Yoga can be very beneficial for pregnant women — it helps you breathe and relax, which in turn can help you adjust to the physical demands of pregnancy, labor, birth, and motherhood. It calms both mind and body, providing the physical and emotional stress relief your body needs throughout the experience of pregnancy. It is always advised that you seek out an instructor who is specifically trained in prenatal yoga, but if that's not possible, make sure your instructor knows you're expecting.

Yoga, when paired with a cardiovascular exercise such as walkingyoga can be an ideal way to stay fit. This age-old practice keeps you limber, tones your muscles, and improves your balance and circulation, with little, if any, impact on your joints. Even SrilaPrabhupad said that pregnant mother should not sit idly. She should move and do some physical work. 

One of the first things you learn in a yoga class is how to breathe fully. The breathing technique known as ujjayi requires you to take in air slowly through your nose, filling your lungs, and exhale completely until your stomach compresses. Learning how to do ujjayi breathing primes you for labor and childbirth by training you to stay calm when you need it most. When you're in pain or afraid, your body produces adrenalin and may produce less oxytocin, a hormone that makes labor progress. A regular yoga practice will help you fight the urge to tighten up when you feel pain, and show you how to relax instead. Taking a prenatal yoga class is also a great way to meet other moms-to-be and embark on this journey together.

Along these same lines, according to a report in the April 2009 issue of the Harvard Mental Health Letter, rigorous studies have found scientific proof that yoga helps the body deal with stress by slowing heart and breathing rates and lowering blood pressure -- which can benefit new moms after the baby's born, too.

Though you can practice yoga during your pregnancy but the following precautions must be taken:

• Drink lots of water before, during, and after exercising to keep your body hydrated. Breathe deeply and regularly as you stretch.
• If you're feeling pain or discomfort, make an adjustment or ask your instructor to recommend an alternative position.
• If you're attending a regular yoga class (one not specifically geared to pregnant women), be sure to tell the instructor you're pregnant, and which trimester you're in.
• Don't do any asanas (poses) on your back after the first trimester — it can reduce blood flow to the uterus.
• Avoid poses that stretch the muscles too much, particularly the abdominals. You're more at risk for strains, pulls, and other injuries right now because the pregnancy hormone relaxin, which allows the uterus to expand, also softens connective tissue.

Given above are just few precautions to mention. It’s always better to consult your doctor and then make modifications in your daily exercise and yoga practices as special care must be taken during pregnancy. Haribol!