The rebozo connection.
I had the opportunity to attend a rebozo technique workshop in Toronto this weekend at Yoga Mamas
and what I learned today was phenomenal! I am so excited to bring these new techniques into my work and support my clients in a whole new way.
Historically the rebozo (pronounced Re-Bo-So) has been associated with colonialism because it was originally a head covering worn by Spanish people. When they settled in Mexico, they forced their customs on them including the adoption of the rebozo, particularly in places of worship. Over time the Mexican people claimed the rebozo as their own and modified it by making it wider and longer, and eventually started to use it to carry their babies. Each rebozo becomes very special to whomever it belongs to as it is often passed down through generations.
When I completed my doula certification
I had already heard about the rebozo and I had one that I had used to carry my own baby in when she was small. It is indeed special to me because it reminds me of those special early days, and everytime I pick it up I think of children and I am filled with love. After I finished my training and was packing my doula bag I threw it in there, but I had no idea how to use it confidently in a birth beyond a hip squeeze. So needless to say, as soon as I heard about this workshop, I jumped at the opportunity. I really wanted to have the chance to find out how to use the rebozo, and leave the course seeing it as an extension of myself, rather than a “tool” that I pull out of my bag of tricks.
The name of the workshop was called “Rebozo Connection” and it’s aptly named because the focus of the techniques is on facilitating and maintaining connection between the birthing person and their partner. This change in focus makes it vastly different than any other workshop I have attended thus far.
Every technique I learned today has connection built in, and I am the facilitator of that connection.
The experience starts with our consultation, and flows right through to the prenatal visits where all the techniques are practiced together with the partner, practiced throughout the pregnancy and then used through the birth. One of the biggest challenges I had (until today) was how to introduce the rebozo and make it comfortable for everyone involved. (and what else to do with it!)
The techniques I learned today include relaxation and connection, comfort measures and pushing stage help. And my favorite part of them: they’ve all been developed with the partner in mind, rather than as an afterthought. Considering the partner as the integral part of the team, rather than the doula vastly changes the way the techniques are developed and taught. Maybe these specific techniques are not completely new to the rebozo world, but there are subtle differences in the way they have been taught to me to help keep connection as the primary focus.
If you’re looking for a doula that really understands how to facilitate and preserve the connection between you and your partner I would love to chat. Beyond the physical comfort you will get from these techniques, you will also feel emotional comfort and a deep connection with your partner through your birth.
Contact me here if you want to set up a consultation.