Stage fright or just testing my patience?

Although I still look quite relaxed on the picture (which was taken a few weeks ago - the belly has already grown since then), I have been getting more and more impatient over the past weeks and particularly days. I know that this is not uncommon, especially as women are approaching and passing their calculated due dates but still get slightly annoyed with myself as I know and feel that this impatience is not serving me. In fact, it might just be counter productive. My midwife told me that it happens all the time that babies are delivered later than their due date - in fact they were even thinking about increasing the general length of gestation but of course you hear about people having their babies early and they are healthy and all is great, so you ask yourself that nagging question: how much longer does he want to stay in there? It may just be a case of stage fright since we have been telling him for so long how much we want to meet him in person :-) So if you are reading/feeling this - you don't have to be nervous, if anyone we are nervous as we want to be the best parents possible for you! You'll just be perfect, no matter what!

So I have been focusing on using meditation techniques to distract myself or rather find that balance that I am lacking right now - my favorite meditations are Adhi Shakti and Poota Mata Kee Asee but we also heard a wonderful one in class today Ra ma das sa se so hung. What I really like about the mantra-led meditations is that while there are certain mudras (hand-gestures or movements) that can go with them and support a particular effect, it is just as wonderful to just listen to them while sitting in easy pose or stretching in whatever ways possible. My hope is that these wonderfully soothing pieces of music will then also have a calming effect on the baby once he is with us. He most definitely should be able to recognize them from my sessions which he had the pleasure of witnessing in the womb.

The Kundalini class we attended today was very beautiful - it has actually been fun going every week as the group is so supportive and even offered us to bring the babies to class so that we can continue going after giving birth. Today the teacher Simran, who I absolutely adore, chose another quiet kriya for my friend and me to be able to participate and it was all about heart opening and brought about such a strong energy that you could feel in the room. At the end she took the two pregnant ladies into the middle of a healing circle and we were blessed with the sounds of may the long time sun - it was very moving and emotional. I had a realization then - there is certain reason why he wants to stay in for a little while longer and instead of trying everything to encourage him to leave, I will try to follow his lead and simply accept when he's ready. When I think back to the external version - it seems that he likes to get things done last minute anyway. Help me lord, we'll have a procrastinator :-)

Overall I would just like to stress that I truly believe that yoga has been the key to me feeling so good during this pregnancy and would like to encourage everyone to make use of these wonderful tools to help easing tensions and self doubt. It is also intriguing to me:  while I have been struggling more with walking over the past 2-3 weeks due to some pelvic pain (probably since the baby started moving down), it seems that none of this pain transcends to my yoga practice. Of course I am modifying certain poses but still, I can do most of the prenatal classes without any issues. What a blessing!

As a next step I am very curious about exploring postnatal/recovery yoga practices and feeling my body getting back to its old strength - but let's see if the little bundle will leave me any time for that... Already during pregnancy he has been teaching me so much - simply cannot wait to meet him now!