About 6 or so months ago I was in supta baddha konasana, one hand on my heart, one hand on my belly and suddenly burst into tears. Now, it’s not actually that strange for me to cry, while doing yoga. I have often sobbed in a deep backbend or hip opener. But never like this, and never is this pose.

Some quick backstory. I had two kids, and my youngest had just turned one. My husband and I had decided that since we had a “complete set,” a girl and a boy, that two was enough. Two fit our lives perfectly. And I told myself I was happy with that. I was happy with that, until that evening yoga class, with my hand resting on my now empty uterus, I felt like two would never be enough.

In my logic I decided, it was merely being pregnant that called to me, and sought out to be a surrogate for a couple I knew. But we hit a whole slew of road blocks and it was as if some force was telling me to simply give up. So I did. And lo and behold I got pregnant the old fashion way. I’ll admit it, it wasn’t exactly planned, but my husband and I were overjoyed with the news. A third, to fill that aching void that I found in that yoga class. This baby is truly one created out of pure love and wanting. I am beyond excited.

And moreover I am beyond excited to practice yoga while pregnant. Outside of the slight nausea and tiredness of the first trimester, I love being pregnant. I love the extra weight I get to move around on the mat. It appeals to my type-A personality, like yoga weight training. Prenatal yoga, or rather Power Prenatal yoga, is incredibly empowering. There have been and will be many people who ask me, “is that safe?” “are you sure you should be doing that?” “how long can you practice yoga while pregnant?” Yes, it is safe, to do yoga while pregnant is one of the healthiest things you can do for your mind, body and baby. I am sure I should be doing that. Someone once said that “a woman’s intuition is the reason for the continuance of the human race.” Doing yoga while pregnant makes me more keenly aware of how I move my body, what feels good, what doesn’t. There is no “zoning out” while doing prenatal yoga.

I is full of awareness in the way every practice should be. And because of this, and because it makes me feel so good, I will practice it up into the end. I will practice until I go into labor. I will practice every day that I can, because it gives me the strength to take it easy when I truly need to and the calm to breathe through the hard moments that pregnancy and motherhood throw at me. Practicing yoga while pregnant, for me, is my favorite way to do yoga, my body alive and stronger than ever, my mind full of every sensation, and even sometimes the movements of my baby. It may eventually look goofy as I waddle, instead of float, to the front of my mat, but I’m going to love every minute of it.