The Holistic Approach of Garbhsanskaar: A Narrative Review of its Practices and Benefits

Abstract

Introduction: Garbhsanskaar is an ancient Indian tradition or prenatal practice that encompasses a range of prenatal  practices aimed at enhancing the mental, physical, emotional, and spiritual well-being of an unborn child. Rooted  in Indian tradition, these practices include reading spiritual books, chanting mantrs, meditation, yoga, dietary  regulations, listening to music, and engaging in creative, positive, and spiritually enriching activities. Methods: Literature from a range of sources including ancient texts, contemporary research articles, and clinical  studies was conducted for this study. Furthermore, databases such as Google Scholar, PubMed, and traditional  Ayurvedic manuscripts till December 2023 were utilized to gather relevant information on Garbhsanskaar practices  and its effects. Results: Numerous researches on Garbhsanskaar or prenatal care and its effects on expectant mothers and their  unborn children revealed several kinds of advantages for their physical, emotional, and spiritual well-being. These  exercises include yoga, meditation, pranayama, yoga nidra, diet, painting, and reading sacred texts. Discussion: This study presents that all the practices which come under the Garbhsanskaar ritual actually improve  the mother’s and the baby’s physical, mental, and spiritual well-being. Conclusion: Garbhsanskaar offers a valuable perspective on prenatal care and should become essential in the life  of pregnant women. Garbhsanskaar is an ancient Indian practice that involves a series of  traditional rituals during pregnancy. This Sanskar aimed to uplift the  mental, physical, emotional, and spiritual well-being of an unborn child.  The term “Garbhsanskaar” is derived from two Sanskrit words, where  “Garbha,” meaning womb of a mother, and “Sanskaar,” meaning  education/values.[1,2] The Vedas and Puranas are ancient Indian books  that have references about the Garbhsanskaar practice. It is widely  believed that a baby’s physical, mental, and spiritual development  starts in the womb and the unborn child is greatly influenced by the  mother’s thoughts, feelings, and surroundings. Historical figures, such