In a research study by Beddoe, Yang, Kennedy, Weiss,
and Lee (2009), yoga and mindfulness-based stress reduction
techniques were combined and studied by practicing them
for seven weeks with healthy nulliparous women between 12
and 32 weeks gestation. According to Beddoe et al. (2009),
“a mind/body program provided during pregnancy may alter
stress appraisal, offer new ways of coping with psychological
and physical distress, and form the basis of personal resources
needed to cope with stressful life events during pregnancy
and childbirth” (p. 311). At the conclusion of the study,
women in their third trimester demonstrated a significant
reduction in stress and anxiety, and the authors determined
that yoga is a potentially effective method of reducing antenatal
anxiety, especially if initiated early in the pregnancy.
Despite a small sample size and lack of a comparison group,