Yoga has increased in popularity in recent times. It has been shown to lower hypertension, perks up sleep and digestion, strengthen muscles and joints, and increase suppleness. Yoga removes impurities from the body during the breath, sweat, liver, kidneys and digestive system. People who practice yoga frequently report that they feel less stress and more peace in their lives.

Pregnant women can gain additional benefits from keen yoga: relief from back pain and nausea and increased stamina. Yoga is a low impact exercise that can help eager moms to stay in shape. And the breathing meditations practiced in a yoga class may come in handy during labor!

You perhaps have observed that great changes take place in your body during pregnancy. Practicing yoga is a great way to slow down and welcome these changes. Yoga heartens you to be in the moment - to be fully present. It cheers you to listen to your body, to accept it as it is, and to surrender to its sometimes uncomfortable changes. In the course of gentle stretches and simple strength-building postures, you can improve your physical health. Through meditation, you can decrease anxiety and self-critical thinking and thereby get better your mental health!

If you are interested in involved yoga during your pregnancy, be aware that certain postures should be avoided (such as those that involve laying on the back or belly). Get a video or book that is specifically designed for expectant mothers or concentrate a prenatal yoga class. These classes will cover postures that help to decrease back pain, swelling in the lower extremities, and mis-alignments due to weight changes. Many postures (for example, squats) are useful arrangements for natural childbirth. During pregnancy, hormones lead to joints in the body to become loose. Yoga postures can help to steady and strengthen these joints and encourage flexibility in the muscles and fascia.

There are 2 nervous systems in the human body: sympathetic and parasympathetic. The sympathetic, commonly known as the "fight or flight" system, causes the blood pressure to raise, the breath rate to go faster, and stress hormones to flood into the body. In history, this occurred to prepare the body for fighting dangerous animals. But in today’s world, we experience this reaction while we are sitting in traffic or feeling stressed at the office. When this system is overly stimulated, we can experience health consequences such as ulcers, migraines, and heart disease. During pregnancy, the effects of the sympathetic nervous system can be transferred to the developing baby.

The parasympathetic nervous system lowers hypertension and slows the pace of the breath. When the blood no longer has to rush to the muscles, it is free to tour to the digestive, reproductive, glandular, and immune systems, systems made up of organs more essential to long-term survival. Studies have shown that long, deep breathing supports the actions of the parasympathetic nervous system and allows relaxation and healing to occur.

The food that you eat, the oxygen that you breathe, and your state of mind are all broadcast to your baby. The stress you feel is the stress your baby feels. Yoga has developed over hundreds of years to help people obtain optimal physical health and a relaxed and peaceful state of mind.

The word yoga is a Sanskrit word meaning yoke or association. Yoga connects your body, mind, and spirit. Yoga can connect you to your baby too! The practice of yoga gives you the chance to create a world (your body) for your baby that is healthy and peaceful. "What a child learns in the womb cannot be learned on earth (Yogi Bhajan)".