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What is Active Birth?The Active Birth movement was founded in the eighties by Janet Balaskas who is passionate about a woman’s right to choose what feels right and natural for birth. It was a time when birth was very much viewed as a dangerous event that needed managing by the medical profession. Strict routines and little choice was offered to women giving birth, and the Active Birth movement was a direct response to the stringent approach to this major life event for both mother and child. Much has changed in the last 20 years. Recognition of women’s right to receive informed choice regarding pregnancy and birth care and the much improved training of autonomous midwives have helped change our perception of pregnancy and birth.Birth is ancient!It is as old as anything living, and it demands respect and value. It is a monumental and truly amazing miracle, opening the door to parenthood. It carries with it the very core of a primordial experience, and is much more powerful and fundamental to life than we as modern people might believe. In fact, we do not fully understand the very subtle but hugely effective role of hormonal interaction during birth, and maybe that is exactly why birth remains so mysterious and why there is a desire to manage it and control it. Birth has for long been put in the context of medical emergencies. The use of drugs and instrumental intervention has for many years become the norm and the expected. In the quest to understand and control birth, the natural ability of the woman to give birth unaided has become secondary. Through education, support, informed choice and the belief that a woman has the power to give birth, medical intervention can become the secondary choice in birth. Yoga is ancient!It is a practice that has survived for thousand of years, and continues to give relief to the stresses of modern life. It teaches us the importance of correct posture, the release of tension and the power of the breath. Yoga means linking mind, body and emotions, bringing all three into harmony with each other. Modern life is often fast, competitive and with varying degrees of stress. Many health problems are stress related, and we find it difficult to eliminate daily stressors. Yoga will help you to look within yourself, to rediscover your body’s natural ability to relax, unwind and ‘let go’ of stress and tension through correct breathing and change in posture. It teaches you to listen to your body, and it will improve the way you feel about yourself. How do Birth and Yoga work together? Most of us have not received any formal education about pregnancy, birth or child rearing, despite the fact that having a child will inevitably be one of the biggest events in our lives. Pregnancy is a time of great change. It forces us to evaluate our lives on all levels. It is the time to prepare both body and mind for a big life change. It is the perfect time to discover the power of mind, body and emotions working together.It will teach in what positions the birthing woman’s body works at its best, how the baby travels through the birth canal, and what a woman can do to help herself in labour. Applying yoga positions in pregnancy will strengthen joints and lengthen muscles that are important for posture and for birth. It prepares the mind for the accepting of opening and ‘letting go’ in birth. It is a fundamental part of birth, which so often is hindered by fear, anxiety and unhelpful positions. Regular practice of yoga in pregnancy will help many symptoms often associated with pregnancy, such as pelvis pain, back ache, insomnia, varicose veins etc. and is also invaluable for a speedy recovery after birth. What will I take away with me after the session?
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