Women's Mysteries

Spiritual Midwifery

To be a midwife is a wonderful thing; in fact we are all midwives if we love life and want to foster it. The birth process is mysterious and is something we all experience when we are born. A deeper understanding of the birth time enables one to live with much more aliveness and connection. Spirit moves into form and the midwife is there - a witness to the miracle. Yet again a human opens her/his eyes and sees.

This course lifts the veils of illusion that hamper the realisation of the dream. It is suitable for Midwives, Obstetricians, Childbirth Educators, Doulas, GP`s, Therapists and any person who would like to learn about the birth process.

Spiritual Midwifery has three levels, level one is a stand alone course complete in itself. Each Level is held on three Saturdays over three months. Level II includes Water Birth, Lotus Birth and healing mother and baby birth trauma. Level III explores the psycho spiritual dimensions of three trimesters.

This program is lead by Shivam Rachana. Rachana has been teaching for more than thirty years. Within each person she recognises the ability to self-heal and through the power of this recognition, enables others to take the necessary steps toward their healing. She draws upon her experience as a woman, lover, mother, teacher of Spiritual Midwifery, therapist and pioneer of birthing practices including Waterbirth and Lotus Birth. She teaches nationally and internationally.

Spiritual Midwifery: Level 1

The Calling. Looking at the participant's connection to Midwifery - articulating, re-discovering, and expanding the vitral inner sense.

The Body Systems. The known and the "unknown" - the physical and spiritual bodies. Examining experiences that demonstrate these systems. Looking at the inter-relationship between them and how this understanding aids the resolution of difficulties that can manifest during pregnancy and birth. A model based on the four elements will be presented and explored - EARTH, FIRE, WATER and AIR.

Altered States of Consciousness. Defining these and learning about the healing available in these states. De-mystifying them and learning how to access them, a VITAL tool for the midwife. Seeing how they are important part of a woman's well-being during pregnancy, birth and post-partum.

Left Brain, Right Brain. How entering right brain spaces facilitates the birth process. How engaging the left brain inappropriately inhibits labour. The place of birth and the practices/rituals that aid or hinder the process.

Birth as Part of the Continuum. Seeing the interconnections of a woman's psycho/sexual life and its influence on birth outcomes. These rhythms of life affect the midwife too and her ability to respond appropriately. The honouring of these rhythms provides the impetus needed for the natural process to occur.

Midwife = With Woman. We examine the forces present for the woman and her carers that aid or inhibit the birth process and the interpersonal relationships that occur in different situations. The allegiances, conscious and unconscious, that exist. Who has the power?

Spiritual Midwifery: Level 2

Waterbirth - The use of water in labour dramatically improves outcomes for mothers and babies. Water, our first milieu, offers many advantages that are beneficial to birthing women. Babies emerge into water. Women find their freedom to be instinctual and are able to move their bodies in ways that is impossible on land. We will explore our relationship to this element. Building on module1 we will recount and reclaim our knowledge of water and come to appreciate its advantages at birth and for the baby’s on going neurological development. We will witness a variety of water births, listen to mothers who have birthed in water and also study its history.

Lotus Birth is the practice of leaving the umbilical cord intact and allowing it to come away at the navel in the days following birth. The role of the placenta and umbilical cord has been tragically overlooked and horribly disregarded in modern birthing practice. We examine fundamental health and ethical issues that exist and examine the benefits of how nature intends the third stage of labour to occur. This knowledge has become lost at most births. Lotus Birth is part of the continuum in the development and unfolding of the human organism. Lotus Birth is also part of the continuum of awakening consciousness expressing itself via the birth process.

“We need to relearn what a birth can be like when it is not disturbed by the cultural milieu. We need a reference point from which we should try not to deviate too much. Lotus Birth is such a reference point.” Dr. Michele Odent

Healing Birth Trauma - Research now shows conclusively that the circumstances we experience as we are born have a crucial role in how we view the world. Birth provides us with a blue print upon which we construct our reality as we grow and develop. Understanding this and learning how to heal aspects that do not serve us enables us to live our lives more consciously and harmoniously.

At the point of conception the human organism’s evolutionarily encoded programme is activated. Innately there is the expectation of the unfolding of the particular sequence, which is, gestation, birth and lactation. This organic intelligence is very powerful. Indeed the survival of our race has depended upon it. Where there is an interruption to this sequence, or any part within it, there is established in the organism (the body) an energetic loop. This loop of energy by its very nature needs to express and when the appropriate expression is denied it will seek other means to do so. What can often presents as deviations or dis-ease either physical or psychological in the post birth time for the mother or the baby can in fact be part of this sequence.

This seminar will explore and demonstrate birth trauma and its effects for mother and baby. Techniques for activating and resolving the trauma will be shown.