The first breathing technique that I'd like to teach you is the Ujjayi breath.
If you're familiar with yoga,
You've probably practiced this breath before.
It's the one that's used most frequently in yoga classes.
Ujjayi breath is very simple to do,
And the goal of this breath is to keep you focused on the sensation of breathing.
When we focus on the sensation of breathing,
We relax our nervous system,
And we also keep our mind focused.
So when you're ready,
I'd like you to take one hand and place it in front of your mouth.
I would like you to imagine that you are trying to fog up a mirror on your exhales.
So take a nice deep breath in through the nose,
And on the exhale,
Breathe out through the mouth,
Fogging up that mirror.
Good.
Inhaling through the nose,
Exhaling through the mouth.
Doing that a few times,
Really listening to the sound of the exhale,
Imagining that that hand is the mirror.
Beautiful.
And continuing with that breath,
Release the hand,
Close your lips.
We're going to do the same thing,
Inhaling through the nose,
And we're going to exhale through the mouth,
But keeping the mouth closed.
So taking a deep breath in,
And exhale.
Good.
As you do that,
With each exhale,
You should still hear your breath.
It almost sounds a little bit like a Darth Vader type sound when you exhale,
And that's exactly what you want.
It's the type of breath that you can hear yourself,
But somebody sitting in a chair across the room probably can't hear it.
But it's still loud enough to keep your mind focused.
The reason that practicing Ujjayi breath can be really helpful during pregnancy is that it's giving you a place to focus.
It's keeping you focused on your breathing,
Which is really important when you're feeling anxious.
So if you're waiting in the doctor's office or you're waiting for an ultrasound and you feel your anxiety rising a bit,
Practice that Ujjayi breath.
It's also helpful during the birth process,
Particularly during early labor,
Because it's going to get you focused on your breathing and focused on nice,
Long,
Deep exhales,
Which is exactly what the body needs to stay relaxed.
It's what the mind needs to stay focused,
And it's what your baby needs to have a nice,
Peaceful birth.
So continue to practice that.
If you have any questions at all,
Please leave them in the course area or send us an email,
And we'd be happy to work through them with you.
