“Birth takes place in the midst of a profound ‘Letting Go.’”
--Janice Clairfield
Letting go in birth requires a tremendous amount of trust. Trust in your body, trust in your birth attendants, trust in your partner, trust in a divine force. This deep level of trust creates a sense of safety that will allow you surrender to the process. The more aware you are of your body and of your birthing choices, the better able you are to “let go” and let the natural process of childbirth unfold.
We live in a world where our minds dominate nearly all that we do. In the practice of yoga, the goal is to get the mind out of the way, and connect with our higher purpose. The way to do this is by focusing on the breath and staying deeply aware of how our body is receiving each pose. This is also true for childbirth. Connecting with our breath and trusting our body’s wisdom will help us manage the pain and remain present in the moment.
Labor is simply a series of contractions that ease open the mouth of your womb and push your baby out. Labor is not a time to engage the mind. Timing contractions and watching a clock or fetal monitor will interfere with the natural unfolding of childbirth. Once the mind takes over, we become preoccupied with doing it right, with what could happen in the near future rather than what is happening in the present. This is when fear settles in. Letting the mind go by focusing on the breath or vocal toning will empower you to listen to your body’s wisdom. “When you allow yourself to become immersed in labor, it is neither boring nor interesting. The very nature of labor dissolves ordinary boundaries of time and space. You and labor become one. Timing your labor requires remaining conscious-of-self rather than being-in-labor. Once your uterus knows it’s not being timed and watched, its performance anxiety will be relieved.” Pamela England, Birthing From Within
While in labor, let go of watching a clock, if you must time your contractions, let someone else do that job for you. Just ride the waves of each rush, one at a time, trusting that all is unfolding as it should. Practice “Letting Go” as you sit in meditation or hold a yoga pose. The more you consciously let your mind go during this time, the easier it will be for you when labor starts.
“In the end these things matter most:
How well did you love?
How fully did you love?
How deeply did you learn to let go?”
-The Buddha
Affirmation for Letting Go
I surrender to every rush and trust my body.
--Janice Clairfield
Letting go in birth requires a tremendous amount of trust. Trust in your body, trust in your birth attendants, trust in your partner, trust in a divine force. This deep level of trust creates a sense of safety that will allow you surrender to the process. The more aware you are of your body and of your birthing choices, the better able you are to “let go” and let the natural process of childbirth unfold.
We live in a world where our minds dominate nearly all that we do. In the practice of yoga, the goal is to get the mind out of the way, and connect with our higher purpose. The way to do this is by focusing on the breath and staying deeply aware of how our body is receiving each pose. This is also true for childbirth. Connecting with our breath and trusting our body’s wisdom will help us manage the pain and remain present in the moment.
Labor is simply a series of contractions that ease open the mouth of your womb and push your baby out. Labor is not a time to engage the mind. Timing contractions and watching a clock or fetal monitor will interfere with the natural unfolding of childbirth. Once the mind takes over, we become preoccupied with doing it right, with what could happen in the near future rather than what is happening in the present. This is when fear settles in. Letting the mind go by focusing on the breath or vocal toning will empower you to listen to your body’s wisdom. “When you allow yourself to become immersed in labor, it is neither boring nor interesting. The very nature of labor dissolves ordinary boundaries of time and space. You and labor become one. Timing your labor requires remaining conscious-of-self rather than being-in-labor. Once your uterus knows it’s not being timed and watched, its performance anxiety will be relieved.” Pamela England, Birthing From Within
While in labor, let go of watching a clock, if you must time your contractions, let someone else do that job for you. Just ride the waves of each rush, one at a time, trusting that all is unfolding as it should. Practice “Letting Go” as you sit in meditation or hold a yoga pose. The more you consciously let your mind go during this time, the easier it will be for you when labor starts.
“In the end these things matter most:
How well did you love?
How fully did you love?
How deeply did you learn to let go?”
-The Buddha
Affirmation for Letting Go
I surrender to every rush and trust my body.
