The State of Birth
Online symposium 2021
Subsidised places available for student midwives and charity workers (please email here)
Recordings of the talks will be available after the event for 1 year - book now to have access
Join us for this online weekend retreat to learn from key figures in the pregnancy, birth and postnatal world.
Take a look at the speakers...
Keynote talk ~ Wild Psoas: Awakening Our Innate Knowing
Psoas is a complex and primal tissue located at the very core of our being. Within traditional medical models and standard anatomical paradigms, the Iliopsoas is simply classified as a “flexor muscle.” Psoas, however, is so much more. This fluid tissue is a powerful agent of self-actualization that plays a vital role in a woman’s reproductive life throughout every stage of pregnancy, birth, and postpartum.
Psoas is a primal messenger located within the center of our being that communicates our deepest fears and our wildest longings. Growing out of the embryonic axis, psoas messages vital information providing our felt sense of safety and danger. Dynamic, juicy, and expressive, healthy psoas plays not only a vital role in our fear responses but also our full-body orgasmic delight. Influencing our capacity to survive and thrive, a healthy psoas has a positive effect on every aspect of pregnancy and plays an intimate role in natural birth outcomes.
In this session with Liz Koch, you will
'Feeling very inspired thank you Liz.' AB
'So many gems 💎 I’m going to keep reconnecting back to earth, grounding bones.' LL
'What an incredibly talk, I will definitely betaking away this idea coming back to earth. Thank you so much.' AFF
'Thanks Liz, very interesting. The importance of back to basics and the animal body.' RB
'Thank you so much Liz, looking forward to rewatching this a couple of times. so much soul medicine.' CE
'The state of birth: we are in dire need of a huge change.'
'It's in our power to change the paradigm.'
'Birth isn't a marathon it's a shape-shifting event.'
'The best thing you can do is awaken the wild in yourself.'
In this session with Jenny Burrell, you will
'What you are saying is so so so true - regarding work/ life balance.' EB
'How honest and powerful everything she's saying.' EGR
'Thanks Jenny, that was really interesting, particularly the statistics and research you've shown.' JE
'Thank you so much!' RB
Preparation for the Fourth Trimester Starts in Pregnancy
'There are three major holy moments in a woman's lifespan - menarche, matrescence, menopause.'
'The exercise industry is male-dominated. We definitely need trauma-informed perinatal education.Education created by women to serve women.'
Incorporating Biomechanics for Birth with a
Trauma-Sensitive Approach
In this session with Tessa Sanderson, PhD, you will
'Thanks for a great session Tessa.' JM
'Loved the rethinking of language used x thank you so much x' TA
'So clever too. Instinct is amazing.' RB
'Think of your voice as a verbal hand hold.'
'Be present to your own needs if you want someone to safely relate to you.'
'If we can attend to the external safety, they can focus on their internal experience.'
The State of Birth Exposed ~
Sharing Circle on Physiological Birth
In this session with Kemi Johnson you will
'Parents want honesty so I share honesty.'
'Maternity services are not about the health of parents and babies.'
Weleda prize draw ~ £250 hamper of their 'hero' products
The lucky winner was Rebekah Bradley.
Empowering Parents in the Birth Room with Biomechanics
In this session with Molly O'Brien, you will
'Awesome Molly. Always learn when you speak.' AH
'Always amazing, thank you Molly!!!' CE
'That was very informative.'SK
'NHS Birth Preparation classes are designed for compliance.'
'CTG is expensive and there is no evidence it improves outcomes. Peanut balls are cheap and improve outcomes but are not readily available in antenatal wards.'
Get moving with 'Dancing for Birth'
In this session with Stephanie Larson, you will
'You are amazing!' SC
'Endorphins definitely flowing.' TS
'Absolutely loved that.' SK
'Love it, thanks so much Stephanie. You radiate joy!' RB
Using Sound, Breath and Movement for Postnatal Mental Health
In this session with Rehana Jawadwala, you will
'Babies come into the world knowing rhythm.'
'It's the rituals that bind people together, creating empathy.'
Closing talk: MOTHERS: The Portals of Thriving Human Life
In this session with Rachelle Garcia Seliga, you will learn
'That was AMAZING,' AB
'You have blown my mind!' TA
'I wish I had know this when I was pregnant - so important and makes so much sense.' JD
'Lots to think about and digest.' UB
'Familiarity and predictability are metaphors for safety.'
'What envelopes mothers in a place of safety is the physical presence of other humans that she feels safety with on a daily basis.'
'Community is a biological imperative for humans, especially in the postpartum time.'
Discounted places available for student midwives and charity workers (please email here)
Charity Partner
Self-care
Sound bath
To help prepare us for the afternoon topics, Nick Stolerman will immerse us in the sound waves of the Gong! If you haven’t heard the Gong played before, it can be quite mesmerising, quickly relaxing both body and mind, taking you to a place of calm while leaving you mentally clear and focused. There’s nothing for you to do, just sit or lay down and close your eyes.
Yoga nidra
Susie Ro will take you through one of her wonderful yoga nidra relaxations with improvised song. Susie is a song leader, vocal coach and yoga nidra workshop facilitator.
Recharge by taking your eyes from the screen and experiencing how the voice can take you deeper into the yoga nidra state.
Community
On the Saturday afternoon, Kemi Johnson will host a circle where we you can ask questions and share your anxieties about the state of birth AND your hopes for the future.
Supporting pregnant women who have fled violence or traffickers
A percentage of the profits from the symposium will be donated to this wonderful charity.
When you book your place, we commit to donate one tree
“When women gather, something else becomes possible. Ours is a different kind of power, a different kind of responsiveness, receptivity, subtlety and co-creativity.
We need to gather, to inspire and encourage each other, because it's time for a different relationship with life on this planet of ours.” ~ Clare Dubois, Founder & CEO, TreeSisters
Why join us?
* Inspiring speakers to recharge your passion and bring fresh enthusiasm and knowledge to your clients and patients
* Life-time access to all the sessions
* Watch the symposium at your own pace again and again
* Be part of a community of pregnancy, birth and postnatal professionals that want to make a difference
* Support The Happy Baby Community Charity - a percentage of profits from this event will go to the charity
* Have a tree planted on your behalf through the TreeSisters charity when you book your place.
* Recharge the enthusiasm and passion for what you bring to your pregnancy and postpartum communities.
For enquiries please contact Tessa at hello@tessayoga.co.uk or Julia at info@yogateachersforum.org