Soothing Anxiety During Pregnancy

Aug 15 / Sol Alonso
Pregnancy is one of the most transformative times in life — physically, emotionally, and spiritually. But alongside the joy and anticipation, it can also bring moments of uncertainty, worry, or unease.

These waves of anxiety are natural. They often reflect the magnitude of what’s happening: your body is creating life, your identity is shifting, and your future is opening in ways you can’t fully predict.

Yoga offers a gentle and embodied way to meet these moments with awareness. Through breath, movement, and presence, you can find steadiness within change and compassion within chaos.

Understanding Anxiety in Pregnancy

Anxiety during pregnancy is far more common than we tend to admit. It can appear as racing thoughts, a feeling of restlessness, shallow breathing, or tension in the chest and shoulders. For many women, it comes and goes — a reflection of the nervous system adapting to constant hormonal and physical changes.

Progesterone, one of the main pregnancy hormones, naturally slows digestion and relaxes smooth muscles, but it can also influence mood regulation. Add to that the emotional weight of becoming a parent, changes in sleep patterns, and new responsibilities, and the body begins to hold these sensations of “alertness” deep inside.

Instead of trying to fight anxiety, yoga invites you to listen. Every breath becomes an opportunity to notice where tension hides and how it shifts when you bring awareness to it. This simple act of attention — of staying with what’s present — is the first step towards calm.

How Yoga Calms the Mind and Regulates the Nervous System

Yoga works on both a physiological and emotional level.
Each breath you take and each movement you make sends a message through your vagus nerve — the bridge between your body and your brain — reminding your system that it’s safe to relax.
  • Grounding postures (like Child’s Pose, Malasana or supported Squat) help you reconnect with your centre of gravity and your sense of safety.

  • Balancing postures strengthen the body-mind connection, inviting focus and presence.

  • Gentle hip openers and heart openers release stored tension and emotional weight.

  • Breathing practices (such as elongated exhalations or alternate nostril breathing) activate the parasympathetic nervous system — your body’s natural rest-and-digest mode.

  • Meditation and guided relaxation give the mind space to soften, letting thoughts drift without judgement.
When you combine these practices, your internal rhythm begins to shift. The breath deepens, your heart rate slows, and the mind finds stillness not through control, but through surrender.

A Somatic Practice to Try at Home

When you combine these practices, your internal rhythm begins to shift. The breath deepens, your heart rate slows, and the mind finds stillness not through control, but through surrender.
  • Find a comfortable seated position or lie down with a cushion behind your back.

  • Place one hand on your heart and the other on your belly.

  • Inhale slowly through your nose, letting the belly rise first, then the chest.

  • Exhale through your mouth with a gentle sigh, feeling the release travel down your spine.

  • As you breathe, imagine the air as a soft wave moving through your body — from the pelvic floor up to the throat and back down again.

  • This gentle awareness of the three diaphragms (pelvic, respiratory, and throat) helps integrate the whole body’s response to stress and brings a sense of flow and unity.

  • Repeat for 3 to 5 minutes, noticing how your body gradually returns to balance.

  •  If your mind wanders, come back to the simple rhythm of your breath and the warmth of your hands.

My tips for the Week

  • Simple sequence to ease anxiety: Watch reel

  • Try journaling for five minutes after your practice.
    Write freely — no structure, no filter. This helps release what’s unspoken and gives your nervous system another way to let go.

Beyond the Mat: Cultivating Emotional Resilience

The goal isn’t to erase anxiety — it’s to build a relationship with it. Each time you pause to breathe instead of react, each time you move mindfully instead of freeze, you’re re-educating your body to trust again.

Pregnancy invites you to meet uncertainty with softness, to slow down when everything around you accelerates, and to remember that calm is not a state you reach — it’s a rhythm you cultivate.

When anxiety visits, let yoga be your anchor.

Come back to the mat, to the breath, to the pulse of life that moves through you and your baby. In that shared rhythm, serenity finds its way home.
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