Yoga during Pregnancy - I

In Sanskrit, the language of ancient learned men, Yoga stands for `connection’. This lifestyle regime and specifically, exercise regime, helps one to connect with one’s inner being, connect the mind with the body and for life within life, connect this new human consciousness with the mothers’ in a manner impossible to replicate.

Contrary to popular belief, Yoga isn’t about `half naked fakirs’ twisting their bodies into unimaginable postures. It is about linking your mind and body for maximum benefit to both. It is these benefits that can help an expectant mother provide a good physical and mental development to her unborn child. The benefit that regular light exercises provide not only helps the baby, but also the mother after the baby is born.

What sets Yoga apart from other forms of exercise? The first point is that Yoga is a science, not slimming or toning technique. It is not about toning muscles, strengthening joints and walking tall, but about a way of life. Often Yoga teachers also advice the appropriate diet for specific problems. Secondly, Yoga relies heavily on breathing techniques to make the exercise fruitful. Exhale and inhaling deeply provides oxygen to the whole body, something we desperately need during pregnancy. The fetus stands to gain the benefit of this charged blood pumping in. While doing the exercise, breathing and moving the body sets the pace, and each is incomplete without the other. The results of this coordinated activity are phenomenal.

The primary advantage of practicing Yoga is that the essential breathing exercises provide a mental calmness to the would-be Mom. This peace descends to her baby, and also helps her to take the crucial time of childbirth in her stride. Physically speaking, the mild exercises help maintain muscle tone, especially for the back and pelvic muscles that take such a tremendous beating during the nine months of pregnancy and about a year thereafter, till the baby is a toddler. The shoulders, lower back and upper back muscles get very tense when they have to carry the load for these months, and Yoga essentially helps stretch them, give them support and the tone required. With easy muscle toning techniques at hand, it also becomes easier for new Moms to get back into their pre-motherhood shape faster and more easily, without compromising on diet. Yoga exercises also help in pre and postnatal depression, basically by relaxing the mind and putting a lot of fears at rest.

Most Yogic postures are helpful in the basic requirements of a healthy pregnancy. Either it helps the fetus develop better, or helps the mother to stay healthy even while her very life force is creating a new human being inside her. And then, and most importantly, it helps an expectant mother plan for an easy and smooth delivery, one that is least traumatic for both the baby and the mother. Many Yogic postures help in this, especially ones like the squatting exercise. Sometimes, the joints become loose during pregnancy, due to hormonal activity that enables the pelvic joints to open up for allowing the delivery. That is why many women need bigger shoes during this period. Exercises can put all these discomforts into perspective, and promote natural flexibility in these joints.

Yogic breathing is essentially taking in as much air and the lungs allow, filling our entire chest and stomach with air and then releasing it slowly, in a controlled manner, tucking in your belly as it is being released.

The other activity of Yoga that helps during pregnancy is Meditation. This helps the mother to become completely inward looking, feeling one with the baby and the effect it has on the baby cannot be emphasized enough. Then Yoga Nidra (Yogic Sleep) also relaxes the mind and body to such an extent that in many cases it even helps during the trauma of childbirth. The gentle toning and stretching exercises do wonders for preparing the body for caring the baby as well a delivering it.

Care of the body and mind during pregnancy is of paramount importance because the baby inside feels all the pain, happiness and excitement that the mother feels. Yogic techniques that have seen thousands of years are a good way to control one’s own mind and body so as to provide a healthy nurturing environment to the new life being formed.