Breathing is probably the best tool to get us all moms-to-be through the physical discomforts of the last stretch of our pregnancy, and guide us safely through labor. As I entered my third trimester I was short of breath, even when I walked and talked. I had to modify most of the yoga practice and limit it to only a few strengthening poses and some gentle hip and chest openers. There was little room in my stomach, so I ate little quantities frequently. But the thing that I could really luxuriate in was my breathing and mudra practice. As long as my back was nicely propped against a wall, and my seat gently elevated I could enjoy a 30-minute pranayama that was so nourishing and rejuvenating.

During the third trimester breathlessness increases in both frequency and intensity as your growing uterus limits the ability of your lungs to expand with each breath. To compensate for cramping your breathing space from below, pregnancy hormones stimulate you to breathe more often and more efficiently, just to make sure you and your baby are getting the oxygen you need. In order to increase the efficiency and capacity of your breathing and to cope with feelings of breathlessness you need to change position as soon as you feel breathless. Or perhaps you have to slow down when you ran out of breath – just listen to your body’s signals when you feel you are exceeding your limits.

Before the active labor starts make sure you do some sort of aerobic exercise – whether, walking or swimming or some yoga poses – it will improve your circulation and help you build a strong placenta that nourishes the baby. When sleeping experiment with positions that help you breathe more easily. Sitting in a straight chair using correct posture – chest lifted, shoulders back – is easier on the lungs than sitting slumped over in a recliner. Sleep semi-reclined, propped up on pillows. Or try elevating your head with an extra pillow while sleeping in the side-lying position. If for some reason you experience sudden, severe shortness of breath accompanied by chest pain, rapid breathing, or a much more rapid pulse, or severe chest pain while taking a deep breath, don’t suffer silently, seek medical attention immediately. This could be a signal that a blood clot has dislodged and settled in your lungs – a problem that could be solved if you seek professional help.

In terms of breathing I discovered diaphragmatic breathing that raised my rib cage and allowed me to respire from the chest. The deep abdominal breathing that I used to do through the first and second trimester got quite uncomfortable because of the stretching uterus. I also found that every time I stood up this relieved the pressure on the diaphragm. So I resumed my standing Qi-Gong breathing practices, inhaling deeply while raising the arms outward to the sides and upward. Then I would exhale slowly bringing the arms back down to the sides. This led me to couple the breath with neck circles and gentle side twists, which stretched the intercostal muscles and promoted more space through the rib cage. I made sure I was breathing more into my chest than down into the abdomen as I made my ribs push out against my hands on the inhale. I actually focused on how this deep chest breathing allowed me to relieve the crowding of the uterus on the lungs.

I was also very fond of combining the breathing with some pacifying and then labor inducing mudras. This added a picturesque and energetic dimension to my seated practice. I played with spiral breathing from the Sufi dervish meditation and infused it with authentic Egyptian mudras that symbolized unity between the terrestrial and celestial. I probed “Laya” (yoga of absorption) yoga DNA deprogramming mudra and coupled those with gestural depictions of pagan ritual and Celtic runes. I explored meridian enhancing breathing from Tai-chi and simple Zen mindfulness meditation to empty the mind of all expectations.

When I finally got to the labor breathing I switched to slow, deep, relaxed breathing rather than shallow panting. This is the type of breathing used throughout labor and it involves a constriction of the larynx so you produce a very deep ocean breath. Once you extend the breath you can play with the counts of inhaling and exhaling. The point is to gradually extend the inhalation so you bring more life force to the lungs and to push down on the exhalation in order to facilitate quicker and pain-free dilation. Simple fluttering of the lips also helps the cervix open faster. But most importantly, the active stage of labor requires profound breathing and visualization.

Every time you feel the contraction cresting like a wave towards you, it is great to visualize a waterfall that washes it down to the earth. The waterfall cascade acts like a wall between you and the actual spasm. As you allow it to descend you also let go of the pain related to it. When the body spasms it is intuitive to contract the jaw, cervix, lips and squeeze in the facial muscles. But during labor we need to do the reverse. Let go of the spasm, surrender to the pain and simply ride with it until the baby begins to crown. Each contraction is a release into gravity. Each push is a thrust of nature into the Earthly womb. When you connect to that divine rhythm, the fear dissipates and you marvel the ride, each wave stronger and more powerful, each push getting you closer to Gaia –Mother Earth.

Prenatal Breathing and Meditation Yoga Practice: Gift of Life (3rd Trimester)

This Yogea breathing combines movements from belly dancing to promote buoyancy in your hips with long extended diaphragmatic breathing to sooth your sore body and calm your restless mind. Active circles with the shoulders and arms while pointing the thumbs up and down allows you to bring energy into the lower abdomen and pump more oxygen into the baby’s brain without obstructing the uterus. Further, rapid spiraling of the hands in front of the chest, while switching arms allows for connecting to the DNA code of your baby and sending all the positive light into the last stages of its growth and completion. Mudras from ancient Egyptian pictograms depicting the fish goddess open up the cosmic flow through your uterus and facilitate a shorter and ecstatic delivery. Moreover, trance-inducing techniques from the whirling dervish meditation eliminate pain and bring the entire body into a heightened sense of perception and divine flow. Ying-Yang balancing breath from Qi-Gong allows you to channel energy from Sky to Earth and feel grounded and serene. As you open the main meridians you allow the body to do the work on its own. Quick fluttering of the lips teaches you how to relax the lower abdomen, open the cervix for labor and free the mind of any concern. A guided meditation allows you to fill up your heart with devotion and love.