New Life

Did my water break or did I just pee myself?....

Two weeks early a being of light, Adrien Deva was ready to take birth again and grace our family with Divine new life. My water broke and we had not made any preparations for the birth. No supplies, no birth kit for the midwife, no clothes for the baby-nothing. Ken dashed to the store for supplies. I wasn't having contractions so I went to teach my class.

Having a home birth, I had high hopes of the labor and birth process. I had expected to meditate up until active labor when it got really intense. That didn't happen. I also expected to practice japa (mantra repetition with prayer beads) while in labor, but that didn't happen either. The force that took over during labor and birth was like no other. Every now and again I would mentally repeat a Ganesh and Durga mantra, but I realized afterward that I wasn't repeating mantras because I completely merged into that energy. I didn't need to call on any external energy/deity for strength and protection at the time because it automatically took over. During those 5 hours of labor I wasn't calling on Durga like I had anticipated, because at that time I WAS Durga.

I did not take any birth classes or preparation of any kind except for a regular yoga practice consisting of asana, pranayama, meditation and chanting. Just having a regular yoga practice made all the difference. I was so plugged in mentally, emotionally, physically and spiritually that the energy could move through me and be expressed in just the right way to facilitate the birth of this being. I found out from my midwife afterward that each sound I made and each movement was intuitive. While many women have to be coached through labor, I was receptive, payed attention to my physical and pranic body and became a vehicle for divine birth. I have never experienced Kundalini Shakti quite like that before. Because of my yoga practice, the entire process was very graceful.

A regular yoga practice has an amazing effect on our day to day life. It has the power to turn moments of pain into opportunities to grow and change. Yogis may feel pain, but the attachment and reaction to it lesson. Yogis can experience pain as energy. Energy will never go away, but it can be changed.

After the intensity of birth the energy changed. I all of a sudden sensed the strong presence of Lakshmi, the energy of abundance. I had a new baby in my arms, milk flowing in abundance and I was surrounded by flowers and friends. The strong, protective warrior energy of Durga morphed into the soft, cool abundance of Lakshmi. I experienced the energy change within and around me. I am so blessed and so grateful!

This miracle of life I know
Has been placed in our hands....
Destiny we're fulfilling.
Look what jah jah gave me
New life,
a brand new little baby. -Midnite