Laka Pregnancy Part 2: Supportive Therapies

Laka Pregnancy Part 2: Supportive Therapies

At Laka, we like to encourage #freewellness, but sometimes supportive therapies can make all of the difference! They not only help you understand your body at a deeper level, but they serve as maintenance for a well-rounded, prompt check in of body, mind, and spirit. 

These 3 therapies were my besties throughout pregnancy. 

1. Cupping

allowed me to unlock tension in the body that builds up as body and baby are growing. This ancient Chinese medicine technique brought a deep sense of flow to my fluid body and I swear by it for preventing any prenatal swelling even in the heat of the hot Hawaiian sun. How it works is by applying suction cups to your back side (or really anywhere on the body) to help draw and collect fluid, promoting healing via blood flow. The best part about pregnancy? Your body is making lots of fresh blood daily to work with! I got "cupped" 1x month and always paired it when I was getting body work done.

2. Regular body work/massage


has similar effects as above, but it really helps to keep the fascia nice and juicy and lymph flowing as desired. I believe that when your body feels really good, your baby builds up it's intelligence of "feel good" and its the beginning stages of a healthy self-care imprint. I would get worked on 1-2x monthly and have my body worker really go to town on my hips and low lumbar. As I am expecting any day now, we've been working on certain acupressure points that support natural labor.

3. Yin Yoga


I am an Ashtanga trained + practiced teacher, but have gravitated less towards Ashtanga or vinyasa flow during my pregnancy intuitively. This pregnancy has felt way different from a movement perspective, and I'm inviting really gentle, prop-supported shapes into my practice without judging the level of difficulty. The supportive practice of Yin paired with intentional breath-work, even 15 minutes a day, has been a dream when I make it to my mat.