Meditation and Pregnancy
Pregnancy is not generally associated with feeling calm
and centred. More often than not your mind is full to the brim with
thoughts, excitement, worry, questions and hopes, not to mention the
fact that you often have a 'to-do' list as long as your arm which
includes everything from 'set up nursery' to 'find quality maternity wear'
among others. The thing is, however, that staying calm and centred
during this period and taking the extra time to help yourself relax is
probably the best thing you can do for you and your baby. One of the
best ways in which you can achieve this is through meditation. It
doesn't have to be crystal-gazing, cross-legged, ohmming meditation, it
just needs to be something that allows you to connect with your body and
your baby, and get away from the constant traffic in your head, if just
for a few minutes each day. Here are some meditation tips to help you
get started!
Choose a Focus
Focusing
on something--be it an image, a thought or a feeling--is often the best
way to get your mind to relax. By choosing something to focus on during
your meditation, you're forcing your mind to narrow its scope and block
out the external distractions. Many mothers to be choose to focus on an
image of them holding their new baby, and find that not only does this
block out the noise of their thoughts, but helps them to bond further
with their babies.
Don't Stress!
Ironically,
one issue that many people face when it comes to meditation is feeling
anxious when they can't seem to stop their minds from racing. This in
turn leads to more racing of said mind and before long, their more
stressed out than when they started! The best way to approach meditation
is not to try so hard to block thoughts,
but to reach a state where those thoughts can float by you without you
latching on and chasing them! Accept your thoughts as they come into
your head, and then release them immediately, trying not to give it
emotional weight. It is the emotional weight we attach to our thoughts
that get us all riled up, without it they're just bubbles floating
around in there!
Practise Makes Perfect!
The
key to developing a good meditation habit is to make it a routine. The
more you practise, the easier it will be to centre and relax, tools that
will be vital during your delivery. Be gentle with yourself and do a
little each day--even if it's only 5 minutes--and eventually you'll get
in a groove where you begin to notice yourself feeling healthier and
happier--and that's good news for your little one as well!
Meditation is a pregnant woman's best friend. Next time those thoughts like 'buy maternity swimwear'
or 'read one thousand baby books' seem to be buzzing around your head
with the insistence of a thousand flies, simply sit yourself down, take a
deep breath and give it a try!
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