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!

LOBA FILM REVIEW

TRIGGER WARNING: This movie contains some traumatic birth experiences and stories of women who suffered from obstetric violence.

Last month I had the chance to watch the film LOBA during an International Women’s Day online screening. This film, directed by French osteopath Catherine Béchard, is an honest and beautiful exploration of what giving birth means nowadays in a variety of settings and locations.

​The word loba, meaning she-wolf in Spanish, is a very appropriate title for a movie that explores deeply and with a multiculturalist lens how our seemingly ever growing distance from nature is transforming the way we are born, and especially the way we as women relate to our bodies.

Shot in France, Spain, Mexico and Cuba, this film opens up a window into the reality of different parts of the world and invites us to challenge and widen our understanding of normality.

Since I grew up in Mexico, my awareness of the seasons was never very strong.
I will always remember the second year I was living in New York City when I was walking down the street and I saw some little buds flowering in a tree. My heart swell with joy. 

Here in Olympia, WA, the days are slowly becoming longer and the streets are slowly welcoming the colors of the blooming flowers. Last week we had the chance to attend a wonderful community event organized by The Red Thread Apothecary. We went to Priest Point Park to harvest nettles and it was wonderful and refreshing. Sophie, the young and wise herbalist who led the nature walk, invited us to intentionally sting ourselves in the forehead before we started harvesting. "Nettles change me," was the blessing she did while touching her face lightly with the plant, "so when you get stung, remember to welcome the change."

This change of seasons is a very creative time for me, so I have a couple of things to share with you today and I hope you enjoy them.

First, I made a video!

PART 2: DANCING FOR BIRTH™ AND
UTERINE RECONNECTION DANCE

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.

​​​Anyone who has been pregnant knows of the seemingly never stopping need to pee. And you need to remember to drink a lot of water and stay hydrated, which doesn't make it any easier. It’s kind of a hassle, but not such a big deal when there is a nearby toilet.

But what about when you’re outside, it’s cold and there is no bathroom available? And you really can’t wait much longer! Well, let me share a tip with you about a very special piece of plastic that made my nomadic, outdoorsy pregnancy into a peeing freedom journey.
 
I was 24-years-old and living in Mexico City when I got my first PStyle from my friend Elisa. It was wrapped in a beautiful flower-print cloth baggie that looked a lot like a glasses case.
I didn’t have any idea what it was, so I examined the plastic funnel in search of something that would give me a clue about its use.
Elisa kept on smiling widely. She seemed pretty amused at my confusion.
“Do you know what it is?” She asked.
I shook my head.