If one approaches childbirth with an open heart it can be one of the most amazing and transformational experiences of one’s life. To make the best of our experience and to overcome the layers of social conditioning based primarily on fears and ignorance, we must enter the experience well prepared. Preparation comes on a physical, mental and spiritual level. Physically, we prepare ourselves by having cared for our health and bodies throughout pregnancy. As we approach the end of pregnancy, we eat plenty of green leafy vegetables to strengthen our blood and vital energies. Green juice extracts are a great way to integrate these nutrients. (See nutrition section for more detail). Daily walks help keep our body active. At the same time, we should avoid major exertions of energy that may come in the form of “nesting,” i.e. sudden, strong, odd hour urges to clean the entire house, re-decorate or complete all of the last minute shopping. Our energies are better directed towards movement, breathing and visualization exercises.
On a mental, emotional and spiritual level, there are an array of practices. The following are simply a few suggestions. We encourage you to look around for more, or to create others based on your personal beliefs and customs.

First and foremost and forever: Breathe. While in yoga practice we breathe in through the nose and out through the nose, it is generally easier for pregnant and birthing mothers to breathe in through the nose and out through the mouth; thus, we begin… slowly... in through the nose… out through the mouth… in through the nose… out through the mouth… in through the nose… out through the mouth, again and again. The breath is the source of all vital energy, all awareness, all transformation. If we do nothing other than breathe consciously throughout childbirth, we have done the best thing possible. Thus, the premeditated conscious act of breathing, in the face of all possible distraction – whether mental or physical – is the best possible practice.
For added spice, here are a few exercises and visualizations: First, for the sake of positive visualization, let us redefine the word "contraction". While the uterine muscles are indeed contracting, or tightening, the cervix is expanding and opening. As the mind tends to be very literal, it is thus more to our benefit to emphasize the expansive nature of the cervix by replacing the concept of contraction (which very easily partners with the tightening of other muscles, fear and reduced breath) with that of expansion (allowing for opening, release and increased oxygen flow).

Relaxation Practice: With this in mind, with each expansion: Be Present. Breathe as if this were your only expansion. Even the most intense expansions will last only 60-90 seconds.  Practice now by breathing consciously for 60 seconds while allowing your whole body to relax. Return to normal breathing for at least a minute and then begin deep breathing again. This time, while breathing, activate (aka tighten) your entire left leg while focusing on relaxing all other muscles. This will give you an idea of what it will feel like to consciously direct other muscles to relax while your uterus is actively expanding. Now do it again with your left leg active. Then again as follows: Breathing with right leg and right arm activated while all other muscles relax.
Breathing with left leg and left arm activated while all other muscles relax. Breathing with left leg and right arm activated while all other muscles relax. Breathing with right leg and left arm activated while all other muscles relax. These exercises, if practiced regularly before birth, are very helpful as they train the subconscious mind to allow one part of the body to be active while responding with relaxation of the rest.

Opening visualization: Breathe for 30-60 seconds: In through the nose and out through the mouth. As you breathe, imagine that with each expansion your cervix is opening with ease and beauty. Imagine the head of your baby pressing perfectly on the cervix and the cervix responding by releasing into openness. Imagine your cervix completely open, or dilated, and your baby’s head easing through this passage way. Try practicing this while laying down, sitting, walking, standing, and/or standing facing a wall with your hands flat against the wall, feet open wider than the hips and swaying from side to side. Practice these visualizations many times so they become natural and easy.

The "second stage" of birth begins when the cervix is fully dilated and the woman has a natural urge to push.  Optimal pushing is achieved when both of these qualities are present. There is a natural transitional moment when the body reaches complete dilation of the cervix allowing the baby’s head to then descend to the rectal area, thereby pressing against and stimulating the same nerves that signal you to defecate urgently. This transitional ‘moment’ can last anywhere from two to forty-five minutes or more, most often averaging somewhere in between. If they don’t stop altogether, expansions often become lighter and more spread out. The time that elapses allows the body to regenerate energy for the final push (literally). (Note that in some cases women will feel the urgent urge to push before the cervix is fully dilated. This is caused by the rapid descent of the head. Special breathing techniques are very useful here to allow the cervix time to complete its dilation and thus avoid swelling of the cervix and cervical damage.) Far too often, women are encouraged to begin pushing as soon as complete dilation is reached. In many cases this leads to an ineffective and prolonged pushing stage that only further exhausts the woman’s energy reserves. If there is no urgent call from the baby (communicated through his or her heart beat), then all efforts should be made to honor this natural regenerative pause in the birthing process.

Birth Visualization: Your baby is at the final door to the world. Remember that this is his or her birth; we are simply the medium through which they are born. Yes, it is through our actions and efforts that they come to be and yet, still, they too are experiencing this process as intensely (if not more so) than we are.  At the final pushing stage, they are being birthed from an environment of water to an environment of air. Air molecules are considerably smaller and lighter than those of water and thus the pelvic birth canal and the fetal body were divinely designed to allow for a compressive process by which the internal excess of fluids could literally be squeezed out before entry into the lighter atmosphere. As the fetal head descends under the pelvic arch, the cranial plates overlap and squeeze out inner cranial pressure. The same goes for the lungs and abdominal cavity as the baby passes through the entire birth canal. Ah, the beauty of divine architecture.

Now, for a visualization (feel free to add, alter or renew this visualization as you see fit for yourself):

With each expansion, I have a strong urge to push. As the expansion arrives, I take a deep breath in, and with this energy, given to me by the breath, I aide my abdominal and uterine muscles to push the baby under my pubic arch and towards the birth canal. My baby’s head is positioned perfectly so that the cranial plates cross over with ease and my baby’s head slides under my pubic arch. My baby’s shoulders, arms and hands are positioned nicely so they follow the head easily under the arch. As I feel the head stretching the vaginal opening, I know to relax my pushing efforts and breathe so that the tissue may slowly stretch and allow the head and body to emerge with the entire birth canal intact. As my baby is released into the world, his or her first breath comes easily and with great vitality. I immediately embrace my baby with all the joys and miracles of a mother with a new child.

In continuation of the birthing process the placenta is born. This is known technically as the "third stage." The "fourth stage" begins after the placenta is born and lasts at least four hours thereafter. Both of these stages are of vital importance for the safety and health of the mother and are thus worthy of equal awareness and preparatory visualizations. Here is an example of a third and fourth stage visualization: