Class Description

Do you want to help shape a culture of Holistic Woman care at a pivotal time in the history of civilization? In The Scientification of Love, Dr. Michel Odent demonstrates that "all the different manifestations of love- maternal, paternal, filial, sexual, romantic, platonic, spiritual, brotherly love, not to mention love of country, love of inanimate objects, and compassion and concern for Mother Earth- the prototype for all these ways of loving is maternal love. Have you ever wondered why so many cultures disturb the first contact between Mama Baby and how this has contributed to a civilization with a greater capacity for aggression rather than compassion? Discover how the hormones released during Labor and immediately after Birth actually establish within us the capacity to love, holding clues to our future relationships and overall tendency as a culture.

My intention is to provide a missing link- vital information, resources and support to assist women and their caregivers in connecting with their bodies and with the legacy of healing that precedes us for generations through the Wise Woman Tradition. Within this is the desire to inspire, transform and feed your/our dreams of a culture thriving with compassionate MamaBaby care.

The Wise Woman Tradition is a legacy of woman centered, wholistic compassionate care in which women have been the primary care providers for childbearing women. There is emphasis on the normalcy of birth and deep awareness that birth is much more than just a clinical event.

Through lecture, birth-story sharing, role playing, illustrations and diagrams, this course offers insight into the multi-dimensional needs of the Pregnant, Laboring and Postpartum Mother. We will demonstrate practical skills for relieving the discomforts of Pregnancy, reinforce the anatomy & physiology of Pregnancy and Labor and introduce Shiatsu & Reflexology techniques for the Childbearing Year.

Methods of assessing potential complications and contraindications for pregnancy massage will also be discussed. With ample time for massage practice and full class participation, you will develop your ability to integrate therapeutic massage techniques to meet each mother’s transforming needs. By the end of the weekend you will be able to:

• Discuss the Benefits of Massage for Mother and her growing Baby
• Take client histories and assess for potential complications during Pregnancy
• Recognize and discuss the contraindications for Pregnancy Massage
• Recognize scope of practice, be knowledgeable about community resources, and be able to offer appropriate referrals
• Demonstrate full-body Pregnancy Massage with ease and confidence
• Demonstrate specific techniques to relieve discomforts of Pregnancy, Labor & Postpartum

We will open our time together with a visual journey exploring birth through the ages. This experience provides insight into the historical continuum from which we are working. This is an opportunity to demystify some of our understanding of what is missing in over medicalized birth practices. And how this awareness provides a foundation from which as bodyworkers we can effectively support the normalcy of birth. We close our circle by weaving threads of ourselves in the Birth Blessing or Blessing Way, an experiential reintegrating and honoring of our own births as rites of passage.

Instructor Bio: Rowan attended the Academy of Somatic Healing Arts in Atlanta, GA becoming certified in Neuromuscular Therapy, Swedish, and Sports Massage. She was then trained through an extensive six year Apprenticeship in Holistic Midwifery with one of the last of the travelling Midwives of Georgia. This profound experience indelibly imprinted her with the teachings of Wise Woman Tradition. The beautiful pregnant and laboring mothers who graced her Apprenticeship honed her skills with first-hand “on-the-job training”. During this time she assisted in establishing the only Holistic Midwifery School in Asheville, NC. She is currently offering the MamaToto Holistic Doula Immersion & Correspondence Course. Skills earned through the Upledger Institute include CranioSacral I, II and Somatic Emotional Release. She brings a creative approach and wide knowledge of the human body to her work, having trained as an Emergency Medical Technician and a Desikachar Yoga Instructor. Rowan has been involved in Bodywork Therapies since 1994 and taught since 2001.