Benefits of Meditation During Pregnancy

Pregnancy brings with it an onslaught of emotions – pregnancy hormones can change our mood in the blink of an eye. During a day we can go through a range of emotions like happy sad, anxious, worried, satisfied and so on.

The responsibility of a tiny human being living inside can leave us feeling stressed and worried most days. Our body is going through tremendous changes and emotionally we can become extremely vulnerable. Most women go through difficult pregnancies as well which only adds to the stress.

How our physical body changes during pregnancy and adapts itself to make room for a tiny resident is beyond our control. What we can control, though, is our mindset, trying to switch from a negative mindset to a positive one (learn more on positive affirmation HERE) Meditation plays a key role in this. It can help us adapt and accept the changes we are going through in a positive way and bring relief to our minds when turbulent thoughts crowd it.

WHAT IS MEDITATION?

Meditation has been practiced for thousands of years. It is considered as a form of complementary medicine which helps streamline our thoughts, which normally occupy our mind. Meditation helps us to train the mind to stop it from getting distracted easily and focus on the present moment.

According to Headspace,

“Meditation isn’t about becoming a different person, a new person, or even a better person. It’s about training in awareness and getting a healthy sense of perspective. You’re not trying to turn off your thoughts or feelings. You’re learning to observe them without judgment. And eventually, you may start to better understand them as well.”

According to The Art of Living,

“Meditation is the delicate art of doing nothing and letting go of all efforts to relax in your true nature, which is love, joy, and peace. The practice of meditation gives you deep rest. It is essential to reduce stress levels and maintain mental hygiene.”

WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS OF MEDITATION DURING PREGNANCY?

• Mediation helps reduce stress level. Pregnancy is the time when we need to rest, relax and stay positive. Pregnancy is also the time, when most of us are unable to do exactly that. There are so many things to do, so much to think about, not including the tensions we manage to create in our minds! But we need to ensure we reduce our stress levels during pregnancy – it is good for both baby and mother. Meditation is extremely helpful in reducing stress level. It reduces the cortisol level in our body which in turn helps reduce the stress level.
• Meditation helps us tune in with our fears. We cannot eliminate fear, not should we try to escape it or suppress it. The more we try to ignore/suppress it, the more its hold on us increases. Meditation helps us to recognize these fears, understand them and then disconnect from there. Meditation improves our minds’ ability to move ahead beyond the fear and reduce its hold over us. You can’t be scared of something if you are comfortable with it and that’s exactly what meditation does – it makes you tune in to your fear and become comfortable in its presence.
• Meditation is known to initiate healing processes. By training the mind through meditation, we can help change our mindset so that we are always thinking about a healthy lifestyle. This, in turn, will aid in the overall well-being of both child and mother
• Regular meditation can also help deal with most pregnancy symptoms such as mood swings, fatigue and helps the mother connect with the growing baby.
• Meditation can also affect the diet of an expectant mother. Through regular meditation, the body can be made to stop cravings for unhealthy food and help the mind make healthier food choices.
• Meditation can also help relieve pain by releasing endorphins, which are the pleasure hormones. This works best if you start meditating early during your pregnancy.

QUICK MEDITATION EXERCISE

Body-scanning Meditation
Find a quiet place and you can either lie down or sit up. Now close your eyes and moving from your head to your toe, ‘scan’ every part of your body. Focus on each part individually and notice where you feel the tension or pain in your body.
Whenever you feel tension of pain, take a deep breathe in and then breathe out, imagining the tension or the pain being released from your body along with your breath. Do this a couple of times and then resume scanning. For every knot of tension of pain you feel, continue doping the breathing exercise, until you reach your toe.

How do you feel now?

DISCLAIMER: Meditation can help you reduce mild stress, mild anxiety and is useful in enhancing your peace of mind.
However, this is not a medical advice. It is important that you speak to your doctor openly about your anxiety, depression and mood fluctuations and get medical advice, if required.