Never Lose Hope

Sit on the floor and close your eyes. Concentrate on your breathing until you are absorbed in your slow breath, in and out.
Continue your breathing as you read the following passage. When you have finished, continue breathing with your eyes closed.
Remember that your soul is, in essence, happiness itself and enjoy the beautiful landscapes of your mind.
Never Lose Hope
If you have given up hope of ever being happy, cheer up. Never lose hope. Your soul is, in essence, happiness itself.
If you keep the eyes of your concentration closed, you cannot see the sun of happiness burning within your bosom; but no matter how tightly you close the eyes of your attention, the fact nevertheless remains that the happiness rays are ever trying to pierce the closed doors of your mind. Open the windows of calmness and you will find a sudden burst of the bright sun of joy within your very self.
The joyous rays of the soul may be perceived if you interiorize your attention. These perceptions may be had by training your mind to enjoy the beautiful scenery of thoughts in the invisible, intangible kingdom within you. Do not search for happiness only in beautiful clothes, clean houses, delicious dinners, soft cushions, and luxuries. These will imprison your happiness behind the bars of externality, of outwardness. Rather, in the airplane of your visualization, glide over the limitless empire of thoughts. There behold the mountain ranges of unbroken, lofty, spiritual aspirations for improving yourself and others.
Glide over the deep valleys of universal sympathy. Fly over the geysers of enthusiasm, over the Niagara Falls of perpetual wisdom, plunging down the hoary crags of your soul's peace.
If you have made up your mind to find joy within yourself, sooner or later you shall find it.
by Parahamsa Yogananda

http://www.parentingweekly.com/pregnancy/breathingspace/vol18/pregnancy_meditation.asp

Spinal Breathing

Find a wall or flat surface to provide back support during this advanced pranayama technique.
Close your eyes and your mouth. Slowly and gently inhale and exhale through your nose. The breath should be deep but not forced and should fill your abdomen up through your chest to the top of your collar bone, before retreating during the exhale. Slowly repeat this a few times.
As you inhale, focus your attention and imagine there is a tiny tube or cord that originates at your perineum and stretches up through your spine to the stem of your brain and terminates at the center of your head. Once your attention reaches your head, imagine a tiny nerve turns forward to reach the point between your eyebrows.
With each slow inhale, imagine energy funneling up from your perineum up to the point between your eyebrows and then back down again to your perineum. Repeat this with each breath.
This exercise should be done for a few minutes before meditation. Remain seated when you are finished with the exercise and begin meditation immediately.

Benefits of this exercise: http://www.parentingweekly.com/pregnancy/breathingspace/vol14/pregnancy_exercise.asp

Lotus Pose (Padmasana)

The Lotus Pose is said to have been routinely used by Buddha and is a popular meditation pose. It may be uncomfortable at first until your ligaments extend. It's a common misconception that meditation should be done in the Lotus Pose, so if it is too difficult, any other seated pose will work well. This is one of the basic yoga postures, so take your time becoming comfortable in it.
How to do it
Bring your right foot onto your left thigh. Bounce the right knee and, if it touches the floor with ease, bend your left knee and grab your left foot with both hands and place it on your right thigh. Your hands should rest on your knees, either open or forming a mudra.

Benefits of this pose: http://www.parentingweekly.com/pregnancy/breathingspace/vol11/pregnancy_exercise.asp

Kapalabhati

Kapalabhati is a cleansing breath that literally translates as "skull that brings lightness." Use it to clear a foggy or heavy head or when you have mucus buildup in your air passages and tension or blockages in your chest. It can also help with sinus issues, such as numbness around the eyes.
During this breathing exercise, the breath is deliberately sped up using only diaphragmatic (abdominal) breathing. Each breath is short, rapid and strong as the lungs act as a pump to expel air from the lungs and remove waste from the air passages.
It is important to do this exercise carefully while sitting. If you are pregnant, skip the breath retention step, as holding your breath can harm your baby. This exercise may create tension in the breath and cause dizziness, so always end your practice with some deep, slow breaths.
One Repetition:
Begin by breathing normally twice. Inhale, and then exhale while pulling in your diaphragm. Repeat this 20 times, maintaining a steady rhythm and emphasizing the exhale each time. Follow this by inhaling and exhaling completely. Now, inhale and hold your breath for as long as is comfortable (skip this step if you are pregnant). Slowly exhale.

Learn more: http://www.parentingweekly.com/pregnancy/breathingspace/vol10/pregnancy_exercise.asp