Empty Your Cup

When I attended my very first Birthing From Within training, one the first things they taught us was how to empty our cup.

How do you empty your cup, you ask?  Well,  first let me tell you a story.  

A Zen student was having tea with his Master.  He held out his cup to be filled with tea.  His Master began filling his cup. 

And filling. 

And filling.

And filling.

The student cried, "that's enough, its almost full!"  But the Master didn't listen, and he kept pouring.  Till the tea was over flowing the cup and pouring over the sides. The student cried, "Stop!"  That is enough!  It's spilling!!"  The Master replied, "How am I to teach you anything, if you come to me with your cup already full?"

You must empty your cup.  Then you can learn from me.

So what's in your cup?

In your cup is everything you think you know about anything and everything.  You can apply this to pregnancy, birth and parenting.  You might have come to pregnancy, birth or parenting with your cup so full you can't even begin to learn from your experiences.  Or you may have quickly emptied your cup upon arrival to these events, because once you entered you realized you knew nothing! 

Have I lost you yet?

You could also apply this to learning anything new.  A new idea, a new concept, a new way of living.  If  you empty your cup, you can begin to open your mind to learning something new or imagining a new way of living.

When you have a knee-jerk reaction to something it's because your cup is full.  When you make a judgment too quickly its because your cup is too full.

What can you learn if you throw out everything you "know"?  Who are you, if you empty your cup?  What kind of parent would you be if you could throw out everything you "know" and be open to receive something different?

Maybe its not good to throw out EVERYTHING.   Maybe just de-clutter your cup by 75%?  50%?  Experience is helpful.  So keep some of your experience in your cup, but empty it enough to still be able to receive new information, new ideas and new possibilities.

What new possibilities, you ask?

That story is coming tomorrow!

How do you Birth From Within?

My dear friend Lindsey is the new Birthing From Within childbirth mentor in town. She went to her training this spring and is offering her first class this July. Before she attended her Birthing From Within training, she trained with me as apprentice and has been working as Doula for the last couple of years. She has a son, Gabriel, that just turned one, who was born at the Birth Cottage. This may be her first class, but she knows her stuff. I wish she was teaching last summer when I was pregnant, because I flew out to California to be able to take a Birthing From Within childbirth class. That's how amazing these classes are!!

Its hard to explain what makes Birthing From Within so amazing, so special and so helpful. In my class, I took this summer, my mentor, helped Peter and I draw out some of our fears to be able to work on them and clear them, so they wouldn't mess me up in labor. Usually, whatever you are most hoping to avoid, are most afraid of, happens in labor, it manifests as the grand life lesson. In my class, I realized that I had worked through all my fears of transferring to the hospital for a needed cesarean birth. I could handle that. I knew if that happened, it was for the sake of the baby and I had done everything I could. But if I were to transfer to the hospital for a long labor, because I was tired and couldn't handle the pain anymore, THAT was my worst fear. To not be able to hack the pain, me the childbirth educator and Doula. I would be mortified if I had to get an epidural. I couldn't even think of that possibility I was so afraid. But through Birthing From Within, I was able to work through my fears and when my birth began, I wasn't afraid of anything. I knew I could handle anything that came my way.

Birthing From Within is unlike other childbirth classes. In other childbirth classes, you learn a lot of INFORMATION. The phases of labor, how your pelvis works, etc. But INFORMATION will not help you birth your baby. In labor, you only have your internal resources to help you. If you have not cultivated any internal resources, then you will be up sh*t creek when your labor starts.

Are you pregnant and in need of cultivating some internal resources? Take Lindsey's class this July! Here is some information about her class. You can find out more here.

Attention All Tallahassee Mamas!
I am offering Tallahassee mamas a one time DEEP discount on my Birthing From Within childbirth class. I am starting up a six week class beginning the second week of July on Thursday evenings from 6:30 - 8:30 pm that will be meeting at The Birth Cottage. I have two open spaces I need to fill NOW and I am only asking a nominal fee to cover expenses. Please spread the word and have all mamas contact me at 850-339-2606 or lindsey@motherrisingbirth.com. This is an amazing opportunity especially for first time parents with a tight budget. Tell your friends! Neighbors! Coworkers!

In my Birthing From Within classes, you will learn how to:

* Experience birth as a rite of passage
* Eat a sound diet (pregnancy and breastfeeding)
* Open your body-mind before and during labor with self-hypnosis and visualizations
* Build confidence in yourself and your partner
* Ask questions and make decisions in labor
* Protect your birth space
* Tame your "Birth Tigers"TM
* Push your baby out
* Welcome your baby
* Recover and plan postpartum
* Care for and feed your newborn
* Give birth from within during a Cesarean, while using pain medication, or with medical support.

...and much more!

Your BIRTHING FROM WITHIN Classes will be:

*
a balance of practical, useful information and creative, experiential exercises.
*
personalized to your needs and interests.
*
not narrowly focused on a particular type of birth
*
stimulating, lively discussions and interesting exercises
* learning, not just about birth, but also about yourselves!

Our classes really do prepare you to birth from within.