Driving through the lush green fields of Antrim in Northern Ireland a couple of weeks to tutor our Perinatal Yoga training for Maternity Professionals felt refreshing to the eye in contrast to the still brown grass at home.
The landscape itself seemed to embody the heart warming energy we inevitably explore whilst being in a circle of midwives diving into how yoga for pregnancy can be accessible and effective in helping those in their care. The emerald fields rolled by as we drove, thanks to my generous lifts, taking me to the Sure Start centre in Ballymena where we were holding the training. Verdant, nurturing and life-sustaining, like the symbolism of the heart chakra.
In the Ayurvedic tradition, a pregnant woman is reverently called “she who carries two hearts.” This ancient wisdom speaks to something far deeper than the obvious physical reality of two beating hearts within one body – or more than 2 at times. It acknowledges the sacred responsibility of nurturing two distinct yet intimately connected beings, where breathing, emotions, movement – the mother’s experience becomes the foundation for another’s emerging life.
It is thanks to keen thinkers and researchers like Michel Odent and his concept of womb ecology, and Vivette Glover’s research on how maternal emotions directly shape fetal development that we know that when a mother experiences chronic stress her elevated cortisol levels impact baby development and later health. The emotional landscape of the womb becomes the baby’s first template for how the world feels.
In Yoga we have the concept of Prana- energy or life force being a ‘divine guest’ in the body that should be treated with respect. During pregnancy mums use a lot of energy nourishing and nurturing their baby as it grows. This is where the heart chakra’s compassionate energy becomes more than metaphor. The fourth chakra, located at the center of our being, represents love, compassion, and connection. It’s the bridge between our physical and spiritual selves. Whereas our physical heart rides the ups and downs of our joys and sorrows the heart chakra, Anahata (In Sanskrit, “anahata” means unhurt, unstruck and unbeaten) is the energy of unblemished joy and unconditional love.
Heart To Womb Meditation
This practice can be done anywhere at any time and in any position. However, the breath will flow more easily and fully if you sit with your hips a little higher than your knees and let your spine grow tall. With your eyes open or closed, soften your gaze, place one hand at the heart centre and one hand on your baby. Take a few slow deep breaths being aware of the movement in your chest and belly as your breath slows and deepens Turn your attention inwards to feel the deep love connection radiating between you, cultivate this bond by being in the present moment with your baby. If you like you can silently greet your baby with words or just an inward smile.
When we inevitably work with the heart centre during pregnancy, we’re not just opening space for a growing belly or practicing calming breathing techniques. We’re consciously supporting womb ecology in which babies and mums can flourish.
When we modify poses for someone who needs to practice on a chair, we’re not diluting the practice – we’re honouring these two hearts and what is most beneficial now. When we welcome mums who have never done yoga before, who feel awkward or uncertain, we create welcoming inclusive spaces for their nervous systems to remember the capacity for ease. When Health Trusts and midwives can offer free or accessible classes in hospital or clinic settings they make the benefits more widely available to more Mams and their babies in the womb. As Pregnancy Yoga teachers, when we can offer the benefits of sliding scale pricing, free places or teach in community spaces rather than only yoga studios, we’re acknowledging that we’re collectively doing our best to support optimal womb ecology that is every baby’s birthright.
The green of the fields will stay with me as will the laughter and shared practice of our group in Antrim. Both reminding me that just as landscapes and communities hold and nurture life, our work as yoga teachers, midwives, and birth supporters is to create the optimal conditions for consciousness to manifest into form. We are gardeners of the heart chakra, cultivators of oxytocin, guardians of the space where two hearts learn to beat as one while remaining beautifully, distinctly themselves.
There are plenty of “what if” type worries during pregnancy, often exacerbated by the general rise in anxiety in society since COVID. Perhaps our most radical response is to remember that every pregnant woman and pregnant person is “one who carries two hearts” – and that both hearts deserve our most thoughtful, inclusive, scientifically-grounded, and spiritually-honouring care.
Kirsteen ~ Tutor
With special thanks to midwives Shauna, Cherith, Rachael, Jenny, Gemma, Caitlin, Enya, Nora, Helen, Lou, and Karolina – it was a pleasure to spend these days with you!
References
Odent, M. (2002). Primal Health: Understanding the Critical Period Between Conception and the First Birthday. Clairview Books.
Influence of prenatal maternal stress, maternal plasma cortisol and cortisol in the amniotic fluid on birth outcomes and child temperament at 3 months: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0306453012003319?via%3Dihub
Why Oxytocin Matters – Kerstin Unvas Moberg Paperback (31 Oct 2019)