Inner Strength Skills
for Labor, Birth, and Parenting
Mindfulness-Based Childbirth Education Classes
1. Prenatal Breast/Chestfeeding Course
2. Virtual Weekend Course:
3. Retreat Weekend Course (in-person):
- 5/15/22, 9:30 - 11:00 AM
- $24.99, Early bird discount = $17.99, Scholarships available via email inquiry
- Click here to register
2. Virtual Weekend Course:
- 5/20/22 - 5/22/22
- Sliding scale $45 - $400, Scholarships available
- Click here to register
3. Retreat Weekend Course (in-person):
- 9/3/22 - 9/5/22 (Labor Day Weekend)
- Sliding scale $900 - $1130 per family
- Covid Precautions: small class size (5 families), only vaccinated and boosted participants, masks TBD
- Click here to register
4. Weekly Virtual Drop-in Mindfulness Groups:
- Every Monday, 5:30 - 6:30 PM -- CANCELLED temporarily
- Wednesdays -- CANCELLED
- No Registration Needed
- Free, Donations Accepted: Click here to donate
- Zoom link: https://us06web.zoom.us/j/4133756799
- Warmly welcomed: pregnant families, parents, babies, birth-workers (including pregnancy and postpartum).
Weekend Class Content
Pregnant Belly Outdoors
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Hands on a pregnant belly
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Parents with Newborn Baby
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Homework and Participation Expectations
For All Class Participants (including partners):
- Readings and videos prior to weekend course
- Attend at least 70% of lessons
- It's encouraged to attend a minimum of 2 drop-in meditations outside of class time
Sample Class Curriculum (for One Weekend Course)
(curriculum subject to change, includes approximately 14 hours of instruction time)
Prep for Lesson 1
Lesson 1
~ What is Mindfulness?
Lesson 2
~ The Challenges of Stress & Cultivating Care
Lesson 3
~ Intro to Stages of Labor
~ Intro to Mindfulness in Labor
~ Additional Mindfulness Techniques for Labor
Lesson 4
~ Continue discussion of pain:
Lesson 5
~ Being with Fear
~ Being with Difficult Situations
Lesson 6
~ Labor and Birth
Prep for Lesson 1
- Start reading pdf of Chapter 2 of “Full Catastrophe Living” by Jon Kabat-Zin. Pdf will be provided.
- Gather Supplies:
- Order book 1 month before class: "Mindful Pregnancy & Birth" by Riga Forbes; available on Amazon Kindle and in hardcover: https://www.amazon.com/Mindful-Pregnancy-Birth-Mindfulness-Forbes-ebook/dp/B077GKF9YK/ref=sr_1_2?keywords=mindful+pregnancy+%26+birth+Riga+Forbes&qid=1565390962&s=gateway&sr=8-2
- Optional Prep: Minimum of 1 minute/day of breath awareness, noticing the sensations of the inhale and the exhale.
Lesson 1
~ What is Mindfulness?
- Usefulness w pregnancy, labor, birth, postpartum, breastfeeding/chestfeeding, and parenting?
- The Research
- Guidelines & Basics of Mindfulness
- Breath Awareness
- If time allows: Acceptance Exercise
Lesson 2
~ The Challenges of Stress & Cultivating Care
- Developing positive habits of mind
- Discuss attitudes of mindfulness
- Training the body to respond to stress with relaxation: Body Scan
- Cultivate generosity of spirit towards self and others others: Loving Kindness or Metta Meditation
Lesson 3
~ Intro to Stages of Labor
~ Intro to Mindfulness in Labor
~ Additional Mindfulness Techniques for Labor
- Pain as an object of meditation, types of pain
- Counting the Breath; Mantras
- Informal practice (Waking to this Moment): Lunchtime Meditation
Lesson 4
~ Continue discussion of pain:
- Massage exercise
- Pain Meditations
- Discuss the observer/inner-witness
- The Nature of Thoughts
- Thought Bubbles
Lesson 5
~ Being with Fear
~ Being with Difficult Situations
- Options for responding to difficult situations
- Loving Kindness / Metta continued
- Forgiveness; RAIN / Compassion Break; Circle of Benefactors
- Open Awareness Meditation
Lesson 6
~ Labor and Birth
- Practice labor and birth coping skills with Ice Contractions
- Conscious intentions and goals without attachment to outcome
- If time allows: Deep listening Exercise
