Pregnancy Yoga Benefits

Submitted by Nick on January 18, 2012

Yoga is the oldest new discovery of this decade. Although it was developed more than 5000 years ago, it is only recently that its popularity has spread to all parts of the world. One of the reasons behind this meteoric rise in the popularity of yoga is that it offers significant benefits no matter what your current physical condition is. Whether you are an athlete at the peak of your physical condition, someone who spends hours in front of the computer with little or no exercise, suffering from some illness, or pregnant, the practice of yoga will benefit you. Pregnancy yoga or prenatal yoga as it is often called, offers a number of benefits to the mother-to-be.

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Some of the main benefits of practicing yoga during pregnancy include:

Increased levels of energy: The first trimester of pregnancy can be very sapping, especially for first time mothers, with morning sickness, frequent mood swings, and a general feeling of lethargy. The asanas and breathing techniques that are included in pregnancy yoga can help counter these symptoms to some extent and help you feel more energetic and cheerful.
Coping with physical changes: As your pregnancy progresses, your body will begin to change in order to prepare for nurturing and giving birth to your baby.

These changes place a lot of stress on the back and the joints of the legs. This results on pain and stiffness. Pregnancy yoga can help to offset this pain and stiffness in two ways. The practice of pregnancy yoga poses helps to strengthen the muscles so that they are better able to take on the added load of pregnancy. Pregnancy yoga also stretches the muscles so that they are not stiff and continue to receive a proper supply of blood.
Increased supply of oxygen: The breathing techniques that are an integral part of pregnancy yoga help to increase the amount of oxygen that is being delivered to the cells of your body. This benefits not only the mother, but also the child in her womb as it receives a sufficient supply of oxygen to ensure proper growth.
Relief from anxiety: Pregnancy is inevitably a time of great anxiety for women. There are numerous fears about the wellbeing of her unborn child and these are compounded by the hormonal induced mood swings that are very common during pregnancy. Pregnancy yoga meditation techniques can help to quell this anxiety and bring about a state of calm that is not only beneficial for the mother, but also for her unborn child.

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