Birth is a Rite of Passage
A woman is the full circle. Within her is the power to create, nurture and transform.
Throughout pregnancy, women experience profound change: physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually. These changes occur in a pregnant woman’s body, brain, hormones, and her heart.
Pregnancy and birth are profoundly transformational experiences in which a woman becomes a mother, and her life is never again the same after birth as it was before. Birth has long been considered by many cultures to be a sacred rite of passage in which the power of the transformation shapes both the baby, mother, family, and the entire community.
Communities the world over have created ways of honouring and celebrating womanhood, pregnancy, birth, and the newborn through physical, social, and spiritual rituals and ceremonies for healing.
When we recognise that birth is a rite of passage, then how you choose to treat your pregnancy, birth your baby, and care for your newborn helps establish the foundation for their life and for yours too, as a mother.
The Power of a Birth Plan
It’s YOUR birth, so rather than just hoping for the best or ‘trusting’ your care provider, take the bull by the horns and do your own research. What you discover might totally surprise you!
This is the power a birth plan gives us.
When what we planned for doesn't come to pass, then we have the know-how and the tools to explore other options or Plan B, Plan C or Plan D that will still give us the positive outcome we are planning for!
Your Brain During Birth
One of the ways in which we can better connect to the limbic system is through self-awareness, this is THE MAIN principle of yoga and it's one of the reasons why a prenatal specific yoga practice throughout pregnancy can be of immense benefit - not just to prepare the body and connect with your baby but more so to prepare the mind! By increasing our self-awareness through practices of pregnancy yoga, pranayama (breathing techniques) and meditation practices we become better attuned to our inner landscape, connecting with and becoming aware of different sensations on a deeper level and thus preparing us to move into the limbic part of the brain during the birth of our baby.
Practical yoga postures to turn a breech baby
Prenatal yoga postures can help to create more space and ease during your pregnancy. Some yoga postures will encourage an ‘optimal’ position for your baby. From 30 weeks onwards, you’ll want to be proactive and spend at least 30 minutes a day with your belly facing the ground, this can help modern mothers to avoid a breech baby or posterior positioning in your womb. Yoga asana and movements such as Cat/Cow, rocking, circles, or swaying on all fours are all recommended in addition to downward facing dog and baddha konasana.
Pregnant in Perth? Here’s why you need a Pregnancy Yoga Class!
Attending specially designed prenatal yoga classes is not just about accommodating your growing belly, it’s also about expanding your mind, exploring your options for birth and joining together as a collective community as you begin your journey into motherhood. Pregnancy yoga offers a depth and a warmth beyond the yoga postures themselves, and like everything in life, some teachers will resonate more than others, so seek out a class (and a suitably trained teacher) that suits – you’ll know your community when you find it!
5 Yoga Poses to Ease Back Pain during Pregnancy
Here are 5 yoga poses to help you stretch to alleviate piriformis / sciatic pain during pregnancy - please note that some of these yoga postures will need to be modified or are not suitable if you have pelvic girdle pain, low lying placenta or a breech baby - if you're unsure please seek the advice of a specially trained Prenatal Yoga Teacher who can provide safe alternatives using props in a Pregnancy specific yoga class.
Pregnancy, Yoga + the Pelvic Floor
It's a common myth that if you have a caesarean birth then you don't need to do pelvic floor exercises - WRONG! As your baby grows and becomes bigger, this additional weight on your pelvic floor causes it to stretch and weaken. Learning safe and correct techniques to strengthen the pelvic floor muscles will help prevent leakage when you sneeze or cough – something that becomes a lot harder to restrain from after giving birth!
How Prenatal Yoga can help your birth
When it comes to labouriNG and giving birth (ANY birth), the mind-body connection is PARAMOUNT! A prenatal yoga class can help women to access deep reserves of emotional strength and resilience that can be put to good use not just during contractions but for being present and anchored in some of the challenges that are likely to come up throughout your labour and giving birth to a baby.
Mental Health Matters
There’s a common misconception that yoga teachers have it all together! Let me tell you that this could not be further from the truth! Although I have had a dedicated yoga practice for more than a decade now, let me be the first to tell you that yoga is not a magic pill to avoiding matters of the mind. While it can certainly provide the tools to assist with some of the overwhelm and anxiety associated with depression, it’s by no means a cure. I wanted to share my personal struggles with the intention of opening up a conversation, a dialogue about the importance of not just looking after our body, but our mind too.