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Looking for ways to drain the strain? Close your eyes, take a deep breath, picture something beautiful, and find your inner calm. Meditation puts mothers in tune with their babies

Pregnancy brings with it excitement as well as lots of changes in the body and mind. The very feeling of a new life blossoming in you is inexplicable. It’s time to rejoice and welcome this little one into your world. Yet, it’s also the time when lots of changes are on the way – both physical and emotional. Your baby is growing each passing week and it’s amusing to feel it take shape. At the same time, you are witnessing new developments yourself every week – some interesting, some difficult to handle. What if you could happily accept all the changes and enjoy this lovely phase of your life to the maximum? Yes, this could be possible with a few minutes of sitting by yourself with eyes closed.

The body is undergoing hormonal changes so you could experience morning sickness, heartburn, constipation, or even feel dizzy at times. Perhaps, even become averse to certain foods that you always loved! Meditation can work best for you at this time. It is a healing process in itself which helps increase the level of prana or life force energy in you, especially at a time when you are feeling lightheaded and low on energy. This is also the time when your body needs energy the most for the growth of the baby and meditation is a natural source of energy available with you.

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Also, when you meditate, your body naturally starts choosing food that is life supportive. Over a period of daily meditation practice. you may start noticing a distaste for unhealthy or junk food. This is naturally good for your baby. At this time, when your baby’s ears are developing, it’s a good idea to listen to chants or soft music, such as that of veena, and watch nice, pleasant movies. All this also has an impact on your baby’s nervous system. You can also try out a few yoga asanas (body postures) during the first two trimesters of your pregnancy. They can help you cope with pregnancy symptoms and also facilitate smoother delivery. Cat Pose, Triangle Pose, and Wind-Relieving Pose are a few examples (see more yoga poses during pregnancy). However, make sure to consult your doctor before practicing any of these postures on your own.

Deep relaxation techniques, meditation, and visualization can help you cope with a variety of physical and emotional stresses during pregnancy, enabling you to relax and focus your concentration, reduce stress, lower your blood pressure, and enhance your peace of mind. Deep breathing: Short of getting a daily massage, one of the most effective ways to ease muscle tension, lower your heart rate, and help you fall asleep is to breathe deeply and rhythmically. Try this: Lie down on the floor or on your bed with your feet shoulder-width apart. (After the second trimester or if you're uncomfortable lying on your back, rest on your side with a pillow between your legs for support.) Breathe slowly through your nose, keeping your mouth closed. Be conscious of your stomach rising as you gradually fill your lungs and diaphragm with air, then hold for one second before exhaling through your nose to the count of four.

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Progressive muscle relaxation: This technique may take a couple of weeks to master, but once you do, you'll be glad you did. It's like a natural sleeping pill, which you'll really appreciate as your pregnancy progresses and a good night's sleep becomes more and more elusive. Here's how to do it: Lie down on your bed or on the floor and tense your muscles completely…then let them totally relax. Focus on one muscle group at a time and alternate between the left and right side of your body. One possible route is to start by tensing and releasing your hand and forearm muscles, followed by your triceps and biceps, then your face, chest and shoulders, stomach, legs, and finally, your feet.

Guided imagery: Remember when you were little and your mom told you to close your eyes and think of nice things whenever you got scared? Well, this is pretty similar. Just picture yourself in a place you find peaceful or relaxing - a tropical beach, a flower-filled meadow, or wherever your own private bliss may be. Next imagine every detail of that place, from the sounds to the smells and everything in between. An alternative to this technique is to think of an image from a magazine or photograph and fill in every detail in your mind. Visualization takes some practice, but once you get it, you'll find it's a great way to quiet your mind, ease your tension, and help you drift off to sleep.