Relaxation can look like many different forms to different people. Perhaps taking a bath with your favorite book is relaxing. Maybe walking in a park or by a stream; dancing to your favorite music; sitting quietly; or even organizing your clothes could be relaxing. The main point is to really tune into how certain activities make you feel. Is walking your dog stressful or pleasurable? Is work frustrating or exhilarating? Once you are able to tune into your responses to daily activities you can find ways to make the experience more relaxing at any time. This is be good practice for the ups and downs of labor, and skills when raising a child.

Noticing your breath ties into finding ways to relax during any situation of the day. Just like anything else, tuning into your breath takes practice.

One exercise I like to do is to find a quiet time during my day (or night) were I can sit still. I close my eyes. On each inhale I think, “I am breathing in a deep breath.” On each exhale I think, “I am breathing out a deep breath.” This helps me steady my mind so that the to-do lists and other exciting adventures of the day don’t have room to fill my mind.

Another breathing exercise is to hold one nostril at a time while inhaling or exhaling.