181
Q
Is yoga safe during pregnancy?
Does it have any benefits?
Yes. Prenatal yoga classes are
widely available and are often
recommended by doctors.
Research, including a 2015 study
from the Alpert Medical School at
Brown University, has suggested
that prenatal yoga is not only safe
for both the expectant mother and
the baby (as measured by fetal
heart rate), but it can also be
beneficial for the fetus and mother
while pregnant, throughout labor
and delivery, and postpartum. Small
studies have also suggested that,
during pregnancy, yoga may have
the positive effects shown below.
Meditation may
slow or even
prevent some
of the natural
degradation of
brain tissue
that happens
with aging.
REDUCES
•
pelvic pain and overall
pregnancy discomfort
•
signs of stress, depression,
and anxiety
•
postpartum depression.
IMPROVES
•
optimism, empowerment,
well-being, and social support
•
birth weight (by reducing
risk of preterm labor).
Q
How does meditation affect my
brain as I age?
Many areas of your brain tend
to shrink with age, but Harvard
neuroscientist Sara Lazar, PhD, and
her team have shown via MRI brain
scans that 50-year-old meditators
have key brain structures similar to
that of 25-year-old nonmeditators.
This suggests that meditation may
slow or even prevent some of the
natural degradation of brain tissue
that happens with aging. This is
thanks to neuroplasticity (see pp.26–
27). While it is likely that other factors
are involved, such as lifestyle and
diet, it is feasible that meditation
and the resulting mindset contribute
significantly. Research also suggests
that your brain can start to make
these changes in eight weeks. A
daily 30-minute mindfulness practice
(including a body scan, yoga, and
seated meditation practice) has
been shown to change the brain in
ways that result in better memory
and improved problem-solving. A
mindfulness questionnaire also
showed that eight weeks’ instruction
and practice improved three key
qualities that may contribute to a
positive mindset as we age:
observing internal and external
environment; acting with awareness
instead of reacting; and the non-
judgment of inner experience.
Continued
US_180-181_Life_stages_01.indd 181 02/11/2018 14:05