At Birthlight we pay a lot of attention to ‘grounding’ practices in pregnancy and after birth as this opens the door to better postural awareness and more effective breathing practices that foster emotional and physical balance during these times of great transformation. Practices that ground us physically and emotionally can help to balance our feelings, increase our willingness to accept where we are, adapt, move on and transform. Being grounded helps us feel secure, able to extend and open physically and emotionally.
Literally becoming more aware of our physical connection to the surface we are standing or sitting on through our feet or sit bones can shift us into a state of better stability in our yoga practice and daily postural habits. It also helps us feel supported and safe so we can relax and let go of tension. Being grounded then allows us to centre our weight, find better alignment and develop awareness of good posture.
As the centre of gravity changes week by week during pregnancy, ‘Sthira Sukha Asanam’ -a woman’s steady comfortable pose will be changing too. Coming back to a sense of balance and equilibrium again and again in sitting and standing, aids postural and emotional adaptation to these changes. It may also bring greater clarity as it teaches us to be present for whatever we are feeling and experiencing right now.
We like to use the imagery of bamboo growing in the forest. Bamboo symbolises much that is valued in Yoga. Its network of rhizomes (type of root) that store food and energy enable bamboo to grow strong and tall, and crucially, sway in the wind rather than resisting it. Bamboo springs back after being laden with snow when the snow melts and embodies the ability to spring back after adversity. The ‘hollow’ interior of bamboo symbolises the virtue of being humble, openness to the new, acknowledging that we don’t know everything and can always find new insights in life and on the spiritual path.
‘Bamboo Mama’ Practice for Pregnancy and after Birth
In standing:
- Take the feet hip width apart or a little wider if you are in late pregnancy. Have the knees slightly bent to release the lower back. If you like you can close your eyes or peek through your eyelashes. You may like to place your hands on your belly and connect with your baby. After birth you may like to also place your hands on your belly that was your baby’s home in your womb re-owning this space.
- Bring awareness fully into your feet and the contact with the floor. Lean slightly forwards and back and feel the weight shift backwards and forwards into your heels and balls of feet and toes. Shift your weight side to side and feel the weight shifting more into one foot and the other. Then circle the weight around in circles in one direction and then the other.
- Feel how you are strong and rooted through your feet and how you are able to adapt to change like the quality of bamboo responding to a gentle wind blowing through the forest. Feel how being rooted through your feet enables your body to respond and still balance although the centre of gravity is changing. Taking time to literally ground yourself regularly can you deal more easily with daily events and the change happening in your body as your baby grows.
- Let the circling movement become gradually smaller and smaller until it is invisible and then finally reach a point of stillness with even weight spread between left and right side and between the toes and heels.
- Sense how you are now in your body, breath, mind, emotions and how you are in relation to your baby and yourself growing into motherhood. Be an observer of what is present without judging.
- Acknowledge your baby’s presence with an inward smile. Take some full, deep slow breaths. Smile inwardly to yourself and all that is present for you now. Notice how taking time to check in with yourself and your baby can bring calm and greater clarity through connection to yourself and your baby.
- To come back gently slowly open the eyes fully and have a stretch in whichever direction feels good. Release the legs and feet with a loose shake out.
(First published in Om Magazine)
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