Meet Satya. He was born just a few weeks ago, in our dining room!

He's my third child, and his birth was something else.

With my first two babes, I woke up at my usual time in the morning and felt an inexplicable new feeling in my body. A couple hours later both times, my contractions began, and both times by 8pm there was a new kid in our house!

I'd been reminded throughout this pregnancy by my midwives and friends that third babies can come really fast. "Make sure you call us right away" they said. "Have a backup in case we can't get the tub filled in time," they said.

So while consciously I knew that every birth is different, the truth is I fully expected this labor to be straightforward and speedy like my others (or even-- I hoped-- faster!)

Which is why when I began having mild contractions on Saturday, I scrapped our weekend plans. But... by Sunday morning they hadn't gotten any stronger, longer or closer together (that's how you know it's really happening.) 

I let the midwives know what I was feeling, made some raspberry leaf tea, ate my 6 daily dates and settled in to wait.

I'll skip the details of my next 2 days and just tell you there's a thing called prodromal labor. It's like... the purgatory of birthing. It's like the myth of Sisiphus, where he keeps pushing that boulder up the hill and it always rolls back down.

Prodromal contractions can be uncomfortable enough that you can't concentrate on doing other things while they're happening, but unlike "real" labor, they can continue without progressing in intensity or frequency for days or even (gulp) weeks. 

Except that sometimes they stop completely and then start again. Oof.

Despite it not being my first rodeo, I was unprepared for this.

Or was I?

The thing is, I'd been sweating it up in our in-home hot room at least 5 days a week throughout this pregnancy. (Not to mention the other 17 years-ish since I found Bikram Yoga!) 

So I actually had everything I needed.

Here are just some of the skills I've honed through my yoga practice, which helped me cope with feelings of frustration, impatience and exhaustion during the 60 hours or so from my first contraction until I finally met my son:

Breathing

Just like in yoga class, I use nose breathing during labor to keep my nervous system calm and conserve energy. Here's more about how that works.

Interoception

Interoceptive awareness is the ability to identify, understand, and respond appropriately to the body's internal cues. It's knowing what is going on inside my body, what it means, and what to do about it. 

Pregnancy Yoga emphasizes this skill, encouraging us to constantly monitor the sensations in the body brought on by each posture, and adjust the intensity as needed. I mean, you should really be doing this in any yoga class! You just might get more reminders from the teacher during Pregnancy Yoga. Practicing with an injury will also train this especially well: you constantly have to listen to your body's messages to know if you need to do less or rest.

Interoception helped me pace myself even during a labor that seemed to go on and on. I could feel what my body was doing and respond to its needs in each moment with movement, sounds or rest.

Faith

I had to tap into my faith a lot during my weekend of waiting for Satya. Faith in the natural process of birth, faith in my body, faith in myself. With labor starting and stopping I began to doubt myself: maybe it was wishful thinking? Did I will myself into having contractions before it was really the time? What if I got too tired and couldn't see this through to the finish line?

There was a moment just before I needed to push, where I said to my husband "I don't know if I can do this." As soon as I said it, I knew that I could. 

What we practice in Bikram Yoga class and in Pregnancy Yoga is repeatedly putting ourselves in this position. We're struggling, thinking "I don't know if I can do it" and then we prove to ourselves: we can.

Hatha (physical) yoga is about using our bodies to cultivate a relationship of faith (trust) with ourselves. And it goes so far beyond the physical realm.

Determination

In yoga, you might associate determination with "pushing through" or holding the pose no matter what until the end. But in fact, determination in yoga can often mean, NOT pushing through. 

I mean, if your breathing is all over the place and your pose is misaligned because you're too tired to use your muscles correctly, pushing through or "no matter what" isn't determination: it's just ego! 

So determination can also mean the commitment to doing what is truly best for you, and not letting ego get in the way.

During Satya's birth I used my determination in the "pushing through" sense. But I also had to stay determined to allow the process to unfold, without me (ego) trying to control it.

Concentration

By focusing your mind on what your body is doing in the present moment, even with potential distractions like the heat, sweat in your eye, or that housefly that somehow snuck into the room, yoga helps you hone your concentration powers until they become superpowers!

Labor can actually slow or even stop as a result of distractions, like someone new entering the room. I used my concentration superpower during Satya's birth to keep me on track... even as my other children woke up and started eating their breakfast cereal beside me while asking questions about where babies come from!

Patience

In hatha yoga patience is developed in many ways. One is simply the patience to hold your body in an uncomfortable position until you hear the word "change!" Another is patience over the longer term: accepting your current level of ability/ flexibility/ strength/ balance and allowing that to improve over time, on a timeline that may be slower than you'd prefer.

This one was huge for me with this birth. I'd been ready to meet Satya for days, and there were moments it seemed like he would never show up! I tapped into my yoga-patience and reminded myself that he would arrive exactly when he was ready.

Denouement

The good news about prodromal contractions is that they help the body prepare for active labor and may even help dilate the cervix a bit. By the time my baby was finally ready to join us, I only had to push 5 times to get him out. 

Satya was born just after 8am that Tuesday morning, with one arm raised up next to his head like he was setting up for Standing Bow Pulling Pose! It's called a nuchal hand presentation. And maybe that was part of the delay, my body trying to nudge him into an easier position before he began his descent. 

Besides longer labors, other nuchal hand birth stories I've read often involve tearing, pain and long hours of pushing.

I can't say for sure if my yoga practice is completely responsible for my smoother experience, but I can tell you that besides walking the kids to school and a bit of swimming, it's the only exercise I've done for over a year. 

Here's how my pregnancy went:

• No back pain (none!)
• No swelling
• No fatigue
• Normal weight gain
• Normal blood pressure
• Normal blood sugar
• Cravings for healthy food
• Clear skin
• No stretch marks

Here's how I felt after Satya's birth:

• No tears
• No vaginal pain or soreness (none!)
• No incontinence
• Normal bathroom activities within hours
• Swelling gone in less than 24 hours
• Cramping gone in less than 24 hours
• Plenty of energy to take care of him

I was talking with my doula a few days later, and she said: "Every baby has something to teach you with their birth." I think Satya's lesson for me was that life is (still) full of surprises.

Every birth is different, even for the same mom!

I'm in no way claiming that if you practice this yoga our experiences will be the same.

What I do know though, and what any birth professional will tell you, is that having a healthy body and mind can only have positive effects on the kind of pregnancy and birth you have! There's so much in life that is beyond our control, but to a huge extent your health is up to you. 

Pregnancy Yoga ticks all the boxes for a safe and effective exercise regimen that will help you prepare for the birth of your dreams: It's zero-impact, moderate to low intensity, emphasizes breathing, tones the pelvic floor, strengthens joints, prevents back pain, builds stamina, improves balance and relieves stress. 

I felt so good during and after yoga that I practiced almost every day throughout this pregnancy. But you don't have to hit your mat daily to enjoy the benefits!

Even 2 to 3 sessions a week can have a huge impact.

So if you're expecting (or plan to be) find out more about Pregnancy Yoga here. We've got several classes and downloadable resources for you in our library here. And feel free to email me if you have any questions! I love helping out new moms and moms-to-be.

Always consult your medical provider before starting a new exercise routine.

We've teamed up with our east coast friends at Wellness Hot Yoga to increase our offerings of Zoom classes! Here is a message from WHY owner Teri Almquist:

​Here are all the interactive online class times (shown below in Pacific time) now included in HHY Online Membership:

Getting started is easy:

1. CLICK HERE to sign up for your Online Membership
2. Check your email for a link to set up your WHY pass at no extra charge
3. Get to a class in our Members Area and feel fantastic

With many hot yoga studios still closed, and the rest of them operating at limited capacity, far too many homebound yogis are missing out on the healing benefits of heat!

We get it.

In fact, once we gave back our keys to the studio Orlo and I became 2 of those people! "Trapped" in our 600 SF home with two young kids, a daily yoga practice became a LOT more challenging to squeeze in, and it was basically impossible to heat up a room without roasting the entire house and making said kids quite cranky.

I knew there had to be a way.

As yoga studio owners turned online studio owners, we are huge believers in the power of Bikram Yoga, with or without heat.

​But we also know that when you can close off your space to outside distractions and break a real darn sweat: it's even BETTER!

So when I got an email from Mick at Home Hot Yoga Studio (serendipitous name, right??) I jumped at the chance to try this portable and simple solution to creating a HOT yoga practice, at home.

I'm happy to report I tried mine in our living room, and I have not sweat so hard in months!!

Read on below for my experience and tips -- PLUS how to get your very own Home Hot Yoga Studio!

Here's how:

1. Click here to email & purchase - use coupon code KAY (Get the Tall Size if you're over 5 feet)
2. Email me your receipt and I'll send you the link to grab your Free Month!

Possibly the biggest game-changer for your Pranayama Breathing is learning to synchronize the movements of your arms and head!

It ain't easy, but when you figure it out you will build strength and length in your neck, relieve tension in your shoulders, and best of all: feel more relaxed, taller and more powerful within just the first few minutes of your practice!

Check out this video we made you with tips and demonstration - then try it in your next class!

Check out these posts for more on breathing:

• Pranayama Deep Breathing - Benefits, Tips and Throat Constriction
• Why is nasal breathing a thing?

Maybe you’ve been here:

Huffing and puffing through the first few poses in one of your first hot yoga classes, your face turning bright beet-red. The more you try to breathe, sucking air in through your mouth- the harder it seems to get.

From somewhere in the distance, you hear the instructor’s calm, encouraging voice:
“Close your mouth, breathe through your nose.”

You try it.

It works!

Nose breathing is the way

Many people have been taught or just naturally start breathing through their mouths while exercising, especially when it gets intense. But emerging research suggests nasal breathing (like we do for about 80 out of the 90 minutes in a Bikram Yoga class) is actually where it’s at.

That’s no big surprise for yoga practitioners, who have been harnessing the power of breath for centuries! (But we always love when science backs up what we do!)
 
Breathing by the nose helps athletes perform better

For example, this recent study looked at runners who used nasal breathing and found their maximum rate of oxygen consumption was unchanged compared to mouth breathing.

At the same time, their respiratory rates (breaths per minute) and ratios of oxygen intake to carbon dioxide output decreased, which means they didn’t have to work as hard to get the same amount of oxygen! 

Researchers believe the lower breath rate caused by breathing through your nose (a much smaller opening for air than your gaping maw) allows more time for oxygen to get to the bloodstream.

That means you get more oxygen to your cells from each breath, which allows you to breathe less.

Wait a sec? Is breathing LESS a good thing?

Don’t worry: no one is telling you not to breathe. It’s about being efficient.

By breathing through your nose "you actually can perform your big physical tasks – running, cycling, things like that, you can perform them using less oxygen because you're not having to breathe as much to perform them,” says researcher George Dallam. “Which turns this not just into a health thing, but also into a performance thing too.”
 
Nose breathing helps with daily wellbeing too
 
I recently read a fascinating book called Breath, by James Nestor. In it Nestor “explores the million-year-long history of how the human species has lost the ability to breathe properly and why we’re suffering from a laundry list of maladies—snoring, sleep apnea, asthma, autoimmune disease, allergies—because of it.”

One thing Nestor did as part of this book was an experiment where he plugged his nose completely for 10 days, forcing himself to breathe only through his mouth. Spoiler alert: the results were disastrous!

Other spoiler alert: everything got better when he began breathing through his nose again.

Among other things, it turns out people who breathe primarily through their noses have:

• Better posture
• Straighter teeth and better facial bone structure
• Less sleep apnea and snoring
• Less stress and anxiety
• Lower rates of heart disease and diabetes
• Less asthma
• Less ADHD

 
Nasal breathing calms ya down
 
Breathing slowly through the nose is associated with the parasympathetic aspect of your nervous system, known as the “rest, digest and reproduce” state. (You probably know that one from yoga class!)

Breathing fast, through the mouth, or too much (hyperventilation) activates the sympathetic nervous system, putting you into a state of “fight, flight or freeze.” (You know that one from if you’ve ever been stressed out.)

That’s because nasal breathing activates the lower part of the lungs, which is associated with the parasympathetic nerves.

Oh hey, we made a video about that!

“You’re dealing with what is called a vagal response,” Dallam says. “You’re actually activating your vagal nerve to do the action of the lung itself when you breathe that way. That’s why a relaxation breath is a deeper breath. If you breathe deeply and activate the diaphragm well, and activate the lower portion of the lung, then you create some immediate relaxation.”
​
It ain't always easy, but it's worth it

As James Nestor and James Newbury found, breathing by the nose during physical exertion isn't necessarily easy.

The key, whether in a Bikram Yoga class or training for a triathlon, is to only challenge yourself as much as you can while maintaining nasal breathing. This means you may need to back off on intensity at first and be patient with the process.

(Helloooo, psychological benefits!)

When you breathe calmly through your nose, you take charge of your own nervous system

The more you practice, the better you'll get at nasal breathing and the more your health will improve as a result. 

Don't take my word for it though! Try it in class today ;)

Liz asked me about the birth story of Home Hot Yoga, why I love St. Johns, what it's like to be a shut-down business during a global pandemic- and how the heck I expect people to do hot yoga in their bathrooms!

Check it out:

1. Practicing exactly like you used to
 
The reality is, until your first class back in the studio (unless your "quarantine project" was building a sauna in your garage) you have not done Bikram Yoga in 105 degrees in at least 7 months. And you've probably never done it in a mask!

If you come in going "balls to the wall" you may find yourself in final savasana around party time. Instead, EASE back into your practice by... lowering your expectations.

One way to try is doing the 1st set of each pose very gently (seriously, 10% of what you think you can do) and hold it still and breathe. If you feel strong, try doing a little bit more in the 2nd set. 

Instead of trying to do a "deep" posture or even the whole posture, try doing 1 step at a time with your most perfect technique. Your body has been through a LOT lately (even just sitting long hours at a desk can be traumatic!) It's not kind- or fair- to ask it to perform like it did back when you were attending yoga several times a week.

Approaching your practice in this patient and measured way will help you build strength and stamina- and reconnect your consciousness to your body in a way you haven't done in a while!

Backing off on intensity always provides an incredible opportunity to learn so much about the pose, the yoga- and most importantly, about yourself.
 
2. Not drinking water, because face diaper
 
Maybe it's just us, but the team have noticed ourselves drinking WAY less at the studio now that we've got masks on (and kombucha is no longer on tap!)

Especially if you wear a mask throughout the day, create a habit of chugging at least a 16-24 oz glass of water first thing in the morning when you wake up. You'll be ahead of the hydration game before you cover up your piehole.

P.S. We now have SOMA Kombucha in bottles! Grab one after class and take it with you. Did you know the Concord Grape Rii is caffeine free? Refreshing and hydrational (yes that is now a word)
 
3. Not involving your peeps
 
One of the biggest mistake we make as individualistic American cowboys (or cowgirls or cowpersons) is believing we have to go it alone.

If being trapped home alone for months has taught us anything, it's how much we gain from being with others. Returning to your yoga practice is no different. Studies have even shown that people tend to exercise more regularly when they have an exercise partner!

Making plans for a "yoga date" can be the best motivation (and hey, we've made it super easy to socially distance in the hot room.)

Send a yoga buddy THIS LINK to get their 1st month for $50!
 
Did these tips help you rock your return? Let us know!

What heat does:

Heat relaxes tense muscles and (by improving circulation) helps heal damaged tissue, ease soreness and relieve joint pain caused by arthritis or just being a stiff dude. Heat therapy can be "dry heat" like using a heating pad or sitting in a sauna, or "moist heat" like soaking in a hot spring or applying steamed towels. At 105 degrees and 40% humidity (your clothes basically become steamed towels!) our hot room environment here at Home is kind of... both.

Heat has even been found to be an effective treatment for depression!

This area of research is relatively new, but already this study has even looked specifically at using heated yoga to treat depression and anxiety and (surprise surprise!) it works. Bonus: no crummy side effects like other anti-depressants.

There's lots of evidence exposure to warm temperatures can elevate your mood. Scientists have observed that brain areas which process pleasant stimulation activate when the skin is warmed. Activity in the medial orbitofrontal cortex for example is low in depression, but it’s increased by warm stimulation. 

While being in the heat helps us feel happier, doing yoga poses in the heat also provides an added challenge to the mind, and through that challenge hot yogis cultivate the oh-so-practical mental qualities of Faith, Self Discipline, Concentration, Determination and Patience!
​
Athletes use heat training for improved endurance.

A rapid increase in the volume of blood's plasma when it's hot seems to boost performance in athletes! It does so by helping move excess heat out to the skin and cool you off, among other things. The jury's still out on whether heat training helps improve endurance in regular temperatures, but... concentration and determination definitely do.

Heat may also keep you saf(er) 

Check out this blog post here for what science has found about the effects of heat and humidity on COVID-19 transmission rates. (Hint: it's good news for Bikram yogis!) 

Bottom line:

A blacksmith doesn't try to take a piece of iron and change its shape by just pounding away at it cold. You have to heat it up first! In the same way, we're trying to change (improve!) both both body and mind when we practice yoga. Keeping toasty helps you do it!

Ready to try? Book your next heat therapy- I mean, hot yoga- sesh here.

When you first return Home, you will probably need to take more breaks than you are accustomed to. It's true that a mask will be in the way of air headed into your nose, but also don't forget that you haven't been in a hot room for 7 months!

Everyone is going to be out of "hot yoga shape" at Homecoming, masks or no masks. We all get to re-acclimate together.

If you think about it, that's kind of awesome.

Never in the history of the studio have we ever had a class where everyone was still getting used to the heat!

What a gift that we all get to support and inspire each other in this way. 

Look, if you have any concern (and especially if you have any respiratory issues) you should definitely ask your doctor if wearing a mask in hot yoga is for you.

Having said that, there may even be some benefit to exercising while wearing a mask!

For years, athletes have used "elevation training masks" which decrease levels of oxygen to simulate working out at high elevations. The idea is training the lungs to perform with less oxygen, will make performing with normal oxygen levels that much easier.

It's important to note that wearing a regular (non-ETM) mask does not actually decrease oxygen levels (though it may feel like it sometimes) 

Bottom line: athletes have been training in masks for years. The word "training" is the key: it's a practice. Like yoga.

Doing your yoga in a mask is going to take practice.

So are you prepared?

If you're prepared to try- mindfully and patiently, practicing in a mask will be way less lame. 

By the way, just like trying ONE class in a mask is not really enough.

Because, imagine if you only tried Standing Bow Pulling pose ONCE, and then decided you couldn't do it?? You've got to give this (and yourself!) an honest chance. Just like when you first began practicing in the heat: 2 or 3 classes in your first week will help you adjust the quickest.

Who knows, your respiratory system may actually get stronger from the experience! Your ability to tune in to your body's signals and manage intensity accordingly definitely will.

And that's a bonus worth training for!

Check out this post for more thoughts and tips on wearing masks in class.