Down, Dawg! And how yoga fits perfectly with hypnobirthing
So this is me at my yoga class a couple of weeks ago (I'm pleased to report that my heels are now almost entirely on the floor, and there's less bag in my back). I LOVE this time in my week - it's sacrosanct, and (bar doula-ing at a birth), I'll shuffle eveything around to ensure I get this space.
Roll back 12 years, when I was an ambitious young Doe, thrusting through the Bright Lights, Big Egos of AdLand, I simply couldn't get with this. Yoga was too slow. I found meditation unsettling. There was simply too much going on in the world for me to commit to evening (when I could be in a bar, on a whim!), or weekend classes (when I'd likely have a hangover). And, when it came to pregnancy, I found I was completely disassociated with my body.
So while I was hanging out in Down Dog, I was making a mental note of how similar the practices of yoga and hypnobirthing are. There is quiet time and space in both. There is focus on your body - you might say listening to your body, or simply being aware of it as the focus of your attention. There is the space to adapt - not every day is the same, and sometimes somethings are easier than others. There's space to be kind to yourself and allow moods, the weather, your emotions to flow over you. There is trust in yourself as a whole, connected person.
And if I could give you one piece of guidance, one task to do every day, in preparation for your labour? It would be to learn how to stop; how to step aside from the world, while it whirls around you, and be at peace with your body. To learn that you and your body are One - using your breath is a great way to really feel this - and that your body cannot beat, or punish, or harm you, because it is you. Learning the techniques which will allow you calm confidence, as the intensity of your body becomes apparent to you, will give you a gift - you'll be able to glory in your body and all her incredible work.
Here's to you!
2019 class dates available soon
