Q: My wife has given birth to our two beautiful daughters. She stopped her yoga classes in the last few weeks of her pregnancy and now is looking to resume them. Is it safe for her to do so or should she wait for a few months? S. McConnell – Newcastle

A: Different women have differing needs after child birth. If your wife had a particularly difficult birth and had to undertake surgical procedures then of course you must use your common sense and stay away from any practice that could potentially open up any wounds and/or exert unnecessary pressure. But if it was generally fine during childbirth, then there is no reason why she can’t resume her practise But be sensible and allow the body and mind to just rest. This allows the body to rest and recuperate after child birth before starting up any new or existing practice. Practising yoga in the coming months while the babies are growing will definitely help your wife considerably deal with her new emotional state post childbirth and also provides a way to effectively relax. At this stage, I would suggest she stays away from practicing any inversions and any advanced yoga poses. However, though having said that, it is really dependent on her physical and mental constitution whether or not any particular posture is suitable. If she was attending yoga classes under guidance of a teacher then it’s also worth approaching him/her for additional support and advice. In any event there should be every reason for your wife to reengage with basic yoga postures as they can provide immense benefits to her overall wellbeing. I think you should wait for 40 days at the minimum before any asanas.