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Are you pregnant? Do you feel tired, moody, depressed, frustrated and irritated all the time? If yes, meditation can be the solution for your issues. Meditation helps you feel refreshed and balanced. And you can practice it anytime during your pregnancy. An hour of meditation every day can significantly improve how you deal with the challenges faced during this period. If you are keen on trying meditation, Here to tell you all about it, its benefits and the ways to include it into your daily routine.
What Is Meditation?
Meditation is a powerful technique than can transform your energy and stress level. Meditation is the practice of focusing on an object, word or image to control the thoughts and calm your mind. It is an integral part of yoga and is called “Dhyana” in Sanskrit. It helps you attain a balance between your body and mind.
Meditation can be as simple as taking deep breaths, in and out, during a quick washroom break at work. Or it can be sitting in some place at home for finding inner peace, letting go and clearing your mind. It can also be a silent walk in nature, while consciously breathing and being present in the moment. It is significant for the pregnant woman to pay attention on how she feels after each relaxed session.
Is Meditation Safe Throughout Pregnancy?
Yes, it is safe to meditate throughout your pregnancy and also during childbirth. Meditation helps you manage emotions better and also promotes overall well-being. Practicing meditation during early pregnancy can reduce anxiety and stress at the time of labor, and meditation during the second trimester can significantly reduce pains you experience in the third trimester. But in the third trimester, try not to stress yourself trying to meditate in a specific posture or for a specific duration. Meditation reduces risk factors during pregnancy by keeping stress levels low and gives a healthier environment for the fetus to grow.
Pregnancy Meditation Techniques
There are eight different forms of meditation that pregnant women can practice. They are:
1. Deep Breath Meditation
This focuses on your breath and to observe its pattern. It eases muscle tension, lowers heart rate and helps you fall asleep.
You can also put your hand on your bump to feel the rhythmic breathing. Lie down with your feet shoulder-width apart. Close your mouth and breathe slowly through the nose. Your stomach rises as the air goes into the lungs and diaphragm.
Hold for a second and then exhale through the nose. From the second trimester or when you start feeling uncomfortable lying on the back, you can change the position to resting sideways, with a pillow between your legs.
2. Walking Meditation
It helps calm your restless mind. Choose a place to walk and concentrate on your breathing and its pace. This is also effective for labor, which enables you to focus on delivery by keeping you mobile and active.
3. Progressive Muscle Relaxation
Mastering this technique takes time. However, you will find that progressive muscle relaxation helps as the pregnancy progresses and when getting a good night’s sleep becomes difficult.
Lie down on the floor or your bed. Try to tense the muscles and allow them to relax slowly. Focus on one group of muscles at a time and keep alternating between the right and left sides. You can also start by tensing and releasing the hand, followed by a forearm, and then shoulder, your face, chest, stomach, legs, and finally feet.
4. Vipassana Meditation
This helps you become aware of the present state, and focus inwardly so that you will achieve heightened awareness of how you feel inwards and outwards. The actual meaning of the term is ‘to see things the way they are’.
5. Deep Belly Meditation
Place your hands on the growing bump and gently cradle the baby. You can feel a warm sensation in your palms. Breathe in and out slowly. If any thought arises in your mind, allow it to pass. Practice this for about five minutes every day, and increase the duration with each week.
6. Sound Meditation or Mantra
This uses a particular prayer, sound or phrase such as ‘Om’ to focus on. Chanting the Omkara creates vibrations in the body that aim at balancing the energy centers (chakras) of the body. You can also try chanting other words such as ‘So-ham’, ‘yam’, or ‘ham’.
Did you know that there is also power in our thoughts and words? When you talk or think of something, it affects your nervous system and also how you are as a person. Having your own mantra, also called positive affirmations, is a good idea. So, create your own mantra, such as ‘breathe in for baby, this is a strong mama breath’, it permeates your self-consciousness and allows you to truly absorb the words’ powerful meaning that can help you through a difficult pregnancy or labor.
7. “Third eye” Meditation
The space on the forehead between your eyebrows is called the “third eye” Behind this area is the pineal gland which regulates the wake-sleep patterns and it is very sensitive to light. The pineal gland also produces serotonin, which is known to affect the energy levels responsible for feelings of well-being and happiness. When you are under stress or labor, close your eyes and try to focus on the third eye. This helps you relax the muscles around the forehead.
8. Concept meditation (Guided meditation)
This involves visualizing an object. It can be a blue sky, waves of the sea, a crystal, flower, pebble, a leaf or your growing baby. Learn to focus on the quietness stimulated by the imagery and meditate and stay focused. For instance, visualize the blue sky and how the clouds pass. The tranquil images can create some peace and silence within you. Likewise, you can also imagine a pebble and focus on its color, texture, and shape to build your concentration and mindfulness.
Benefits Of Meditation During Pregnancy
Meditation, when done along with proper diet, prenatal supplements, and basic exercises, can help you stay healthy and strong when you are pregnant.
1. Reduced Stress and Anxiety Levels
Practicing meditation on a regular basis can lower your stress, anxiety and any other fears you have about pregnancy and labor. With meditation, you can be more relaxed within, irrespective of the external circumstances. The more relaxed and easygoing you are, the less stressful the labor or birthing process will be. Also, constant stress can have adverse effects on you and the unborn child.
2. Boosts Immunity
Meditation improves the body’s immune function. The enhanced resistance can, therefore, keep your body healthy and protect the baby from immune-related disorders after birth.
3. Gives Happier Babies
Research reveals that babies born to mothers who practiced meditation during pregnancy have a better disposition. They can self-regulate themselves and rarely get affected by negativity. Giving birth to a healthier baby can make your transition to parenting more relaxed.
4. Pain Management During Labor
A study revealed that the intensity of labor pain decreased by almost 40% among a group of pregnant women who attended a four-day mindfulness meditation program. Pain reduction is not only helpful during labor but is also essential for postpartum recovery.
5. Higher Chances of Going Full Term
Another study revealed that women who participated in mindfulness training program had almost 50% fewer chances of giving preterm delivery than women who had taken no mindfulness programs. A full-term pregnancy allows the baby to develop fully and she can have a good start in life.
Meditation benefits you immensely, especially when you are pregnant. And given that the unborn child is also going to benefit from this practice, don’t you think it is good to have some meditation time when you are pregnant?
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