Prenatal yoga is a combination of gentle poses and meditation techniques for pregnant women, in order to increase strength, flexibility for labor and find calmness in a time of big change and stress.

Here are some things to note before you start your prenatal practice:

1. Talk to your healthcare provider to confirm that it is safe in your particular situation to practice prenatal yoga. Every pregnancy is different and it is important to ensure that you are not causing yourself or the baby any trouble.

2. One might think, “Why am I doing this, when I could just take an extra nap instead?” Well, there are definite and proven benefits of prenatal yoga including improved muscle strength, quality of sleep and digestion. It also helps to keep that hormonal emotional roller-coaster ride in check! And who wouldn’t want to reduce the nausea and nagging lower back pain, right?

3. It is important to know what kind of poses are best avoided as part of your prenatal routine. A basic checklist of not-to-do’s for a generally healthy mom-to-be includes (but is not limited to) closed twists, deep back-bends and inversions in case of high BP. Basically know that you should slow down and not try anything that you haven’t done before.

4. Do not start with a boot camp-like attitude. Prenatal yoga is not a means to reduce weight and pregnancy is not a time to worry about that, as long as you are in the advised range of weight-gain, just accept your body and enjoy the journey!

5. Always stay hydrated during your practice (and otherwise) even if you feel you might have to make an extra trip to the bathroom. Muscle spasms are not fun.

6. Use belts, blocks, pillows or blankets to make the poses more accessible and comfortable.

7. Breath-work is of utmost importance as it helps to maintain concentration during poses and to stay balanced and calm throughout the day. Remember to always include Pranayama in your yoga routine.

8. Visualization can be a wonderfully calming experience. Try guided meditations to help you wind down your practice and leave you with a lingering sense of joy and calm. It is a great opportunity for bonding with your little bub.

Most of us are too scared or tired to do any form of exercise during pregnancy. Ancient Indian texts, Ayurveda as well as modern medicine has enough evidence to show that light yoga and meditation has nothing but positive effects on not only mommy-to-be but the growing baby too. Most importantly, it helps to build a lasting bond between mother and child that starts right from the time of conception.