the rest of the day and their tendency to food-induced nausea is also lessened. For those who suffer late-day or all-day sickness, it is still best to practise Kunjal first thing in the morning on an empty stomach rather than later when you may have already eaten. For these people, their daily food intake needs to be thoughtfully managed so as not to overload the digestive system later in the day when most susceptible. Regular daily use of Kunjal also helps strengthen the digestive system even on days when nausea is present in the morning. Kunjal has certain contra-indications during pregnancy and these are discussed in detail in the instructions for the technique in Chapter 10.
   The most wonderful thing about yoga is that while it is working on any symptom it is also working on the cause. Biological changes during pregnancy are likely to affect each of us in different ways and to differing degrees. However, if we understand these things as pointers to underlying systemic problems, and use pregnancy as an opportunity to go beyond their causes, we can make great changes in many other areas of our life. For those who get particularly bad morning sickness it can be concluded that the connection between all the factors causing the sickness must have been quite out of balance – such as diet, stomach stability, nervous system, sense of smell, hormonal disposition, lifestyle energy. For each of these areas there are yoga practices to help. By addressing them with Yoga Therapy before pregnancy, or as early into pregnancy as one can, the effects of morning sickness can be greatly reduced and benefits will flow into many other aspects of your pregnancy and your later life.

Tiredness
   During the first few weeks following fertilisa-tion even the healthiest and best prepared body will feel some degree of reduced energy. The level of this mysterious tiredness varies from person to person and will vary within yourself from day to day depending on your sleep patterns, your general state of health, your output in terms of daily work load and any interconnected feelings about being pregnant. It is not understood by medical experts exactly how or why this tiredness occurs – but everyone acknowledges that it exists.
   The yogic understanding of this maternal energy slump is that, during the first trimester, a baby is forming at an incredible rate from just a two-cell organism (ovum + sperm = gamete) at the time of conception, into a complex billion-celled organism at about 12

weeks,when the foetus is a fully formed human being (albeit not fully grown) . Although only small increments in size, such cell division and multiplication actually demands more of the mother than just feeding a growing foetus in the later months. This is a very interesting thing, indicating that the early phases of all creation are far more energy demanding than the latter. This concept accords identically with the laws of nuclear physicists – that it takes much, much more energy to set off a nuclear explosion (splitting of the first few atoms) than it does to keep it going by feeding it some more fuel.
   On another level, seers acknowledge that it is not until about 12 weeks of pregnancy that the baby’s individual soul enters the foetus. This is because nature waits for the body structure to become definitely sustainable before “inhabiting it” with consciousness. This entry of the soul relieves the mother physically but it can begin to tax her more psychically. This is discussed in more detail in “A Change of Spirit”, page 176.
   The first point to remember is not to fight against this tiredness by desperately trying to be more energetic and thinking that you must not become slack. On the other hand, try not to give in completely to it or use it as a reason for complete inactivity. Finding the right balance of rest and activity is the best idea. On a physical level, it is important to keep moderately active for as long as possible during pregnancy. If you start off with an attitude of – “this has really slowed me up, if this keeps up I’ll be dead in 9 months” – then you will be! Moderation of course depends on your constitution and is relative to your normal activity. Like any symptom, tiredness is telling you something. Perhaps to slow down a bit, to take time off your normal activities, to reflect a bit more, to sleep more, to get a few sources of tension out of your life, to delegate jobs more, to find more time for yourself, to eat better, to get fitter, to work in partnership with your new arrived being.
   Extreme mental and emotional states, such as excitement or boredom, anxiety or depression, also affect one’s energy greatly. Therefore, as well as addressing the obvious external factors, one must attend to the inner factors brought about by this profound change of being. A common source of initial low energy is niggling doubts about being pregnant. They may be doubts coming from yourself, your partner, relationship disharmony, and / or negativity from extended family members. To help manage tiredness that you suspect may be brought about by these kinds of psycho-emotional conflicts, regular