Chapter 13-Yoga Pranayama and Meditation

Daily practice of YOGA and PRANAYAMA will help you carrying weight and being calm and peaceful throughout pregnancy. Yoga will increase the flexibility of your body muscles which will help to reduce cramps and back pain during pregnancy and it will help in ensuring easier labor and smooth delivery. It can help to keep your mind and body healthy and minimize common pregnancy symptom like morning sickness, constipation and backache. You can practice all yoga posture while you are planning for pregnancy but during pregnancy you have to take some precautions.

For the first trimester, standing poses are advised as it will help strengthen the legs, enhance circulation, generate energy and reduce leg cramps. During second and third trimester, reduce time of practicing yoga and asana to prevent fatigue and overwork and focus more on breathing and meditation. Do not over stretch the abdomen and other difficult poses in last stage of pregnancy. Listen to your body and do as much easily as you can.

You may practice this poses during pregnancy ;

• Sukhasan
• Shoulder lifts
• Neck exercise
• Ujjayi breathing
• Full yogic breathing
• Bhramri
• Cat pose
• Vajrasana
• Mountain pose
• Konasana
• Trikonasana
• Veerbhadrasana
• Gentle butterfly
• Viptrikarani
• Savasana
• Yognindra
• Nadisodhan pranayam

 MEDITATION

Meditation is a very important part of YOGA as well as Garbh Sanskar. It helps to give you peace of mind and improve your concentration. Meditation simply means doing nothing or deep mental relaxation. You can achieve this stage through stimulating and relaxing different parts of brain with physical movement, body awareness and mental auto-suggestion. Meditation is for release of the tension in the brain, so that the subconscious part of the mind can be accessed. This is achieved by accessing and harmonizing various parts of the brain.

1. Through Physical Movement.

Every cell of body is connected to the brain through nerve endings. By moving different parts of the body, the brain is able to feel where the body is. Moving the body part one by one, connection is made across the whole surface of the brain.

2. Through Body Awareness And Mental Auto-Suggestion.

Mentally relax the body part by part starting from toes all the way up to the scalp and brain itself.

3. through witnessing the thought forms.

Finally the practitioner floats between the conscious and the sub conscious by being a witness to the thoughts, the breath, and the body. You have to remain in the witness state as long as you like

It will help you to become more aware of your body, cope with tiredness and lack of sleep, relax and reduce stress and anxiety. It is believed that you are helping your baby in same way. Once you are in full relaxed stage you may suggest to your mind, you can visualize your baby and with each breath think of all the wonderful experiences you want to share with the baby this brings you joy and help you to connect with your growing baby. You can give suggestion to. You can visualize the way she looks, behave etc... this stage only you can talk with your baby and connect with him. In garbh sanskar we called It as ‘’shishu samvad’’.

While you go for Meditation

• Choose a place that is calm and quiet, where you are unlikely to be disturbed. If you are indoors, make sure the room is aired.
• It’s best not to meditate after a heavy meal or when you are tired.
• Follow a set routine. Start meditating for just a few minutes at a time and gradually increase the length of your session.
• Don’t worry if your mind wanders, just gently bring it back. Visualise any unwanted thought like cloud flying away.

    

YOG NINDRA

You can do even yoga nindra. It is yogic deep relaxation, it is very effective for reduce physical stress and mental stress. In yoga nindra you tap into the subconscious mind. In this stage your mind works as fertile soil it receives fully whatever it is given it does not analyze or refuse any idea or information. One is able to release unwanted damaging, distracting and disturbing thought patterns. Deep seated anxieties and worries dwindle away. Stress relief and physical relaxation of any muscle tension are natural benefits.