The average person breathes about 20,000 times a day, according to the American Lung Association. Yet, few of us put little to not thought into when, or how we do it.
Most of aren’t “taught” to breathe. We just do it. But learning how to breathe in yoga–and in the face of the stress that naturally comes with being pregnant and having a newborn can transform your pregnancy and experience as a mom. Here’s why.
When you breathe, you cue your body how to react. When your day is drama-free, you probably give no thought to breathing. But when you’re experiencing anxiety, anger, or stress, you’ll notice your breath. More than likely, it quickens. It may feel hard to find–especially when you’re pregnant.
Your breathing tells your body you’re under duress. Your muscles tighten, your jaw may clench, the space behind your eyes probably gets a bit tight—even if you don’t notice it. In tandem, your hips, your back, your neck and shoulders tighten. This reaction helps you in times when you really are in danger—but it can work to you and your baby’s disadvantage when you’re not (especially during labor).
When people think about learning to “breathe yoga,” they’re referring to the practice of “pranayama.” The term loosely means, controlling your life force with your breath. The idea is pretty simple: Control your breath, and you can dictate how you and the life inside of you, perceive reality.
Studies have shown that when people learn to practice slow, deep breathing, they essentially counteract the “fight or fight” parasympathetic nervous system. More specifically, slow breaths—especially on the exhale—stimulates your Vagus nerve. (That’s your relaxation response). Some breathing techniques in yoga are intended to build heat in the body, to stimulate energy, and to find a sense of calm. When you’re pregnant, you don’t want to retain your breath. But you can still learn to use it more mindfully to find relaxation and calm, no matter how chaotic your external environment.
The best part about learning to use your breath to your advantage during pregnancy? It’s free. It’s always available for practice when you have a spare moment.
Try these simple pregnancy breathing exercises—even if you do them for just a few minutes a day. The more you practice, the more available the ability to “breathe yoga” will become on and off your mat.
Mindful breath. Find a comfy place where you can sit up tall. Take a big inhale through your mouth and nose, breathing in for at least a slow count of three. When you can’t comfortably inhale any longer, release the breath through your mouth and nose for the same amount of time. If you inhaled for three long seconds, exhale for three as well). Repeat at least five times. Blink your eyes open. Notice how you feel.
Once you get comfortable taking those longer inhales and exhales and matching the length of them, go a step further. Perhaps you can inhale for a count of four, and exhale for a count of five or six. Don’t retain your breath or create a sense of “force” but look to use all the breath that’s available (which is probably alot more than you think).
Focus on the count. One of the toughest parts about mindful breathing in pregnancy isn’t the act of essentially re-learning how you breathe. It’s finding a way to let go of the ideas that will start swirling in your head–about time, about your list of “to do’s”, about how you’re breathing, about how you’re feeling during the process. Focusing on the breath count can give your mind a place to “rest” to ease some of that mental chatter.
Section breathe. When you find a sense of normalcy with longer and slower breaths, check in with your physical state. In that same comfy seat, place your hands on your belly as you take the long inhales and exhales. You should feel the belly rise. As you exhale, you should feel it slowly lower, and soften. (If you don’t, you’re probably not using as deep of breath as you can). Once you find the belly movement, place your hands lightly on your chest. The same process—the chest rises under your hands during the inhale, and softens under the exhale–should be something you’re able to feel. As your mind wanders, check in with the sensations in your bod and follow the path of the breath through your body to quiet your thoughts and emotions.
Put it into practice. For better or worse, you’ll probably find plenty of stressful times when you can practice learning to breathe yoga during pregnancy. When you find yourself late for work, try it out in the car. When you’re waiting for your appointment at the OB-GYN, don’t get frustrated. Practice your breath. The more you do it, the more you’ll find it becomes a natural sensation that you can turn to to make you—and your baby—less reactive, and more at peace regardless of what’s happening to your physically, and in your environment.
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