by Chantia Smith
As a midwife I have a special admiration for placentas, having been fascinated by them ever since I learned about their great healing benefits in my early studies of Chinese medicine. Traditionally, the placenta has been used to augment the chi and nourish the blood, support new mothers, women in menopause, and people who are suffering from adrenal exhaustion and chronic fatigue.
It wasn't until my sister gave birth five years ago that I began my journey of making placentas into capsules. Since then I have been privileged to process about 100 placentas. Each placenta that I work with is awe-inspiring. This unique organ portrays a beautiful image of the tree of life illustrating it's integral role in the health of a baby. The placenta gives oxygen and nourishes a little one during its' time in the womb.
Not many know that postpartum the placenta can continue to benefit the mother and her baby. I have seen it help mothers with recovery after birth, postpartum blues, increasing milk supply, restoring energy, as support in subsequent pregnancies, and menopause. It can also be given to infants in very small doses during times of growth to remember their connection to their original nourishment.
I practice universal precautions when working with placentas. I consider it a sacred process and spend much of the time in meditation. It is a great honor to transform the placenta into a nourishing supplement for both momma and baby.
Here are a couple of reports from clients who benefited from placenta capsules:
"The capsules are wonderful. I can't tell you how lucky I feel to have them. How amazing that so few women choose to eat their placentas. I'm definitely telling everyone to do it." -- P. G., postpartum mother, July 2007
" Thank you so much!! Amy is noticing an immediate beneficial effect, and they [mom and baby] had the best afternoon of their life yesterday." --P.F., new father, September 2008.
For more information about placenta encapsulating you can contact me at chantiajoy@gmail.com or 510-432-8181.
About me: I am a new arrival to Ashland from the Bay Area. I am a homebirth midwife trained in herbalism, acupressure, craniosacral therapy, birth trauma resolution and re-patterning, and yoga and movement. With loving presence I support families and individuals in their journey through pregnancy, birth, and postpartum.
I often get asked about my background and training in yoga, and there are varying degrees of recognition when I refer to "Iyengar yoga" and "Vinyasa yoga." I'll shed some light on these two styles of yoga, and how they can complement one another in a well rounded yoga practice.
B.K.S. Iyengar is a well known Indian yogi, who wrote the book "Light on Yoga," in 1966. He has written many texts, and trained many of our western teachers, and their teachers as well. His style of teaching asana (yoga postures) is firmly rooted in alignment and body mechanics. Teachers are very precise in the placement of the feet and the balance of weight, which muscles are active, and which are allowed to relax and stretch. This is an excellent foundation for any yoga practice, and works especially well for those with injuries or hyperflexibility. You will learn to find your strength in each posture and support your stretch with balance and integrity.
Vinyasa yoga refers to a flowing practice that moves with the rhythm of the breath. In the west, Ashtanga Yoga, as taught by Sri Pattabhi Jois, who was taught by Krishnamacharya, along with B.K.S. Iyengar, is a well known style of vinyasa yoga. Vinyasa refers to movement that flows with breath, the connection between the postures. The breath sets the rhythm for the movement, and there is a natural flow as the body follows breath.
With a strong foundation in Iyengar Yoga, I teach a flowing class which is rooted in healthy, safe alignment. We can follow the breath and embrace the opening and folding in of the breath. At the same time, we learn subtle awareness of balance on the feet, movement and centering of hips and alignment of knees. These practices are not isolated in their beauty, but can complement each other to bring balance into our lives.
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