Yoga can do wonders during pregnancy. It will help a great deal though if you started yoga exercises much before you got pregnant. Make yoga part of your work out regime when the two of you decide to start a family. Start yoga at least few months in advance.

With yoga before conceiving your body is already pretty flexibility, your spine is strong and you have better blood circulation and breathing control. You also achieve emotional and mood stability. You feel relaxed, cheerful and full of positive energy.

If you were not on a yoga regime before you conceived, still yoga during pregnancy can help you better cope with pregnancy and labor pains later.

Yoga does not mean only doing some difficult postures called aasans, a total yoga routine includes aasanas, panayama and dhyana.

Childbirth and the various forces surrounding pregnancy can be very exhausting and at times confusing for the mother. With so much to read up and know about pregnancy these days, mother can be torn in various directions. Most of the time there is a question on her mind: If I am doing all that is required to be done?

Amid all this, one forgets that pregnancy is a very natural process and therefore it is very important that the emotions and thoughts get in tune with the physical changes and remain joyfully concentrated on the process of procreation. Practice of yoga can help you achieve this.

HOW DOES YOGA REALLY HELP?

" Most yoga aasans are stretch exercises. They develop body's ability to better handle pains and absorb shocks. Therefore yoga helps in making pregnancy relatively easier
" Yoga improves muscles around pelvic regions, strengthens reproductive organs and help supply blood to the fetus better
" The aasans that you can and can not practice during pregnancy need to be discussed with an expert yoga teacher
" You can even join a yoga class for pregnant mothers and thus get a chance to meet other mothers

PRANAYAMA: Breathing exercises by consciously varying rhythms of inhalations and exhalation, part of yoga exercise

" Pranayam is deeply relaxing and rejuvenating. Helps you control your breathing and consequently emotions. Help you relieve your pressure and stress points. Makes you feel good and fit
" Induces tranquility and a sense of well-being. Helps in overcoming anxiety, fears and phobias.
" Helps in tuning up your central nervous system and controls high blood pressure and therefore helps in recovering from ailments like insomnia and breathlessness
" Since with regular practice you can improve your breathing, your stamina and vitality also increases
" Helps you overcome fatigue and tiredness

DHYANA: Meditation: Shutting out external distractions and concentrating deeply and effortlessly at one point, either on your own breathing or an object is meditating. You can also concentrate on the face of a happy child or imagine pointedly for the well-being of your own child. Whatever you concentrate on it should be effortless and flowing.

" If you do this during pregnancy it will help you relax, control your pulse rate, and blood pressure
" If you find it difficult to sit in a straight-back position you can lean your back against a wall and meditate
" It will help you connect you mind, spirit and body and thus be better tune with your inner self
" You should practice this initially under the guidance of a teacher
" Practice meditation at the same time every day to get a rhythm. Mornings are the best time to do meditation\

Nindra: Deep relaxation or shavasan: Following your yoga aasans and breathing exercise you can lie down on your back, relax your whole body, and free your mind of thought and worry and go into deep relaxation. This can help you get back to your normal body temperature and rhythm and relax you mentally and physically and help you prepare for childbirth

Choose your place of yoga properly. Peace and air are essential to do yoga. Use a comfortable mattress or a mat to practice yoga and keep it at its right place after use. You should have a separate mat for yourself to do yoga. If others in the family also practice yoga, ask them to use a different mat.