100 Days of Yoga While Pregnant

Written By Dana Roberts

I know this sounds like a dramatic statement, but I honestly believe that this challenge was one of the best things I have ever done for my mind and body. The only other thing I'd put up there on that level is learning how to meditate and learn how to work through my subconscious programs, but those are stories for another day.


Today is all about yoga, and specifically yoga while pregnant because I started this 100 day yoga challenge during my first trimester while pregnant with our first child. When I started the challenge I had no idea what my pregnancy was going to be like - I was in the first trimester, so I definitely was feeling extra tired and craving lots of naps. I also was dealing with a little bit of nausea and some food aversions, but overall I was so lucky to be spared from a lot of the negative side effects that a lot of women go through.

Yoga became this amazing time for me to connect with my changing body and also connect with the growing baby. I found a lot of prenatal yoga classes on youtube that ranged from very calm yin yoga that focused on gentle stretching, breathing, and positive visualization, and then I also found a few (though not so many) yoga flow classes that had been the heart of my home practice before becoming pregnant.

I thought it would be nice to share my 3 BIGGEST LESSONS from this 100 day challenge and reflect on how incorporating yoga into my daily life has changed it for the better.

1. There's No Need To Be Perfect

Whenever I begin a challenge, sticking with it is usually my top priority. However, for this one, I decided that the top priority was to feel good in my body. And while the first 30 days chugged along quite nicely and I was able to get through the first trimester symptoms while enjoying so much quality time on my yoga mat, I ended up coming down with a pretty intense cold at the beginning of December. I was stuck in bed for days unable to do much of anything, let alone think about stretching. And this blimp in my consistent practice turned out to be one of my biggest lessons. It allowed me early on to listen to my body and then when I felt up for re-engaging with the challenge learn to build momentum once again. It's so easy to fall off the bandwagon, feel like a failure and just lose track of the entire goal you had in mind. This could be with a challenge or a long-term project or really anything you're dreaming of doing. Consistency is difficult, but I think even harder than showing up every day, is showing up after you've skipped a few for whatever reason and committing once again to yourself that you are worth the investment of time and energy. There were other times in this challenge that a few days got away from me and learning to flex that muscle of recommitting is something that I'm sure will be so helpful as a new mother whose time and schedule are completely turned upside down.

2. Routine Is VERY Helpful

Even though I decided early on that it was okay to mess up, the goal really was to practice EVERY day and I realized that unlike the first 100 Days of Yoga Challenge I did where every morning I would wake up, meditate with Lou, and then hop on my mat, we now had this rambunctious puppy living in our house. Lou and I were on a rotating schedule of getting her ready in the morning and taking her on her morning walk. But as my pregnancy progressed I started to have some pelvic pain from long uphill walks (which happened to be exactly what we did with Freja most mornings). So this is when Lou really showed up big for me and decided to take the full lead on Freja in the morning. He would go out with her every single day and give me alone time in the cottage to practice yoga. This special, quiet time in the morning, every single day, was exactly what I needed to be consistent and show up for myself. Once I got in this new flow of a morning routine, the days just started clicking by and the amount of willpower I needed to stay consistent dropped dramatically.

3. Lean On Those Around You For Support  

As I mentioned in the routine lesson, I leaned on Lou so much to help me be consistent in this challenge. His mornings with Freja really made it possible for me to commit to a daily practice and I am so grateful for that support. But I also found support in two other places. One of those was our Patreon Discord group where so many other people joined in the 100 day yoga challenge. Some chose to practice every day, others came and went doing 30 day challenges, but there was always someone I could reach out to if I felt I needed a little bit of encouragement and I am so grateful for that community. And the last place that I found support was actually with YOU. Filming this experience helped me so much with staying consistent with my daily practice. When there were times I fell off my normal routine, the making of this video definitely helped me find momentum again when my perseverance was lacking at times. So if you're looking to start something new, I would highly recommend finding a few people that you can reach out to share the journey with. Ideally, they would even join you in whatever you're working on and this way you could go at it together!

I'm not sure when the next time will be for me to commit to a 100 day challenge, but I am so happy that I decided to do this, especially during the pregnancy. I feel like it helped me connect with our baby so much and I always looked at our time on the mat as a special little date that he and I had together to prioritize our health and well-being.


Does anyone else out there practice yoga at home? I would love to hear about your experiences!

Dana Roberts
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