Sacral rocking stimulates the sacral plexus and loosens energy blocks and fascial restrictions within the pelvis. It also releases restrictions in the fascia surrounding the craniosacral system, which is the closed hydraulic system containing cerebrospinal fluid, the spinal cord, and brain. “Sacrum” comes from the same root word as “sacred”. The sacrum is associated with the second chakra, the belly chakra, which governs sexuality, creativity, and emotions.

During pregnancy, regularly practicing sacral rocking, either sitting, standing, lying on your back, or on your hands-and-knees, with support flexibility and tone of your low back, abdomen, and pelvis. It is useful to alleviate low back pain as well as facilitating the flow of energy through the spinal cord. This is a helpful technique to practice on your hands-and-knees during labor if there is back labor.

The second chakra, associated with the sacrum, belly, or uterus governs our sexual and creative energy. Restrictions in the pelvis are bioenergetically associated with self-limitations in sexual fulfillment or expression, ability to form bonding relationships, or shame and guilt. Moving our sacrum, rocking our pelvis, can allow new thoughts, dreams, and impulses to move freely through your whole being. Open yourself to the new sensations. Release old patterns that no longer serve you.

I have seen that as people learn to move their hips freely through rocking and spiraling the pelvis, emotions may bubble up. Some people laugh at first, some people feel insecure, angry, or frustrated. Notice as you move your body what emotions, feelings, and sensations arise for you. Keep grooving and you will feel renewed flexibility, creativity, and strength in your inner core. The heart of the practice is to experience openness and flexibility in your center.

Moving the pelvis in labor is essential to facilitating the baby’s journey from womb to world. It is essential to keep the sacrum mobile in labor, and avoid positions in which the laboring mother is flat on her back with her sacrum fixed against the bed. In birth, rocking and spiraling the pelvis assist the mother in dancing her baby out.

In order to make quality holistic childbirth education available and affordable to more expecting parents we have new lower prices on all our Co-Creative Birth Circles!

Whoohoo!

Mama's and Papa's to-be this is over 50% off the valued price on both the Birthing Circle and the Deluxe Circle. 

The Deluxe Circle includes the comprehensive Birthing Circle and extras, PLUS personalized Phone Consultations with Kara Spencer and an extraordinary package of Birth Books and Gifts sent directly to you by mail.

Check it out and enroll today to co-create your optimal birth experience!!!

Co-Creative Birth Circle Specials - Enrollment Page

Read it now for all kinds of amazing information on how to co-create a conscious pregnancy, birth, and postpartum for your family with the wisdom and guidance of nature, spirit, intuition, and science.

In fact, you don't even have to be pregnant to take the class, some women may want to start the class preconception as part of their preparation for pregnancy and birthing. Also, some women start the class in the last month of their pregnancy as their focus on birthing increases, and are able to cruise through the information quickly as each person progresses through the program at their own pace.

While some expecting parents wait to take childbirth classes in person in their 7th or 8th month, I recommend starting the online classes earlier, because there is a lot of information in this class, and you will appreciate the information as you make choices about your prenatal care. Also, there is lots more information in the online class than in a traditional classroom class, and you may appreciate the extra time to read all the articles, check out the videos, read the birth stories, and join in the discussion forum.

There is lots in the class to come back to and use as resources and inspiration during pregnancy, birth, and postpartum. You could also work through the class at one module a week, which would take 7 weeks. Whenever you decide to start the online birthing class, in month 3 or month 8 of your pregnancy, you will find valuable information for pregnancy, prenatal care, preparing for birth, labor, and postpartum.

Morning Glory muffins are fantastic for breakfast, or a power snack during the day. Filled with carrots, apples, raisins, molasses, and banana this muffin is sweet and nutritious.

I first discovered Morning Glory muffins when I was a few months pregnant and camping at a juggling festival in the San Juan Islands of Washington. I awoke starving on the morning of the Autumn Equinox to discover a wonderful breakfast buffet with a huge basket overflowing with large beautiful Morning Glory muffins. I was hooked and have improvised over the years to come up with this version, which is a vegan.

They are a great way to add some vegetables and fruit to your diet, and the molasses and raisins are high in iron, which is good for pregnant mamas.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees, and prepare a muffin pan with liners or butter.  

• 2 c. flour
• 2 tsp. baking soda
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 2 tsp. ground cinnamon
• 1/4 c. molasses
• 1/2 c. maple syrup (or honey or brown rice syrup)
  
• 1 1/2 c. carrots, shredded
• 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
• 1/2 c. coconut oil (or other non-hydrogenated, cold pressed vegetable oil)
• 1 banana, mashed
• 1 1/2 c. apples, chopped finely (2 apples)
• 1/2 c. raisins

1. Combine dry ingredients in a large bowl.
2. Add apples, carrots, raisins, and stir well.
3. Combine molasses, maple syrup, coconut oil, banana, and vanilla.
4. Make a well in the center of the dry mixture. Add the wet mixture and stir into the dry ingredients until just moistened.
5. Spoon batter into greased muffins pans, or muffin liners, filling all the way full.
6. Bake at 350 degrees for 18 minutes, until a toothpick poked until the muffins come out clean.
7. Makes 12 muffins. Serve warm with butter or honey.

This Conscious Birth Affirmations video is highly recommended for all pregnant women and expecting parents to watch frequently during pregnancy. Surrounding yourself with positive affirmations for birth, and visualization of your highest goal and positive feelings will help to support you through the times of pregnancy, labor, and mothering. Relaxation and calm, as well as mental and emotional positivity are essential for optimal birth and mother-baby wellbeing.

I made this video a year ago, and many people have enjoyed it since then. I have heard from pregnant mama's that they watch it every morning to boost their energy and emotions. There is another popular version available without music here: Birth Affirmations. 

For more positive birthing information, videos, and birth stories check out the online childbirth education class  - the Co-Creative Birthing Circle.

You can win a Medela Harmony Breastpump, Medela Breastmilk Feeding & Storage Set, Medela Comfort Nursing Bra, Medela Cotton Nursing Pads, and a pair of BabyLegs Leg Warmers! That's over $100 worth of gifts for breastfeeding families!

Join the circle today and empower yourself for a healthy pregnancy, birth, and postpartum with the multi-media online conscious birthing class! You will have access to the comprehensive Co-Creative Birthing Class, the Birthing Circle Discussion Forum, the Mamatoto Cookbook, the Birth Story Library, videos, articles, resources, and more!

The Co-Creative Birthing Circle Facilitator training is being developed as well. This is filled with amazing information about how to communicate, facilitate, and advocate for conscious birthing in your community and globally through creating circles for mothers, families, and pregnancy, how to be a birth activist, and how to utilize social networking, art, and media for birth education and advocacy. This is an excellent training for all birth activists, community workers, doulas, midwives, childbirth educators, and more.

The Sage Femme: Women's Healing Arts Circle is also being developed this late summer, and I hope to unveil that class in the autumn. This will additionally have a Sage Femme Circle Facilitator companion course for women's health advocates, community health workers, and women's circle leaders. 

The circle format is very important for our education and learning, for all points on the circle are equal, thus participants value their own insight, knowledge, and intuition as equally as information received from outside oneself. As parents, mothers, and humans it is vital that we learn to value the wisdom within ourselves. This is particularly important for women, especially in pregnancy and birth, as you are the expert on your pregnancy and baby, and empowering yourself through positive community, wisdom, and media will support you on this path. Creating community circles to provide social support is important for creating a collective change in our individual and global consciousness.

It is thrilling to be at the cusp of a new consciousness. The internet is changing the way all people receive and access information. The advance of online videos and social networking online is revolutionizing education and life on all levels, including how people prepare for childbirth.

Lamaze Institute reported in 2008 that the rate of expecting couples attending childbirth education classes has dramatically dropped since the year 2000. This is because couples have busier lives, and work more now, especially during pregnancy to save up for the postpartum experience. Additionally, more pregnant women and expecting parents are looking to the internet for information on birth choices, childbirth preparation, and parenting information. 

The challenge with the internet is that it can be hard to find factual, reliable, and unbiased information. Corporations and organizations with money and power at stake can afford to pay to have their messages dominate the search engines. This is why the Co-Creative Birthing Class is such a powerful wonderful resource for expecting parents. In addition to our very extensive natural childbirth education class, there are over 150 links to the best resources and articles for birth and parenting on the web, and over 40 videos of the best birth and parenting information online.

When you sign up for the Co-Creative Birthing Circle, you receive instant access to the entire class and can find personal support with an experienced childbirth educator and consultant in the online forum or through private email or phone consultations.

If you want to experience: Conscious Birthing - Ecstatic Birthing - Sacred Birthing - Gentle Birthing - Peaceful Birthing - Loving Birthing - and Empowered Birthing - then the Co-Creative Birthing Circle is for YOU!