We have begun our fourth group serving the Iowa City area's expectant parents and it was an inspirational class. I so appreciate the lively discussion during the class as well as during the breaks and afterwards. When I went home this week I was reading an excerpt from Gayle Peterson, Ph.D.'s book "Birthing Normally" and found that it had a strong link to our mindfulness practices so I thought I'd share it.
"Unhappy, dissatisfied mind states are reflected in body posture and movement. Our feelings can be read in our movements, as we physically relate to the world in context of our perception of ourselves in relation to others. the importance of getting familiar with our bodies and of making such information accessible to ourselves is reflected in the body experience of birthing. The more a woman can cooperate with her body to push her baby out, the smoother the journey through the vagina becomes. Being aware of tension, being able to relax and to let go of tension in a particular part of the body, becomes the process of yielding and working actively with the physical labor of birth."
