Sunday, November 21, 2010

Share Your Story

Dear Ones,

My Alma matte is always encouraging me to tell my story. They say that it is an important part of the school's history. They want to know how my experience has influenced my life, and do I have any advise for new, upcoming students. More than my college years, my birth event was monumental, remarkable. I continue to look back and touch upon the many chapters. It was grueling, exhausting. But somewhere in the heat of all of that work, something happened. I can't recall exactly the moment, but something grand happened and I have never been the same.

How do you want to recall your birth experience, and what can you do to help support your intention?

In the coming year, in yoga, I envision giving women an opportunity to journal about their pregnancy experience. My hope is that it will entice you to continue writing and record, special, significant moments of your birth that capture your heart. For example, Kelly broke all of our hearts in our closing circle when she shared how sweet the smell of her baby Helen was when they first put her on Kelly's chest. These moments are precious, and we should do everything in our power to anchor them deep in our being.

This week in yoga I will be bringing my camera and taking pictures of all of you in poses in anticipation of sharing you on my blog. Then, after you have your babies' I'd love the opportunity to do a feature story on each of you. I truly hope you will join along.

In love and light,


Maurene

Friday, November 5, 2010

Moving In Full Circle

For the next several weeks, we will be putting it all together. Our starting place is early labor, a time to retreat, taking rest and nourishment for the demands ahead. This is the fetal position, being still, connecting with the subtly of cellular breathing. Labor progresses, movement begins slowly, ease fully as we expand outward, from our core like your baby will do when it is time to be born. Active labor involves more concentrated effort, yielding in standing poses, reaching in forward bends while connecting reverently with the breath. We will give birth, arching into backbends, leading with the mouth and pushing with the tail. In postpartum, we round back, reconnecting with our core. This will be a time of strengthening/connecting with the physical body that makes up our core i.e. the pelvic floor, lower abdominals and the muscles of your inner thighs. Finally, our work is complete, we conclude where we begin, resting back, huddled over in the fetal position.