Some of you may know that I have gotten back into Bikram
Yoga again after an 8 year break. I practiced regularly for about 5 years and
then life got busy…..I got married, had two babies, graduated nurse midwifery
school, you know…..busy!
Bikram yoga consists of 26 postures that you do in
concession the same time every time you practice. It is also done in a room
that is approximately 100 degrees so you sweat A LOT. I love it! Since going
back I have felt more relaxed, needed caffeine a lot less often (let’s face it
I am a midwife), and my back is significantly better after straining it a birth two years ago. The main reason I go
though is for the open eye meditation that is involved when you practice. The
quieting of the mind and blurred focus on self which allows the connection to
body, mind, and soul, and ultimately a balancing of the three. We are told to
turn off our ego and listen to what we are being told, without thinking. I
often tell my laboring mommies the same, “turn off your brain and let your body
do the work”.
During many of the classes the instructor mentions fatigue.
This class is HARD and some of the best athletes struggle with making it all
the way through without needing to take a break. What I found profound was the
explanation that it is normal and even good to become fatigued. That it is in
the place of muscle fatigue that you can go deeper into the posture and
ultimately your awareness of self. When the muscle is tired it stops fighting
and the active act of stretching begins. How similar to birth this is. My moms’
often become frightened that they are becoming too tired to birth their baby.
Laboring your baby into this work is often the most difficult physical, mental,
and spiritual act some women face. The lack of control and the fear of the
unknown is most of what makes it so difficult.
We work through that fear by encouraging them to be fatigued. “Stop
fighting and trust the body”. It is in our complete exhaustion during labor
that we surrender to the process and turn the brain off and “let” our union of
body, mind, and soul deliver our babies to us. We prevent the detrimental
physical exhaustion by making our laboring moms eat high carbohydrate foods and
drink electrolytes to that the muscle has the necessary fuel to keep working
for however long it takes. Most first time moms average 12 to 24hours to birth
their babies.
I want to encourage every pregnant momma to stretch and
exercise during pregnancy to the point of fatigue. This will allow you to
practice your breathing and bring you to an open eye meditation where your ego
is shut down and the breath brings balance to the mind and soul. Envision your
perfect birth in this moment and release any mental fears that may wonder in.
Know that your midwife is there during the birth to bring you out of these
moments of fear. It is our honor to do so……
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