Bountiful, Beautiful, Blissful: Experience the Natural Power of Pregnancy and Birth with Kundalini Yoga and Meditation [Paperback]

Gurmukh Kaur Khalsa (Author), Cindy Crawford (Foreword)

Book Description

Publication Date: June 1, 2004

From internationally renowned yoga teacher Gurmukh comes a book on pregnancy unlike any other. Bountiful, Beautiful, Blissful is a treasury of wisdom, information, and inspiration for pregnancy and motherhood based on the spiritual and physical practices of Kundalini yoga, which Gurmukh has taught for the last thirty years.

With illustrated, step-by-step instructions, she teaches time-tested techniques, meditations, and exercises that will help you physically, mentally, and spiritually. In the timeless way that women have passed down wisdom surrounding birth and child rearing to one another for centuries, Gurmukh weaves folk stories and contemporary testimonials into a program designed to help you get profound results in the shortest possible time.

The sections in this book cover each trimester of pregnancy as well as delivery and life with the baby. In her wise, gentle, and comforting voice, Gurmukh suggests meditations, exercises, and yoga positions to respond to the various needs of expectant and new mothers as you undergo dramatic body changes. Gurmukh also helps you explore and, when necessary, heal your own history and unconscious attitudes about pregnancy, birth, and parenting.

In Bountiful, Beautiful, Blissful, Gurmukh gives you all the tools you need to have a healthy and happy pregnancy while increasing your connection to your partner and building compassion and prosperity. The ancient practices of yoga can lead you back to your own power as a woman, capable of more than you ever dreamed. All you need is a belief in the possibility of change and a commitment of as little as three minutes a day. Gurmukh has helped thousands of women and their families find fulfillment through the healing movements and meditations of Kundalini yoga---and she can help you, too!

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Gurmukh is Hollywood's favorite pregnancy guru. . . . She draws people by the thousands each month to the Golden Bridge yoga studio in Los Angeles, and she's considered one of the nation's yoga superstars."--Los Angeles Times

About the Author

Gurmukh is a pioneer in yoga and the mind-body-spirit connection. Based in Los Angeles, Gurmukh teaches Kundalini yoga, meditation, and pre- and postnatal care. She founded the Golden Bridge Yoga Center, where she is the director and senior teacher. She has been featured in many magazines, including Vogue, W, InStyle, and People. Gurmukh teaches all over the world, from India to Europe and from Central America to the United States. Her previous book is The Eight Human Talents (cowritten with Cathryn Michon). Her kind, compassionate wisdom and counsel touch the life of everyone she meets.

Product Details

• Paperback: 256 pages
• Publisher: St. Martin's Griffin (June 1, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0312310889
• ISBN-13: 978-0312310882
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 7.1 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (24 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #127,264 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #25 in Books > Health, Fitness & Dieting > Exercise & Fitness > Pregnancy

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

21 of 23 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Yoga moms-to-be: This book is terrific!, April 25, 2003

By A Customer

This review is from: Bountiful, Beautiful, Blissful: Experience the Natural Power of Pregnancy and Birth with Kundalini Yoga and Meditation (Hardcover)

BEAUTIFUL, BOUNTIFUL, BLISSFUL is an amazing introduction to the technology of Kundalini Yoga and meditation for expectant women. As with her powerful first book, EIGHT HUMAN TALENTS, Gurmukh presents practical information, divided into sections based on the three trimesters of pregnancy. Each section is a wealth of knowledge and insight into the choices that pregnant women and their loved ones face; specifically, subjects like breastfeeding, labor, diet, exercise, the decision of where to birth, and mothering. In the spirit of attending one of Gurmukh's classes, the sections conclude with perfect and powerful meditation suggestions to address the emotional and spiritual needs of the new mother.

Gurmukh's positivity and encouraging tone throughout the book and her use of real-life examples from her own experiences and those of her students make this volume very enjoyable to read and share with others. Another terrific feature of the book is the presentation of the information by trimester. This will make mothers feel organized and able to "check off" many of their concerns as they address them in a way that makes perfect sense of the baby's development inside of them. The simple pencil illustrations in the book are a celebration of women's pregnant bodies, and nicely demonstrate exercises and meditations.

This book is a delight to read, an attractive reference, the perfect gift for expectant mothers, and a wonderful addition to one's own library of yoga, health, pregnancy, and parenting titles.

113 of 149 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Serious mistakes, packed with prejudice, October 14, 2004

By 

Moden Jorun "swordprincess" (Sweden) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Bountiful, Beautiful, Blissful: Experience the Natural Power of Pregnancy and Birth with Kundalini Yoga and Meditation (Hardcover)

I bought this book after reading some very positive reviews on Amazon.com. Unfortunately there are grave misconceptions and mistakes in Gurmukh's book, which means I don't dare trust her advice. Some of the worst mistakes include:

Nourishment - Gurmukh claims there is more protein in broccoli than in meat (p 80). She suggests pregnant women should try a vegetarian or vegan diet. There is very little protein in broccoli (3,5%) whereas there is a lot in meat (15-20%). However there is plenty of proten in soy flour (37%), nuts (15-25%), beans, peas and tofu (8 - 10%). Gurmukh's claim is wrong, potentially harmful and unnecessary, since there are lots of great sources for vegetable protein, just not broccoli.

Exercise - Gurmukh says she once had a student who was a dancer on a fairly rigourous training schedule. She ended up having a C-section because her cervix would not dilate (p 151). Gurmukh thinks her abdominal muscles might have been so tight that she couldn't let go. I have studied the subject of pregnancy and exercise carefully and versions of this story are often used to scare women to take it easy during their pregnancy. Yes, there are exercising women who had to have a C-section. But this complication in childbirth is more common in women who exercise little or not at all! Abdominal muscles cannot get too tight to give birth, it is the cervix and uterus that are involved in the birth process. Exercising women who generally find it easier to relax than those who don't and recover faster after childbirth. Read James F. Clapp, "Exercising through your pregnancy" for well researched information.

Heavy Metal - Gurmukh says that heavy metal is bad for your baby p 88). This is a matter of opinion but my personal belief is that anything that makes mother feel good will make baby happy.

Men - Gurmukh thinks most men can't stand to see blood, are unsuitable as birth attendants and can only do one thing at a time. Now, let's not generalize... the men I know are intuitive, sensitive, brave and supportive. And I can only do one thing at a time!

Furthermore, Gurmukh says that religion doesn't matter but at the same time she recommens that everyone should try making an altar for the baby, celebrate the arrival of the child's soul and so on. If you like a lot of references to religion and God, this book may be right for you.

Anything good in the book? There is some wholesome advice against circumcision and planned C-sections and Gurmukh is in favour of family beds and attachment. But if these are subjects that interest you, you'll get better value for money if you buy a copy of Sears "The Baby Book". The book is not as much about yoga as about how to expect, deliver and be a mother the Gurmukh way. There is a single yogic exercise at the end of each chapter, I would have preferred suggested exercise programs with routines to follow every day.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A wonderful guide for expectant mothers, February 20, 2007

By 

Charlene D. Barker "yoga teacher" (Houma, LA USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Bountiful, Beautiful, Blissful: Experience the Natural Power of Pregnancy and Birth with Kundalini Yoga and Meditation (Paperback)

I can only say that I wish I had this book when I was having my children - Gurmukh relates her own personal experience in a way that a lot of women in my age group can identify with. Through the beauty of yoga and meditation, she has found a lovely way to hand the power of your own pregnancy and decisions that need to be made back to the mother where it belongs. I recommend this book to all expectant moms!