It is always good to sit and focus on your breath, especially when you are pregnant and approaching the time to deliver. When you are in labor, the breath is the most critical thing to focus on, as it helps you regulate your heart rate and control your mind to keep yourself calm. In this video, Jessica Walden, an Ashtanga yoga teacher based in Encinitas, California, guides an eight-months-pregnant student in a breathing technique for labor and pregnancy that provides an effective method for finding balance and ease.

To get started, find a comfortable seat and sit as tall as you can with your hands down on your knees. Close your eyes, and inhale and exhale as you would naturally. You might focus on a mantra or word such as “relax” as you inhale or exhale. On next inhale deeply breathe in through the nose and exhale out the mouth with your lips parted just slightly. This type of slow, controlled breathing will encourage the body to open up and deliver your baby when the time comes.

By