The Complete Book of Yoga and Meditation for Pregnancy

by Jamieson, Theresa

• ISBN13: 9781863512497
• ISBN10: 1863512497
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2000-10-01
• Publisher: Sterling Pub

Summary

A safe and natural way to prepare for a wonderful birth experience! Even if you have no prior experience with yoga you can increase your health, physical tone, and energy using a variety of stretches, positions, and breathing exercises especially selected for all stages of pregnancy. Harness your inner strength through visualizations and meditations, including some specifically intended for pregnant women that focus on the baby in the womb, the miracle of birth, and the wonder of being a woman. Six half-hour prenatal exercise programs are included, along with dietary suggestions to help ensure a healthy pregnancy. A section on important skills for labor, including meditations, positions, and essential oils, will help you ease the pain and make the most of the life-changing experience. You'll also find inspiring birth stories in which 11 women explain how yoga played a significant role during pregnancy, labor and birth, and postpardum programs to help you get back in shape after delivery.

Table of Contents

Preface	14	(16)
Acknowledgments	16	(2)
Introduction	18	(3)
What is Yoga?	21	(3)
Yoga for Pregnancy	24	(3)
ASANA	27	(80)
Warming Up	27	(13)
Ankle exercises	27	(1)
Hand and Finger exercises	28	(1)
Shoulder exercises (skandhachakra)	28	(1)
Head and Neck exercises (gardhanasana)	29	(1)
Eye exercises (neytrasana)	30	(2)
Eyes rotations	30	(1)
Eyes to the right and to the left	30	(1)
Eyes up and down	30	(1)
Slow circles	30	(1)
Looking at a close and distant object	31	(1)
Palming	31	(1)
Full moon gazing	31	(1)
Gazing at the setting sun	31	(1)
Hamstring stretches (janu naman)	32	(1)
Hip Rotations (shoni chakra)	32	(1)
The Half Butterfly	33	(1)
The Butterfly (baddhakonasana)	33	(2)
Variation (i)	34	(1)
Variation (ii)	34	(1)
The Thunderbolt (varjrasana)	35	(1)
The Frog (mandukasana) with arm exercises	36	(1)
The Head of the Cow (gomukhasansa)	36	(2)
The Cat (marjariasana)	38	(1)
The Tiger (vyaghrasana)	39	(1)
Pelvic Floor Exercises	40	(3)
Moola bandha	41	(2)
Leg & Abdomen Exercises	43	(4)
Single Leg Lifts	44	(1)
The Infinite Pose (anantasana)	44	(1)
Single Leg Lifts lying on your back	45	(1)
Gentle Abdominal exercises lying on your back	46	(1)
Chin to chest exercise	46	(1)
Single leg bicycles	46	(1)
Floor Postures & Exercises	47	(14)
Closing the Gate (parighasana)	47	(1)
The Crescent Moon (ardha chandrasana)	48	(2)
Position (i)	49	(1)
Position (ii)	50	(1)
Position (iii)	50	(1)
The Seated Triangle (pavistha konasana)	50	(3)
Stretching forward	51	(1)
Stretching over each leg	52	(1)
Churning the Mill (chakki chalanasana)	53	(1)
Rowing the Boat (nauka sanchalanasana)	54	(1)
Working in pairs from the wide leg position	54	(2)
Bending forward	55	(1)
Slow circles	56	(1)
The Head to the Knee (janu sirshasana)	56	(1)
The Pelvic Tilt	57	(2)
The Monkey Chief (hanumanasana)	59	(2)
Squatting	61	(12)
The Full Squat and the Moving Squat	63	(1)
Stretching and Squatting	64	(1)
The Salute Squat (namaskarasana)	64	(1)
Gas Relieving Posture (vayu nishkasana)	65	(1)
The Deep Standing Squat (utthanasana)	66	(2)
The Deep Standing Squat with Spinal Twist	68	(1)
Crow Walking (kawa chalasana)	68	(2)
Wall stretches	70	(3)
The Squat	70	(1)
The Butterfly	71	(1)
The Wide Leg Stretch	71	(1)
Working in pairs	72	(1)
Balancing	73	(8)
The Tree (vriksasana)	74	(1)
The Dynamic Tree	75	(1)
The Eagle (garudasana)	75	(1)
The `T' Balance (eka padasana)	76	(1)
The Crane (bakasana)	77	(1)
The Dancer (natarajasana)	78	(2)
Tip Toes to Squat	80	(1)
Standing	81	(15)
The Heavenly Stretch (tadasana)	81	(1)
The Tree Blowing in the Wind (tiryaka tadasana)	82	(1)
Arm Stretching	82	(2)
Arm stretching with a deep stretch	83	(1)
Arms floating	83	(1)
Chest Expansion with Deep Breathing (hasta utthanasana)	84	(1)
Chest Expansion with Hamstring Stretch	85	(1)
Waist Rotation and Spinal Twist (kati chakrasana)	85	(2)
The Pose of Two Angles (dwi konasana)	87	(1)
The Triangle Side Bend (trikonasana)	87	(2)
The Hero	89	(1)
The Warrior (virabhadrasana)	90	(1)
The Intense Forward Stretch (parasvittanasana)	90	(2)
The Forward Bend (pada hastasana)	92	(1)
The Wide-A Leg Stretch (prasavita padottanasana)	93	(1)
The Mountain (parvatasana)	94	(1)
Pelvic Rocking	95	(1)
Spinal Twists	96	(11)
The Easy Seated Spinal Twist	99	(1)
With straight legs	99	(1)
With one leg bent	99	(1)
With both legs bent	99	(1)
The modified Half Spinal Twist (ardha matsyendrasana)	100	(1)
The Dynamic Spinal Twist (gatyatmak meru vakvajana)	101	(1)
Variation (i)	102	(1)
Variation (ii)	102	(1)
Spinal twists practised lying on you back	102	(2)
Both legs bent	102	(1)
One leg bent and one leg straight (shava udarakarshanasana)	103	(1)
Single leg lift with spinal twist	104	(1)
Spinal twist practised in a chair	104	(1)
The Standing Spinal Twist (parivrtha trikonasana)	105	(2)
Variation (i)	106	(1)
Variation (ii)	106	(1)
MUDRA	107	(5)
Mudras for Pregnancy	107	(5)
The Psychic Gestures of Consciousness and Knowledge (chin mudra & gyana mudra)	107	(1)
The Terrifying Attitude (bhairava mudra)	108	(1)
The Womb or Source (yoni mudra)	108	(1)
The Psychic Union (yoga mudra)	109	(1)
Eyebrow Centre Gazing (shambhavi mudra)	110	(1)
The Horse (ashwini mudra)	111	(1)
PRANAYAMA	112	(17)
Seated Postures for Pranayama & Meditation	112	(4)
The Easy Posture (sukhasana)	113	(1)
The Adept's Posture (siddhasana)	113	(1)
The Half Lotus (ardha padmasana)	114	(1)
The Lotus (padmasana)	114	(1)
The Breath Balancing Posture (padadhirasana)	115	(1)
Breathing	116	(13)
Preparation	117	(1)
The Complete Breath	118	(2)
Abdominal breathing	119	(1)
Thoracic breathing	119	(1)
Deep yoga breathing	120	(1)
Alternate Nostril Breath (nadi shodhana)	120	(2)
Variation (i)	121	(1)
Variation (ii)	121	(1)
The Cooling Breath (sheetali pranayama)	122	(1)
The Hissing Breath (sheetkari pranayama)	123	(1)
The Humming Breath (bhramari pranayama)	123	(3)
The Breath of Tranquillity (ujjayi pranayama)	126	(1)
The Cleansing Breath	127	(2)
MEDITATION	129	(29)
About Meditation	129	(12)
What is meditation?	129	(3)
Getting started	132	(2)
Traditional Meditations	134	(1)
Breath Awareness	134	(3)
Counting breaths	135	(1)
The ujjayi breath	135	(1)
Opening and closing eyes	136	(1)
Body Awareness	137	(1)
Sound Awareness	138	(1)
The Gaze	139	(2)
The candle meditation	139	(2)
Visualisation & Creative Meditations	141	(12)
Colour meditations	141	(3)
Colour visualisation	142	(1)
The Rainbow	142	(1)
Candle light	143	(1)
Spinal column meditations	144	(1)
Breath, light and colour	144	(1)
Between earth and sky	144	(1)
Tree meditations	145	(4)
The Nurtured Tree	146	(1)
Releasing and regenerating	147	(1)
Four seasons	147	(1)
The Wish Fulfilling Tree	148	(1)
The Mountain	149	(1)
The Golden Spiral	149	(1)
The Pyramid	150	(1)
The Ocean of Abundance	151	(1)
The Sultana	152	(1)
Your baby & Yourself	153	(5)
Your baby	153	(2)
Embracing your baby	155	(1)
Honouring yourself	156	(2)
RELAXATION	158	(6)
About Relaxation	158	(1)
Deep relaxation (yoga nidra)	158	(1)
What is deep relaxation?	158	(1)
The value of deep relaxation	159	(1)
The Postures	159	(5)
General instructions	160	(1)
The Corpse (shavasana)	160	(1)
The Flapping Fish (matsya kridasana)	161	(1)
The Pose of the Child (sishuasana)	162	(1)
The Pose of the Hare	162	(1)
The Sleeping Tortoise (supta kurmasana)	163	(1)
ANTENATAL PROGRAMS	164	(6)
Six Half-hour Programs	164	(3)
Getting started	164	(3)
Salute to the Sun, for pregnancy (surya namaskara)	167	(3)
Precautions	167	(1)
Modifications	168	(1)
Procedure	168	(2)
BIRTH	170	(30)
My Story	170	(5)
Birth Journeys	175	(16)
Debbie's story: The birth of Callan	176	(1)
Eva's birth experience	177	(1)
Veronica's baby: Amber Mae	178	(1)
The birth of Ebony Jayne	179	(2)
Wendy Allen: Sarah Joy Allen's `Birth Day'	181	(1)
Lindsay Welch: Morgan's birth	182	(2)
Ebony Jade and Luke	184	(1)
Birthing and yoga: Sharman Okan's story	185	(1)
Sandra's story	186	(1)
Jera Conan: Leuke	187	(1)
Jesica Reilly: Pregnancy, birth and yoga	188	(3)
Important skills for Labour	191	(9)
Breathing exercises and visualisations	192	(2)
Affirmations	194	(1)
Father's affirmations	195	(1)
A special place in nature	196	(1)
Colour	196	(1)
Relaxation positions for labour	197	(1)
The candle meditation	197	(1)
Handling pain during labour	197	(1)
Bach flower and Australian Bush Flower remedies	198	(1)
Music 198
Essential oils	198	(1)
The best oils for pregnancy	198	(1)
The best oils for labour	199	(1)
POSTNATAL PROGRAMS	200	(34)
Birth to six months	200	(6)
The first six weeks	200	(2)
Six weeks after the birth	202	(1)
Eight to twelve weeks after the birth	203	(1)
Twelve weeks after the birth	204	(1)
Rowing the boat	204	(1)
Churning the Mill	205	(1)
Spinal twists	205	(1)
The Forward Bend Over Both Legs (paschimottanasana)	205	(1)
Six months after birth	206	(15)
The Boat (naukasana)	206	(1)
The Archer (dhanurakarshan asana)	207	(1)
The Plough Preparation (poorwa halasana)	208	(2)
The Half Shoulder Stand (vipareeta karani asana)	210	(2)
The Shoulder Stand (sarvangasana)	212	(1)
The Plough (halasana)	212	(1)
The Fish (matsyasana)	213	(1)
The Dynamic Plough (druta halasana)	214	(2)
Variation (i)	215	(1)
Variation (ii)	215	(1)
The Sphinx and the Cobra (bhujangasana)	216	(2)
The Sphinx	217	(1)
The Cobra	217	(1)
The Bow (dhanurasana)	218	(1)
The Shoulder Pose (kandharasana)	219	(2)
Salute to the Sun (surya namskara)	221	(5)
Healthy Eating	226	(8)
Recipes	233	(1)
Bibliography	234	(1)
Index	235