Wednesday, June 15, 2011

Olivia's encounter with her newborn family



Dear Lovelies,

I've heard from our Heather who just had her baby June 8, 2011 at 3:24 p.m. She shared how she loves hearing from her husband, Matt about how she gave birth. She said that the experience was so intense for her that she was unable to open her eyes and see outside of herself. Heather went on to describe herself like a young child, wanting to hear the story over and over again, needing to comb through every nuance, absorbed in awe and disbelief, that such power and enchantment really does exist.

Heather's need to hear her story over and over again reminds me of the image of the physical heart, with its repetitive grooves and how if we want to know something by heart, we need to revisit the encounter often.

Let yourself hear your birth experience over and over again. Ask your partner to repeat his/her account frequently. Verbally repeat your birth experience again and again and again.

Together forever in our hearts,

Maurene

Wednesday, June 1, 2011

Pregnancy, A Sobering Experience


To my favorite yoginis,

Our conclusion at the end of class, when we diary about a word or phrase that helps to deepen, refine and support pregnancy and childbirth, it truly rings out our very finest selves.

Leeanne, last week referred to her pregnancy experience as “sobering”. I loved her description, it conjured up images of my spiritual journey and the movement away from numbing sedation to eventually reaching into conscious elation.

It is clear for me that my spiritual walk begin with pregnancy. What is also clear is that I may not have been able to be so faithful to my own heart's calling if not for my mother. Isn't it the starting place, in pregnancy, your mother? For the first time for many of us, your relationship with your mother looms so big and mighty. What elements of how she mothered do we want to weave through own own parenting, what needs to be undone and how can we do it better? Eventually, you may, if you're fortunate like me, get to gratitude for the simple fact that this woman opened herself up and gave you life.

Through all of this enmeshment of transient, thoughtful demeanor is the heart and its ability to nurture, understand and guide. We can help to anchor ourselves in its wisdom with the breath and its endless pulsating inside.

This week we help to create more stability and integration by bringing our focus to the ancient physical part of ourselves, the bones as we practice releasing into the ageless energetic part of us, the breath.

Together forever in our hearts,

Maurene, RN, Yoga Teacher