For prenatal yoga, or during pregnancy in general, listening to the different melodies has an extra benefit–your baby can hear it, too. If you’re an expectant mama, you’re likely aware that there are lots of research which show that playing music for your baby has various positive effects. By adding music to your prenatal yoga session, you can get your daily yoga fix and condition your body for labour, plus your baby also enjoys the concerto.

Does music affect my baby’s brain development in the womb?

Possibly. Sounds in general – including music, voices, and the gentle gurgle of your stomach and beating of your heart – all contribute to the development of your baby’s hearing, which involves neural connections and processing in the brain. Evidence suggests sounds from the environment also help babies’ memory and emotions develop.

Some studies indicate that fetuses can hear and react to sound by moving. But no one really knows what those movements mean because experts can’t observe an unborn baby as easily as a baby that has already been born.

For sure, starting in the second trimester, around 23 weeks, your baby will be able to hear the music you’re listening to. Music can play an important role in your child’s growth, even before birth. Exposing your child to music ignites all areas of child development. And doing this early can help ensure that your baby grows up healthy.

Here are some suggestions.

Types of Music for Prenatal Yoga

Classical

My favourite album for classical music is of course the one my kids used to listen to the most: 10 Songs for My Children by Tallis Barker – who happens to be my husband. 🙂 Yay!

Listen in here:

Traditional/Ethnic

Traditional yoga music like kirtan and other types of devotional songs have been, and will always be, a staple for yogis. Dave Stringer, Ragani and Anugama, Ben Leinbach or Jai Uttal are top artist picks in this genre ideal as background music for yoga.

You can listen to this track: Nagual by Michael Hewett.

Instrumental/Chanting

Some yogis prefer other kinds of instrumentals and chanting songs. In this part, the likes of Wah, Enya and Sheila Chandra are frequently chosen. These kinds of songs are sometimes far from Indian music, but they have a magical feel to them, giving yogis a dreamy atmosphere while in session.

Chillout/Slow Trance

Slow trance is often used by therapists to condition a patient’s state of mind and keep them relaxed during sessions. It works in a similar manner when applied to yoga.

There is a number of tracks that are connected to these genres such as Waves by Japanese Wallpaper, Levels by Avicii and Fallen From the Sky by Julian Kruse. These are all great for trance-like transitions, which will help you connect with your inner self.