Yoga before birth?

Have you ever considered that even before we stood tall in Tadasana, before we walked, crawled or spoke, We Moved! Secured in cocoon of the womb, we kicked, stretched, rolled, and floated. Our first language is made up of these delicate yet potent fetal motions, that moulded our nervous system, controlled our breathing, and established the groundwork for balance and behaviour.

On this International Yoga Day, let’s take a moment to consider the possibility that yoga is something we remember rather than something we learn. And what if these transformative asanas not only push us forward but help us return?

Fetal movements map the Brain

Movement starts in the womb and not at birth. Around 7.5 weeks of pregnancy is when the embryo begins to exhibit spontaneous motor activity, as per studies by Einspieler et al. (2021). These develop into coordinated patterns by 9–10 weeks, including head turns, individual limb motions, general movements, and facial expressions like smiling or yawning.

These twitches are not arbitrary. They originate from central pattern generators in the brainstem and spinal cord, which are neurologically directed and shape the overall structure of the nervous system. Actually, these motions function as internal feedback loops that direct the growth of posture, coordination, sensorimotor circuits, and even the processing of emotions and sensory information.

To put it simply, our brain was created through these movements in womb even before we were conscious.

These movements are vital to development:

• Lung tissue and diaphragm coordination are conditioned by foetal breathing motions, even though they do not include air.
• The gastrointestinal and optical systems mature with the help of swallowing, sucking, and eye movements.
• Movements are governed by an innate biological intelligence—a rhythm that contributes to the structure of the central nervous system—rather than by the outside world.

This explains why differences in foetal movement (too little or too irregular) can be used as early markers of neurological dysfunction, especially in disorders like cerebral palsy, as determined by General Movements Assessment (GMA). Fetal movement is essentially the catalyst for brain development rather than merely a byproduct of it.

How Yoga resonates with these Fetal Movements?

Even while modern yoga is frequently done purposefully, it unintentionally reawakens many of these developmental and fetal patterns:

• The fetal curl is mirrored in Child’s Pose (Balasana), which is a position of protection and surrender.
• The Cat-Cow pose, also known as Chakravakasana, mimics the early spinal undulations that establish trunk mobility and postural tone.
• Ananda Balasana’s “Happy Baby Pose” mimics the womb’s reflexive hip flexion and foot clutching.
• The regular diaphragmatic activity and chest expansion observed in foetal breathing motions are echoed by breath-led movement.
• More intriguingly, yoga’s minor facial releases and mudras can be connected to foetal facial movements like smiling, frowning, or tongue movement. When releasing pent-up emotional stress through trauma-sensitive yoga or other therapeutic practices, these instinctive movements frequently resurface.

When a child starts to stand, we frequently assume that they have learnt how to balance.
However, from a neurological perspective, genuine equilibrium starts in the womb.
Side-bending, curling, and rotation are examples of foetal motions that serve as the foundation for:

• crossing of the midline
• Vestibular activation (inner ear balancing system)
• Symmetry and core control
• Awareness of space

According to Einspieler et al., the body’s natural sense of balance and coordination is trained by broad movements that are seen between 10 weeks of pregnancy and term. Our capacity to gracefully walk, dance, and even sit still is supported by these same pathways.

Later in life, balance and coordination may be impacted if these early movement templates are weak or disturbed—for example, by stress, premature birth, or developmental problems.
Yoga becomes a potent instrument for re-establishing these foundations, particularly when practiced with awareness of fetal-origin patterns.

Why Balance is so hard today, even when we are physically well?

Even though we are physically abled, many people nowadays have trouble maintaining basic balance in both life and yoga poses. Why?
The reason is because we have gradually lost touch with our bodies’ innate wisdom and drifted away from instinctive movement:

Rigid Bodies and Sedentary Lives
Our modern routines keep us confined to screens, sedentary, and stiff. Seldom are our bodies required to move in spiral, fluid, or circular patterns—the very ones that yoga and foetal movement promote. The vestibular and proprioceptive systems deteriorate in the absence of this variation, making balance difficult or unfamiliar.

Why this matters?

Yoga therapists and neurodevelopmental specialists are doing more than just helping people relax when they use these early patterns, whether it’s curling, rolling, undulating, or just breathing into the belly.
They are assisting individuals in going back to their initial regulatory blueprint.

• Movement based on foetal patterns can stimulate underdeveloped or skipped brain networks in children with developmental delays, cerebral palsy, or sensory difficulties.
• These patterns provide protection and reconnection without requiring cognitive processing for adults who have experienced trauma, chronic anxiety, or physical detachment.

These movements bring back memories of a time for everyone when the body felt held, whole and safe.

Take away..

On this International Yoga Day, let’s give yoga a wider definition.
Let us incorporate the fluid, the formless, and the foetal.
We should remember that the earliest movement existed long before words, and perhaps healing does as well.
The mind forgets things that the body remembers.
“When we move, we do more than just stretch; we also return”