Book excerpt: 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.