Technology is a great thing. It has allowed us more freedom, time, productivity and efficiency than ever before. We are a "button-clicking" society, clicking the mouse, the remote control, the garage opener, etc. (It lets us save our energy for our stressful "desk jobs.") As a matter of fact, I barely even have to work to brush my teeth anymore because my electronic toothbrush does most of the work for me. All I do is click a button and gently move my hand. We have robotic vacuums and microwaves, and are mesmerized by revolutionary fitness equipment claiming that, with a simple click of a button, presto! you’re in great shape. Yeah, right.

It is difficult to maintain a regular yoga practice, but even more challenging is taking that practice off the mat and into our daily lives.  How do we do it?  How can we live our yoga?

According to Patanjali, a 5th century yogic sage credited with penning the Yoga Sutras, one way we can take our yoga off the mat is through the path to enlightenment.  The word sutra literally means thread, and Patanjali’s guidebook to enlightenment is divided into four portions:  the portion on contemplation, the portion on practice, the portion on accomplishments and the portion on absoluteness.  One of my favorite aphorisms, Sutra 1.33, is known as the Four Locks and Keys.

As I look out at a room of pregnant women with their beautiful round bellies, I understand where the concept of Mother Earth was born.  The roundness of the belly, reminiscent of the Earth herself, creates a cocoon within the mother’s body and provides a life-sustaining environment for the baby.  As Mother Earth sustains all life, so do expectant mothers, albeit on a much smaller scale.

Yoga can benefit us at all stages of our lives, but there is a special connection that can happen when a mother-to-be practices yoga.  The physical benefits are numerous and obvious.