Session 1 -Ā Conception and Pregnancy with Katie Rose
Summary
Katie introduced the Yoga of Birth course, emphasising the importance of continuity of care in pregnancy and the role of yoga teachers and doulas in providing support. The discussion also covered personal experiences and perspectives on pregnancy loss, anxiety, and the desire for control in childbirth, with a focus on empowering women and advocating for their rights. The group discussed the significance of addressing challenges as opportunities for growth, the concept of yoga as a means for self-connection, and the importance of self-care in managing emotions during pregnancy.
The following topics were discussed in detail:
The importance of continuity of care in pregnancy and postnatal support, highlighting the role of yoga teachers and doulas in providing this. The significance of maintaining the same caregivers throughout the pregnancy process and the role of yoga teachers in offering physical, spiritual, and emotional support.
The energetics and spiritual aspects of yoga. The complexities of pregnancy and childbirth, highlighting the cultural discomfort with the lack of control individuals have over these experiences. She noted the increasing rates of elective caesarean births as an example of the desire for control, while also acknowledging the need for statistical analysis and risk mitigation in medical decision-making. Katie suggested a need for more conversation around intuition and individual feelings during pregnancy and childbirth. She also discussed the high intervention rate in medical births, suggesting a shift towards a more normalised, natural approach to birth.
Katie emphasised the importance of empowering women during pregnancy and parenthood, particularly in regards to self-trust and personal decision-making. She expressed concern over women feeling powerless and traumatised due to institutionalised systems that often disregard their needs and preferences.
The importance of a regulated body temperature, nutrition, and specific yoga practices in supporting conception. For conception the need for minimal yoga asana practice between ovulation and confirmation of pregnancy, and the significance of deep twisting as a contraindicated preconception practice. Katie also highlighted the importance of embodiment, mindfulness, and self-care in connecting with your body and energy, particularly in the context of pregnancy and childbirth. She cautioned against the use of medicalised contraceptives and hormone replacement therapy, and encouraged individuals to make choices that align with their inner guidance.
The role of physical or sexual violation in our relationship with our bodies and the significance of acknowledging them, no matter how minor. Katie discussed her poetry class that celebrated female poets, with a recent focus on Artemis, the Greek goddess known for her fierce protection of women. Katie also highlighted the importance of having zero tolerance for any form of violence against women and the need for self-care to break intergenerational trauma.
The challenges of managing intense emotions during pregnancy. Addressing challenges as opportunities for growth and self-connection. The concept of yoga as a means to unite and connect different parts of ourselves, taking a journey of shifting from a fearful narrative to one of trust and intuition.
SessionĀ 2 - Labour and Postnatal Care with Katie Rose and Hadhee Jai
Summary
Yoga of Birth Program Session 2: Ancestral Perspectives and Women's Autonomy
Katie led the second live session of the Yoga of Birth program, focusing on labour, energetic and spiritual considerations, and postpartum care from an ancestral perspective. She emphasised the importance of Yoga teachers in providing a different perspective to pregnant women, who are often influenced by mainstream narratives about birthing and motherhood. Katie discussed the cultural shift towards greater autonomy and self-direction for women, particularly in their personal lives, and the significance of this trend for Yoga teachers. She also highlighted the legacy of patriarchal and colonial paradigms that often lead women to surrender their power to medical institutions, especially during childbirth. Katie underscored the need for women to have advocates, such as doulas or partners, to support them during their birthing journey and the importance of self-connection and self-trust through Yogic practices. She also expressed hope for the next generation's ability to demand and expect better treatment and consent practices.
Birthing Protocols and Aboriginal Women's Care
Katie and Catherine discussed birthing protocols and postnatal care, with a focus on the experiences of Aboriginal women in remote areas of the Northern Territory. Catherine, a maternal and child health home visitor, shared her insights based on her work with these women, highlighting the challenges they face, such as long distances to medical care, language barriers, and cultural differences between Western and traditional Aboriginal practices. She emphasised the importance of providing these women with a support person, known as an escort, during their hospital stays. Katie acknowledged the positive changes that have been made to support these women and discussed ongoing efforts to reconcile traditional Aboriginal practices with Western medical approaches.
Empowering Women in Childbirth Decisions
Katie shared her personal experiences with childbirth and her work with incarcerated young women, emphasising the importance of empowering women in decision-making processes. She discussed the compromises she made in her own childbirth experiences and the conflicts that arose when her partner's preferences clashed with her own. Katie also highlighted the high intervention rate in Australian hospital births and underscored the importance of consent, choice, and decision-making based on a sense of empowerment.
Creating Sacred Atmosphere for Newborns
Katie discussed the importance of creating a calm and sacred atmosphere for both the baby and mother after birth, based on Yogic philosophy and Ayurvedic texts. She emphasised the significance of skin-to-skin contact, allowing the baby to remain in a curled-up position, and being mindful in the first few moments after birth. Katie also highlighted the significance of the shusumna energy line and the baby's natural transition to the physical world, stressing the need for a quiet and cocooned environment for the first few days to support their gradual integration into the physical world, as per various traditions including Hinduism, Christianity, and Islam.
Reviving Traditional Midwifery Practices
Katie and Hadhee discussed the challenges and cultural narratives surrounding postnatal care, with a focus on traditional practices and their loss in modern society. Hadhee, an Ayurvedic doula from the Maldives, shared her efforts to revive traditional midwifery practices and the impact of their loss on birthing outcomes. Katie expressed her support for Hadhee's project and suggested a potential fundraiser to assist. They also discussed the similarities between Hadhee's training and traditional medicine practices from her culture.
Belly Binding Practice and Empowerment
Hadhee explained the practice of belly binding, a traditional Ayurvedic technique used to support postpartum women. She described how the long piece of fabric, often dyed with turmeric for its healing properties, is wrapped around the abdomen to provide compression and support, aiding in the healing process after childbirth. Hadhee also shared her personal experiences with belly binding, emphasising its empowering effects and the importance of the ritual.
Warm Oil, Rest, and Belly Binding
Hadhee explained the practice of using warm oil for postnatal recovery, with the importance of using organic sesame oil or other medicated oils. She also highlighted the significance of rest and using heat to alleviate postnatal soreness. In response to Lexi's question about the tightness of the belly binding, Hadhee advised that it should be firm enough to provide support but not so tight as to restrict movement. Cat's query about the potential benefits of belly binding for diastasis recti was also addressed, with Hadhee recommending a style of belly binding with twists in the front.
Ayurvedic Postnatal Diet and Self-Care
Hadhee introduced and explained the traditional postnatal dietary protocols in Ayurveda, emphasizing the importance of proper nourishment in the first 42 days after birth. She also shared her personal experience with postpartum recovery, highlighting the significance of self-care principles. Katie concurred, sharing her own positive experience and stressing the importance of taking the time to recover after giving birth. Both agreed on the benefits of the practice of Abhyanga, a warm oil self-massage, for postpartum women, as it nourishes the reproductive system and promotes relaxation.
Restorative Yoga Practice for Pregnant Women
Katie also guided the participants through a brief meditation practice, focusing on the breath and the phrase "let go" as a mantra. The practice was designed to be beneficial for pregnant women and new mothers. The session ended with a meditation and a prayer for the happiness and freedom of all beings.
This is the video link for belly binding tutorial
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3t3uxXT8oU4
This book was mentioned by Katie in the session
This is Hadheeā€™s Instagram page