Each person finds a place to lie down. Pillows prop up the pregnant women. Their partners settle next to them. Danae Shanti puts on a tape, The Cosmic Waltz, and tells us to breath.

This isn't a stress reduction class, although it could be. It isn’t a relaxation class, although it could be. It isn't a technique for childbirth either, although it could be that too. Danae Shanti teaches the Full Wave Breathing, a technique of consciously directed breathing.

"Full Wave Breathing is a life-enhancing system because it not only re-educates the body to breath naturally in a full, open way, like a newborn," says Shanti. "It also integrates a lot of subconscious matter that's stored from a lifetime of experiences."

We lie on the floor and breath. In. Out. Through our mouths. Deep inhales. Complete exhales. It's simple but not simplistic.

At first it feels unnatural and forced. It's hard to sustain the rhythm that the music echoes. Then a shift happens. It's as if the breath takes over, the body breathes without thinking about it. Full Wave Breathing facilitators say the breath takes us beyond mind to the transpersonal realm.

"What that means is greater self-connectedness, more emotional clarity and immediate clear communication with your partners in life," explains Shanti.

Tom and Caron Goode of the International Breath Institute developed Full Wave Breathing in 1992. Only recently has it been used specifically with pregnant women and their partners. It can also be applied to new parents and their children.

After an hour of breathing, we come back into a circle and share our experiences. "I feel clear, calm and relaxed," said one father.

"I feel like I connected with my baby and that I can trust my body to birth," said a mother-to-be.

"Having other children at home, I haven't felt like I've had time to be with this baby," said a pregnant mother. "Even though it was only an hour, I feel connected and present with my baby."

Women who have practiced Full Wave Breathing, even if only a few times, report using the breath instinctively during labor and delivery. It's a powerful tool that goes beyond Lamaze or Bradley breathing techniques. The breath doesn't focus on pain or even the act of childbirth. Rather, the intention is to breath in the qualities of joy, peace, harmony and balance.

"Full Wave Breathing helps to process and clear fears or anxieties around pregnancy or birth," says Shanti. "It helps to prepare the body by exercising the muscles of breath and it oxygenates the body and the baby. Oxygen is the best food you can offer your unborn child."

The women in the group sessions all felt a connection with the soul of their baby. We felt attuned to our babies and our bodies. The breath seemed to open up pathways of relationship between our babies, our mates, and us.

For Shanti, the breathwork has given her a way to cope with life and all its experiences. "Life can be extremely challenging. It takes a lot of work to live, let alone to bring forth our dreams. The breath is the most natural method that brought me the most positive dramatic results of anything I’ve tried. It gave me a way to be present in my life," she said.

Many in the group went on to private sessions, some alone and some with their partners. Even though we may not be practicing Full Wave Breathing daily, it's deeply affected all of us.

"People find it hard to believe that this breathwork can do so much for them," Shanti summarized, "but it can."