Preparing for Birth with Yoga: Exercises for Pregnancy and Childbirth (Women's health & parenting) PDF
Preview Preparing for Birth with Yoga: Exercises for Pregnancy and Childbirth (Women's health & parenting)
PREPARING BIRTH fi^ '^ith YOGA JANET BALASKAS FOREWORD BY SANDRA SABATINI and DR YEHUDI GORDON Digitized by tine Internet Arciiive 2011 in littp://www.arcliive.org/details/preparingforbirtOObala PREPARING >r R T H B with YOI GA Janet Balaskas was horn and educated in Johannesburg, South Africa and emigrated to England in 1968. She is well known internationallyfor her pioneering work as a lecturer, author, childbirth educator and activist. In the late 1970s she introduced a hew approach to prenatal preparation with Yoga and the concept of 'Active Birth' whichfocuses on women's self empowerment in pregnancy, andfreedom and autonomy in birthing. Her work has influenced change in maternity practices in many countries and helped tofurther understanding of physiological childbirth. She is thefounder ofthe Active Birth Movement, the Active Birth Teacher Training Course and the Active Birth Teachers' Association. She is co-director ofthe International Active Birth Centre in London with her husband Keith Brainin. This is a resource centrefor Active Birth, Yogafor Pregnancy and Water Birth, and produces a range of Water Birth poolsfor use at home and in hospital. She is also co-founder of the International Home Birth Movement. Janet is the mother offour children - three ofwhom were born at home. PREPARING >r B R T H with YOI GA Janet Balaskas A^^>^ /tAiy*^ /Cvt_- ELEMENT Shaftesbury,Dorset, Boston,Mnssachusetts, Melbourne,Victoria Element AnImprintofHarperCollinsPuWisAcrj "7-85FulhamPalaceRoad Hammersmith,LondonW68JB Thewebsiteaddressis:www.thorsons.com FirstpublishedinGreatBritainin 1994by ElementBooksLimited 3579 108642 eJanetBalaskas 1994 JanetBalaskasassertsthemoralrightto beidentifiedastheauthorofthiswork Photographsby.•VntheaSieveking LineDrawingsbyMichaelCole MedicalDrawingsbyMichaelCourmey Acataloguerecordforthisbook isavailablefromtheBritishLibrary ISBN 1 85230431 6 PrintedandboundinGreatBritainby Buder&TarmerLtd Allrightsreserved.Xopartofthispublicationmaybe reproduced,storedinaretrievalsystem,ortransmitted, inanyformorbyanymeans,electronic,mechanical, photocopNTng,recordingorotherwise,withouttheprior writtenpermissionofthepublishers. CONTENTS Foreword 6 Postureand breathing 81 Standingand walking 82 Acknowledgements 9 Sitting 86 Preface 10 Restingandsleeping 88 Introduction U Postureafterbirth 89 CHAPTER 1 CHAPTER 5 Why do you need YOGA in PREGNANCY? 23 PRACTISING YOGA in PREGNANCY 91 How tostart 93 Yourbaby before birth 23 Honouringyourpregnancy 25 Group 1: Warming up 97 The benefits ofyoga in pregnancy 26 Group 2: Pelvicexercises 110 Preparingforbirth 29 Group 3: Kneelingpositions 141 Copingwithyourlabour 31 Group4: Neckandshoulder releases 144 Discoveringyour innerpower 33 Group5: Standingpostures 150 CHAPTER Group 6:Advancedpostures 164 2 Group 7: Relaxation 171 CHANGE and TRANSFORMATION 35 Howyourbodychanges 36 CHAPTER Howyour uterus changes 40 6 APPROACHING LABOUR 173 Yourbodyandyourbaby 41 Emotions 46 Creatinga settingforlabour 174 Becominga mother 46 Connecting to theEarth 176 Innerwork 51 Sharing theexperience-thepartner's role 176 Pre-labour 178 Approaching birth 55 Lookingbeyond the birth 56 Practisingfor birth - thefirst stage 178 Practisingforbirth - thesecondstage 185 CHAPTER 3 Birthingpositions 188 BREATHING 59 After the birth- the thirdstage 193 Yoga andbreathing 60 Breathingandemotions 64 Appendix - An A-Z of yoga for Developingawareness ofthe breath 66 self-help 195 CHAPTER 4 Recommended Reading 218 EVERYDAY POSTURE 75 Resources 219 Standing upright 76 Useful Addresses 220 Thespinal curves 78 Discoveringyourcentreofgravity 80 Index 221 PRfPARINC FOR BIRTH WITH YOGA FOREWORD By Sandra Sabatini Whenapregnantwomanjoinsoneofmyyogaclasses,Ialwayslook forward to her first lesson. I know with certainty that after the first few words she will step rightinto the trueessence ofyoga. Shewill immediately realize how natural it is to feel the contact with the ground through her feet, and the subsequent impulse to grow and spread inherownspace.Sheisalreadyinawhollycreativestate.She isconstantlylisteningtowhatishappeninginsideher.Sheisglowing withaninnersmilewhichper\'adesherwholebeing, fromthecentre to the surface. She needs yoga only to maintain this 'light from within'. Yoga gives the pregnant mother the capacity to adjust to inner and outer changes with extraordinary flexibility. The constant presence of the breath as a means of connecting her to gravity discharges tension and tiredness into the earth, whilst her body maintains a state of cleanliness and lightness. The daily practice of simple,effortlessyogapositionsleadsherintochildbirthwithaclear mind, interested,e\'en curiousaboutthecomingevent. Asthebirth getscloser, herwholebeingopens up and thefivesensesarestimu- latedtoperceivenewdimensions: timeandspacedilate.Givingbirth becomesa uniqueopportunitytogetintouchwithherinnerpower as a woman. Once she has experienced it, she will always remem- ber its intensity and, like an everlasting spring, she will draw from it for the rest ofher life. ThankstotheworkofJanetBalaskasovertheyears,thisimmense natural gift need no longer be taken away from us. In writing this book, she shares her profound perception ofthe ways in which we can benefit from the cosmic forces that surround us. These influ- encesarenotconfined toyogapositions.Theyaretransplanted into our daily life and become our way ofbeing. Janetnot only pours all herpersonal experience into these pages as someone who practises yoga, but also passes on the scientific knowledge needed by those who may assist in a birth. It is only when you are helped by someone totallyaware ofthe beautyofthe wholeprocessofchildbirththatyoucanabandonyourlastvestiges of resistance and step consciously into motherhood. With these few lines 1 would like to express my gratitude as a woman to Janet Balaskas, and her colleagues Lolly Stirk, Yvonne Moore, and other Active Birth teachers for their work in showing pregnant women a better approach to childbirth. Sandra Sabatini Florence 1993 PKfc PARING f()R BIKIH WIIH YfJGA FOREWORD By Yehudi Gordon md frcog fcog sa I am very pleased to write a foreword for this book. Janet Balaskas and I share a lineage. We have both been taught by Mina Semyon, Mary Stewart, Sandra Sabatini and Vanda Scaravelli: we have practised together, and we have shared our discoveries and our experiences withparents during pregnancy, birth and infancy. Yoga is wonderful. The style taught in this book is inspiring and magicaland focuses ourawareness on the universalpull ofgravity. Onceingravitywearetaken,stepbystep,breathbybreath,through the discovery of our feet, heels, spine, and finally our head. The exploration is an adventure which is safebecause we acknowledge the anchor of gravity to the earth and this allows our bodies to fly. This yoga is not abouthow far we can stretch, it is about discover- ing gravity and feeling the infinite ocean from which 'the wave' of thebreath originates and returns. Practisingyogaisaccompaniedbymanybenefits. Itawakensour spine, releases the tension in ourjoints, ligaments and muscles and releases our energy and vitality. As our body relaxes actively we discoverthe spacewithin. Itisalways safebecauseeveryposture is carried outon the wave ofthebreath. The discovery oftheoceanand thewaveswith thebreatharising andreturningisapricelessgift. Itallowsustofindourselfwhatever circumstancesourlivesarein. Thebreathispresentwhetherweare calmandrelaxed,duringastormylabourwhentheoceanwavesare high,inthemiddleofthenightwhenourbabyiscrying,andduring lovemaking. The wave of the breath is always there, it is always accessibleprovidedweareattentivetoitspresence. Itcalms,centres and energizes us. The practice of yoga is one way to discover the wave, and once discovered itempowers us throughout our lives. Thisisapracticalandinspiringbook. Theexcitement,joy,richness andbenefitofyogaisindoing.Thisbookactsasaguidealongthepath. Yehudi Gordon London 1993 PREPARING fOR BIRTH WITH YOGA K.\u Gi\"L\G Birth to the U.m\erse This wooden carving ofthe Goddess Kali comesfrom a prayer cart in a temple in India. She tells us that the birth giving regenerative power ofwomen is sacred. Her body symbolizes thefeminine source ofall life and renewal. She is a symbol of the active autonomous birth giver - standing in the squatting position to give birth infullpossession ofher own strength andpower.
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