How the Miles Circuit Can Help Induce Labor (and Why It’s Basically Yoga in Real Life)

Pregnant, overdue, or just feeling ready to meet your baby?

The Miles Circuit has become a go-to natural method for encouraging labor and optimal baby positioning. If you’ve ever practiced prenatal yoga, you might notice something familiar…

These are yoga movements, just outside the studio.

In this post, I’ll explore:

• What the Miles Circuit is
• How it helps induce labor naturally
• How it overlaps with prenatal yoga principles
• When to safely incorporate it into your third-trimester routine!

The Three Steps of the Miles Circuit

1. Open-Knee Chest (30 minutes)
   • Think of this like a modified puppy pose or child’s pose.
   • The goal is to give baby space to rotate or shift by lifting the hips higher than the chest.
   • Props: Use a couch, stack of pillows, or birthing ball for support.
2. Left Side-Lying with Hip Tilt (30 minutes)
   • This one mirrors side-lying savasana with intentional alignment.
   • Tuck a pillow behind your back and one between your knees to support spinal neutrality.
   • It’s all about resting and letting gravity and your soft tissue alignment do the work.
3. Upright & Asymmetrical Movement (30 minutes or more)
   • Enter: Prenatal yoga walking lunges and supported squats!
   • You’ll stay active with gentle movements that open the pelvis and encourage baby’s descent.
   • Try curb-walking, hip circles on a birth ball, or deep squats with a wall or partner’s support.

Can the Miles Circuit Help Induce Labor?

The Miles Circuit doesn’t “force” labor — instead, it creates optimal alignment and relaxation, which can encourage labor to start if your body is ready.

You can repeat the circuit once daily in late pregnancy or use individual positions for labor prep.

Yoga in Real Life: How the Miles Circuit Aligns with Prenatal Practice

If you’ve been practicing yoga during pregnancy, the Miles Circuit will feel incredibly familiar — and that’s because the principles of breath, posture, and intention are the same.

Here’s how yoga overlaps with the circuit:

• Open-Knee Chest = Supported Puppy or Extended Child’s Pose
  Focuses on heart opening, pelvic tilt, and surrender.
• Side-Lying = Restorative Savasana
  Invites deep rest and nervous system calm.
• Upright Movement = Functional Yoga Flow
  Involves mindful walking, lunging, and squatting with breath and support.

The Miles Circuit is, in essence, a labor-prep flow grounded in the same body awareness yoga teaches. It’s not about doing “more,” but tuning into how your body creates space for baby — and releasing what doesn’t serve you (tension, fear, rigidity).

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When and How to Try the Miles Circuit

When:

• Late 3rd trimester (starting around 38-39 weeks)
• If baby is in a less ideal position
• If you’ve had a long early labor or inconsistent contractions
• Anytime you need to relax and reset!

How Often:

• Once a day is safe for most people in late pregnancy
• Always check with your midwife or OB, especially if you have specific restrictions

Pair It With:

• Your breathwork practice
• Hydration and light snacks
• Warm compresses or essential oils for relaxation

Wrap-Up: The Miles Circuit as Mindful Birth Prep

Whether you call it yoga or not, the Miles Circuit embodies everything we teach in prenatal yoga:

• Intentional movement
• Breath-based awareness
• Empowered preparation
• And deep, trusting rest.

Ready to take your yoga off the mat and into your birth preparation? The Miles Circuit might be your new favorite third-trimester ritual.

Pin this post, save it for week 39, and remember: your body knows what it’s doing. We’re just giving it space to move.