Qigong, meditation and yoga all help to balance this new duality so that you and your baby can find a harmony and flow with life together.
Tai Chi can help with sleep which becomes a little harder as your belly gets in the way. Relaxation, hormone regulation, calmer thoughts all help with aiding sleep.

Non-Impact
Tai Chi can be studied as a full fighting system of kicks punches and throws. Obviously this is not recommended during pregnancy. Just about every teacher I have met from around the world have taught beginners classes which are non-impact and train you in a relaxing medative series of movements known as 'the form'.
Carpal tunnel syndrome which can crop up in the second half of pregnancy is caused by fluid retention compressing the nerves in the wrist leading to tingling and numbness in the hands and lower arms. Yoga and Tai Chi work the wrists in a low impact way which can relieve the pressure from work related activities which can exacerbate it such as keyboarding or manual work.

Posture
Tai Chi and Qigong/Chi Gung teach you how to relieve back pain by working the spinal and abdominal muscles to hold the spine in a relaxed suspended posture. This is very beneficial for pregnancy when your growing baby is bringing more and more weight to the front of your body. Without some form of posture training (Yoga and Pilates can also help) the back can be pulled out of alignment creating problems in the sacrum, pelvis and lumbar spine. Tai Chi and Qigong movements specifically treat the waist as a joint of the body (as written about in the earliest writings on Tai Chi) which strengthens your abdominal and spinal muscles, massages your internal organs and gently rocks and soothes baby (mine seems to love it, waking up afterwards and seeming to do its own baby chi form just when I'm trying to settle down afterwards!)
The postural benefits also help with the management of ligament changes throughout pregnancy by strengthening the muscles and teaching correct alignment.

Breathing
Even as early as 15 weeks I noticed that my lungs had a little bit less room to move; walking upstairs really makes this obvious. Because Tai Chi/Qigong are about breathing into the dantien (the hara in Japanese or your core, just below the belly button) my breathing rhythms are staying deep and low. Many of my friends and students have mentioned in the past how easy it is to become breathless, breathing to the dantien helps regulate the breath, and hormones in a natural way.

Relieves Nausea
Just as acupuncture has been shown to relieve nausea in pregnancy, simple tai chi exercises can do the same. From experience this seems to be for a number of possible reasons. Morning sickenss is probably due to hormonal changes as a result of pregnancy or blood sugar changes. Tai Chi and Chi Gung have been used to regulate both these imbalances as part of Traditional Chinese Medicine for centuries.

Are Tai Chi and Qigong safe for pregnancy?

2009-08-07T22:10:00.000+01:00

As with most exercise, it is recommended that you do not start any new exercise regimes within the first 12 weeks. Aside from this, Tai Chi and Qigong are as beneficial as other exercises and often more so.

For beginners, the key is to find a knowledgeable and experienced teacher whether for Yoga, Tai Chi or Meditation, who will help you to support yourself and your growing baby in a deeply sensitive way. There are not many antenatal classes in the UK, however there are questions you could ask before joining a class:

Is the teacher a woman who has already been pregnant and can advise you from personal experience?
Is the teacher trained in acupuncture or shiatsu and therefore able to advise you in this way?
Have they advised students before who you would be able to speak to?
Are the classes focused on Tai Chi only as a martial art or is it suitable for pregnancy?

UK teachers offering antenatal classes:
www.taichiwisdom.net my classes in Brighton
www.swantaichi.co.uk/pregnancy.html classes in Stratford-upon-Avon

Intermediate students who have already been training in Tai Chi for some time can continue with Tai Chi throughout pregnancy without ill effects. In my own experience, I was tired and felt somewhat nauseous for the first 13 weeks, but found that gentle form and standing calmed my mind, emotions and stomach excellently. Although I am still training in sabre, it is for shorter periods at a time; the same with pushing hands, and without as much oomph. Obviously applications need to avoid the abdomen, should not involve impact or powerful expressions of force (fa jing). Not that I felt much like doing any of that, I was a bit busy throwing up!

Key tips to bear in mind:

drink plenty of water
take breaks when needed
adapt some Qigong to seated practice
listen to your body and follow what you feel is right. This will vary a lot from one woman to another.

Welcome

2009-08-07T21:03:00.000+01:00

This blog will be a series of questions and answers about Tai Chi and other internal arts and how they affect/are affected by pregnancy. Many of the questions are my own or my students and the answers will come from direct experience, intuition or asking more experienced teachers. I am by no means a medical expert and I'd suggest that you check your health queries with a midwife or GP if you are in any way unsure.

I hope you enjoy following my journey and feel free to contribute queries, advice or opinions that will help other practitioners out there.