I know most recipients of the Universal Wellness newsletter are not pregnant or expecting to be so. However, if you are in any way, by profession or relation, associated with anyone who is or may become pregnant, you definitely want to know about Giuditta Tornetta! She experienced a painless childbirth, delivering her daughter at home, with the support of a midwife, meditation, and hypnosis tools. This riveting experience inspired her to dedicate her life to helping women obtain a painless and natural childbirth. Today Ms Tornetta has written "Painless Childbirth: An Empowering Journey Through Pregnancy and Birth" in bookstores wherever books are sold and on line. Look for more details about this amazing woman and her works at www.joyinbirthing.com Here is a unique idea Giuditta shares with us... A different kind of shower By Giuditta Tornetta I know most recipients of the Universal Wellness newsletter are not pregnant or expecting to be so. However, if you are in any way, by profession or relation, associated with anyone who is or may become pregnant, you definitely want to know about Giuditta Tornetta! She experienced a painless childbirth, delivering her daughter at home, with the support of a midwife, meditation, and hypnosis tools. This riveting experience inspired her to dedicate her life to helping women obtain a painless and natural childbirth. Today Ms Tornetta has written "Painless Childbirth: An Empowering Journey Through Pregnancy and Birth" in bookstores wherever books are sold and on line. Look for more details about this amazing woman and her works at http://www.joyinbirthing.com/ Here is a unique idea Giuditta shares with us... At one point of another in your life one of your best buddies will either get married or have a baby and you'll feel excited about giving her a shower. Showers are fun and silly yet too many times we forget the sacredness of what we are celebrating. Here are some ideas you can use for either type of shower where you take a little time to express your friendship as well as to honor the sacredness that such a rite of passage means in a woman's life. Blessingways Blessingways are rituals or ceremonies celebrating the rite of passage into motherhood, but could certainly be used for a spouse-to-be. A way to fulfill a woman's spiritual needs and connect her with her community. A Blessingway can be as simple as lighting a candle representing the light within all of us. Since the emphasis at a blessingway is celebrating a special and magical time in a woman's life, there are several activities and ways to celebrate a woman's journey to motherhood or marriage. Here are some fun activities, most of these are focused on baby shower but you can get creative and modify them for the spouse-to-be: Beads: Purchase some beautiful beads (you can use glass or semi-precious stones) and encourage all women to string one bead each as they offer the new mother/spouse some advice, later you can have a professional string this necklace the woman can use either during her labor or in her wedding ceremony. Many mothers have said that these birth beads give them strength and focus during labor. It is a powerful and tangible way to show your love and the community support that surrounds the mother. Women also have enjoyed this necklace to calm down just before they stepped into the ceremony. Scrapbook: creating a scrapbook as a group that focuses on all the love and support surrounding the mother-to-be and her baby. Other blessingways have included making simple bracelets that all the women wear until the baby is born to show their support, prayers, and well wishes. Belly paint: Another fun activity is to paint the mother's belly. You can use henna paints or any non-toxic (preferably natural) body paints. The mother may have a design she would like, something of special significance. You can talk it over with the mother beforehand and decide what she would like. Henna paint may work especially well because it could last until the birth, if the mother wants. Washing mother's feet: washing a mother's feet in warm water gently scented by essential oils is a lovely way to show support for her. Many mothers also love to have their hair brushed. This feminine activity is very soothing and empowering to the mother. Candle Blessing Ceremony For this ceremony you will need a quantity of unused candles, and some oils to anoint them if you like. Lavender and rose are good for anointing. Long tapers work well, as do the large candles in a jar that burn for a long time. Sitting in a circle, ask your assembled friends to take a moment to think of the blessing or protective wish that they most strongly want to send to you and your baby. Ask them to concentrate that desire into their candle. You might suggest that they hold their thought or image clearly in mind while breathing slowly in their candle three times. Once everyone has had a chance to focus on, ask her to go around and share their wishes with the group. Raising and focusing the group energy on the blessings increase the power of the candles. For the birthing mom, each person will bring their candle home with her to be lit as soon as labor begins or whenever else they feel the need to send you energy. For the marrying woman each person will light a candle whenever they receive a message from you of worries about your union, or when they sense your marriage needs a little help. Giuditta Tornetta is the author of the bestselling book Painless Childbirth: An Empowering Journey Through Pregnancy and Birth. She is a birth and postpartum doula and can be visited on her website at http://www.joyinbirthing.com/. |