Mindful Breath, Imagery & Guided Meditation for Birth

No previous mindfulness or meditation experience is necessary. Students will be led through simple pregnancy yoga positions to relax the body and mind followed by calming breathing practices helpful during pregnancy and labour and ending with a  Guided Meditation, Yoga Nidra, DreamBirth or Hypnobirthing experience. All that is required by you is to lie down, relax and listen as you are guided by my voice into deeper states of relaxation, connection and healing.

WHAT IS DREAMBIRTH®?

DreamBirth® is a system of short, simple imagery exercises designed specifically for pregnancy and childbirth. DreamBirth® techniques are learned and practiced during pregnancy under the guidance of certified DreamBirth® practitioners. This is a method devised by psychologist and imagery teacher, Dr. Catherine Shainberg, to assist mothers, and their attendants, in finding the true richness and deep power within the birth process.Ante Natal Yoga

In the words of Dr. Shainberg,
“Imagery is the oldest language in the world. Pre-verbal, it communicates through pictures—and it is through these pictures that the outside world is reconstructed and displayed in our minds… Since ancient times, mystics and yogis have used images to change body temperature, heart beat, even mend broken bones. Olympic athletes use visualization to win gold medals. By creating specific images in our minds, we talk to our bodies. We can train them to respond to visual cues, enabling us to access our most hidden body functions. DreamBirth®, an imagery process uniquely geared to procreation, pregnancy, and birth gives the future mother access to this power, maximizing her body’s natural abilities to conceive, carry and give birth in perfect health. DreamBirth® optimizes women’s innate ability to give birth easily, naturally and triumphantly.“

DreamBirth® works by allowing us to dream while waking. It opens us to the inner language of our own dreams, a language that existed before words, and that speaks directly to, and of, the body. When we can access the power of the imagination to assist in the birth process, we literally become transformed. This dreaming offers us a way to connect with our babies, our bodies, and our own deepest feelings.

WHAT IS YOGA NIDRA?

CONNECTING WITH THE UNIVERSAL ENERGIES. Yoga Nidra is an ancient practice that is simple, effective and deeply relaxing for the body, emotions and mind. It is a wonderful support practice during and after pregnancy. Yoga Nidra helps prepare the body, breath and mind to go through the birthing journey and beyond with more ease. Using various body relaxation, calming breath and visualization techniques, you will be guided in reducing bodily, emotional & mental stresses, so that your pregnancy is calm and grounded to yourself while nurturing the relationship with your growing baby inside.

WHAT IS HYPNOBIRTHING?

This preparation tries to give pregnant women a positive view of birth and the belief that childbirth does not have to be painful. The aim is a shorter, more comfortable, easier labour, with less need for intervention or pain relief.

“Hypnobirthing teaches relaxation, visualisation and self-hypnosis skills.”

The idea behind hypnobirthing is that pain in labour is a fear response and that you can avoid it by learning the right techniques. Women’s experience of pain can vary in intensity but fear, tension and anxiety can worsen it.

According to obstetrician Dr Grant Dick-Read, fear and tension causes pains in approximately 95% of birthing women. He believed that removing the ‘fear tension-pain syndrome of childbirth’ in women could eliminate pain.

Hypnobirthing can create an altered state of conscious awareness. It involves learning techniques that you can use during labour like:

  • visualisation
  • pregnancy and birth affirmations
  • relaxation
  • deep breathing
  • self-hypnosis
  • mindfulness