Exercise increases our natural vitality by stimulating blood flow and oxygenating the body. It awakens the mind and may also help to ease or prevent depression. It has been known to prevent gestational diabetes, pregnancy pains and aches, and it even helps you sleep better!
Photo credit: Allison Andres Photography. Model Lilea Duran.
WHY SHOULD YOU STAY ACTIVE DURING PREGNANCY?
Did you know that the American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology recommends at least 30 minutes of moderate exercise every day or two? (Unless you have a medical or pregnancy complication.)
Exercise increases our natural vitality by stimulating blood flow and oxygenating the body. It awakens the mind and may also help to ease or prevent depression. It has been known to prevent gestational diabetes, pregnancy pains and aches, and it even helps you sleep better!
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PART 2: DANCING FOR BIRTH™ AND
UTERINE RECONNECTION DANCE HOW PREGNANCY CHANGED ME AND HELPED ME DISCOVER MY CALLING
When I was a teenager, I took pride in considering myself a very reasonable and scientific person. I was quick to dismiss anything that couldn't be proved by science and I felt deeply annoyed by superstitions of any kind.
As I grew older and I started traveling and meeting many different people with different perspectives, I started to open my mind to recognize that there was a lot of value to intuition and other things that couldn't be measured or scientifically proven. During my pregnancy I was deeply connected to an unexplainable way of knowing. I kept on meeting all the right people at the right times. Some shared their stories and recommended the inspiring readings that helped shape a new vision for my future: I needed to become a birth worker. The birth of my son was definitely the most powerful spiritual experience I have ever gone through. I swayed and sang my way through each contraction and discovered a huge power in childbirth that profoundly impacted me. It was tremendously inspiring.
PART 1:
HULA HOOPING THROUGH POSTPARTUM I was never a dancer.
I remember my first dance experience at a Quinceañera party. I stood awkwardly in a circle of teenagers and tried to move my very stiff body, feeling terrified about being ridiculous and way too nervous about the way I would look dancing.
That self-consciousness was part of my life for a very long time. I was never the “fit” type. I always struggled with body image. I was always one of the last to be chosen for sport teams and I hated PE more than anything. I hated running. Sure, I was on the swim team when I was ten and I did some yoga for a while when I was in college, but I never felt super passionate about any kind of physical exercise. I always had to force myself to do it. During my pregnancy I did yoga a lot more because I was set on being as healthy as possible, and spent tons of time outdoors in nature. It really helped me connect with my body. But it wasn’t until about two months after my son was born, one sunny afternoon on a San Diego beach, that I discovered a passion to move my body. |
AuthorMarissa Rivera Bolaños is a doula and visual artist with a passion to create change around the way our culture approaches women's health. Archives
February 2024
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