A core part of our GentleBirth Certification is our 6 week Mindfulness for Birth Professionals training. This is just a sample of responses from our GentleBirth Instructors in how this part of our certification process has impacted their own lives. Becoming a GentleBirth Instructor not only positively impacts the lives of your clients - it can be a life changing process for our Instructors too.

Feb 2020

“Hi Tracy, 

I believe I have completed all the requirements! And just barely in time, as I have a private class to host this Sunday. It's been quite an enormous juggle to complete my studies, attend a busy season of births, and wrap up my certification in order to follow through on this class commitment, but it's been a wonderful sense of personal challenge to rise-up to as well. 

After years of teaching and being in the birth field, I was astounded by the rich depth and content of your CBE curriculum. I have to say - I didn't expect to learn much new content and was shocked by how much I DID. Another unexpected and enormous bonus was how much personal application I received through this training, particularly the mindfulness practice. I am so thrilled to be bringing this to my community and my future midwifery practice. 

And as a funny side note: every class I've taught or book I've recommended has come with a caveat of "just ignore this part..." or "this isn't going to be true for everyone," and yours is the first that I can unabashedly recommend- no crossing parts out or downplaying needed”

Melissa

Mindfulness training has changed my life, I used to suffer with anxiety and found it difficult to hear what people where saying due to my train of thought and fear of been judged in my response. Now I can I enjoy social events and really listen when I am having a conversation with someone, or when someone comes to tell me something. Weather it is a colleague or my children I really listen before I respond. GentleBirth started this new life for me over 3 years ago, it has never been a straight road but I am a better mother and wife because I started using mindfulness and meditation in my daily life.

Anne

Feb 2020

How Has GentleBirth’s Mindfulfulness for Birth Professionals Training Made a Difference in Your Life?

“Mindfulness has had and continues to help drive how I parent my kids. One thing I have noticed is how taking a brief moment of mindfulness can completely change an expected outcome of a situation. It can turn a potential battle into something with a lot of value. How I can move from feeling angry, to noticing that,to then just allow things to be as they are and leave space for me to find the next best thing to say/do/not say/do when it comes to my parenting. I.e when I feel anxious because my daughter spills a pot of hot water all over the kitchen floor (happened this morning) instead of losing it (because she's already made a fine mess in the kitchen baking and now she's dropped the pot of hot water that is melting chocolate on the stove) I just looked at the situation before me and noticed all that had happened. I felt very triggered by the mess. My daughter loves baking. She gets all the ingredients and equipment out herself and gets to it. It is a mess. She is having fun. The kitchen floor is soaked. She asks me if any hot water hit me and if I'm okay. I'm aware how creative and emphatic she is. The anger has moved away from me now. Mindfulness has also helped me to start to swim in the Irish Sea, which I am discovering many benefits to this new activity that I never ever imagined I would do! I repeat to myself is my pain in pain? Mindfulness is helping me greatly in processing and integrating the death of my son 5 years ago. It is also helping become more aware of how my husband and children are processing and integrating this in to their own lives.”

Ashley

The mindfulness training has made a huge difference in my life. I have a business to run, two small boys who I care for most of the day and this training over the last 6 months so life is very busy. Before I started this training I did worry how I would stop myself from being overwhelmed by it all. Mindfulness training has helped me manage my emotions and stress levels on a daily basis. On days that I do my meditation I feel much calmer and feel that I am better at making decisions. I feel that I don't overreact as much to stressful situations. I can deal with toddler tantrums much better and it has therefore improved my confidence as a mother. It has also increased my overall happiness levels. It helps me feel grateful and appreciate the small things in life while not worrying so much. Mindfulness has helped me become a better person, partner and parent and I aim to continue practicing for the rest of my life.
Emma

”Oh my goodness where do I begin They said it would be life changing, I thought maybe a slight exaggeration but no, it truly was! Staying present under duress. Making important decisions when it is chaos! It does build your emotional resilience! Staying in the present, making you aware of where your focus and attention are. Keeping positive, being grateful, keeping worries at bay. No not done perfectly but done good enough. Noticeably, one brain circuit at a time!”

Janice

”Oh where to begin. I could cry thinking about the improvements it has made. Especially as I've been navigation this postpartum period. I have always been consumed with intrusive thoughts following pregnancy, and irrational fears in my life as a parent. Mindfulness has given me SO many tools as a parent and person in general. I'm now well able to stop a thought, name it and challenge it. I thought I was battling postnatal depression but in fact I'm just sleep deprived- I have no issues getting my mood to lift now. I'm able to take a breather if the kids are being rowdy or if I feel I'm getting worked up. Something I've always found difficult when sleep deprived as I know I can be reactive instead of responsive in these times. But, I'm able to stop and think. If we are late for something, I'm able to not panic or get stressed - it is what it is. We will get there. This is completely new for me and it surprised me. The benefits are amazing, my relationship is great as it is but now I'm really able to stop my lefty thoughts and it is so much better still. I cant thank you enough for the training included here”

Stacey

I have definitely become aware of how much time I 'spend out of my mind'. More and more, I am remembering to breathe, come into the moment and just observe; to stop the stories I tell myself, to stop ruminating and remind myself of the facts of a moment and to have compassion for myself when I come back to myself. It has helped me not react in various situations, but to be quiet, attend to what my thoughts are and how they are 'making' me feel, what I am feeling and then consciously decide what I want to do in the moment, considering my values and who I aspire to be. I am enjoying my food more, being more conscious of my physical body and sensations, being more aware more frequently of my breathing and concentrating on breathing into certain parts of my body and breathing 'out' various toxic thoughts. I like the heart opening to shift my attitude. I have started to use it in my workouts when things get hard and I get discouraged - "I can do anything for a minute" becomes "I can do one more". Also being more in tune with my grown children and my husband, as well as clients and their babies.

Tanya

”Oh wow, that's a big one. But most simply, true to the label on the tin it definitely unmasked the inner critic and exposed the negative background chatter of my mind. It helped me go within, which is proving to be everything. It has built my self-awareness, which has positively impacted my personal development and relationships with my husband and children. It has alerted me to the very profound power of the breath (crazy stuff). And I feel a wildly growing self compassion that feels like the balm to heal all wounds (for myself and others).”

Sandra

”Mindfulness has helped by bringing me back to the present tense and taming my mind from wandering off both in previous experiences and potential experiences. It helps me regain my focus at times of stress and helps me appreciate the "present" precious time with my children and husband, and to live in the now, stopping dwelling on the past. It is truly fascinating and extremely beneficial. Thanks Tracy for opening my mind to this wonderful tool”

Emma - Midwife

Mindfulness training has impacted so many different aspects of my life, but especially has impacted my responses to stress. I absolutely need more practice and more consistent practice, but I've already noticed a difference in my gut responses to things. I can often take a breath or two and try to reassess my situation before I allow my body to truly go down a stress response. Or, if I do respond initially, I try to acknowledge the 90sec rule, allow my body to process the stimuli for approx that amount of time and then I try to calm myself back down with some focused breathing. I have far more tools in my toolbox in how to approach my life for less stress and more enjoyment of the present moment. I particularly love the "beginner's mind" attitude and the idea of approaching all situations with curiosity and compassion.

Alyssa

If you’d like to learn more about joining our growing family of Instructors and be part of the global positive birth movement watch my 70 minute webinar!

https://gentlebirth.teachable.com/p/become-a-gentlebirth-instructor

Hope to see you in one of my monthly Instructor Training sessions soon to support you throughout your certification.

Tracy