Belly dancing is a wonderfully feminine and joyful form of movement. It is natural and instinctual, perfect for limbering and relaxing tense muscles. Belly dancing whilst pregnant is gentle on the body and prepares your body for the movements which will ease pain and discomfort during childbirth. Belly dancing through birth makes it easier for you to stay relaxed, open up, and go with the flow. It reduces the likelihood of tension and fear and should those feelings arise, gives you a wonderfully powerful tool to center yourself, release tension and move through it.
Bellydancebirth® created by Maha Al Musa is a feminine and strengthening gentle belly dance program created especially for pregnant women. Maha has been bellydancing since childhood and teaching bellydancebirth® since 1997 in Byron Bay, Australia. She is also a doula (birth assistant) and has taught many, many women of all ages and stages of pregnancy this art of bellydance as a birthing preparation. Whilst pregnant with her first child she deeply reconnected with this, her cultural dance and joyously celebrates its beauty and timelessness as a sacred dance of the feminine.
Bellydancebirth®
- is low impact – increasing flexibility and circulation,
- helps to reduce lower back pain as there is no pressure on the lower back when danced with bended knees,
- reduces stress bringing a woman into a place of tranquillity,
- strengthens core muscles, and is great for the pelvic floor
- fully grounds a woman in her pelvis whilst strongly connecting her to her baby.
The movements are soft, round and Earthy, opening the birthing doorway and inviting the dance of the rhythm of birth. Bellydancebirth® truly honours every part of a woman’s life and birthing journey, as it acknowledges her innate connection to the “life” she carries within. Bellydance, being a very primal and instinctual dance of the feminine, carries memories of ancient knowledge that women have passed down through the ages.
Maha has just released a DVD and book so you can use the Bellydancebirth® movements yourself.
The Dance of the Womb book interweaves a beautiful story of self discovery with basic, practical prenatal belly dance moves. Maha’s teaches in an earthy, non-judgmental, non-pretentious way. She shares her own journey toward motherhood through the eyes of her cultural perspective, helping pregnant and birthing women understand their strength through the art of belly dance and how it can be used as a tool toward empowered birth. It provides women with an opportunity to tune in to their primal feminine power and innate birthing knowledge, through utilising belly dance as a birth dance in its most primal core. All belly dance moves are accompanied with detailed images and instructions which make belly dance and pregnancy easy to combine.
SHEILA KITZINGER is the author of 24 books, an anthropologist, and birth advocator for womens’ autonomy and freedom of choice in pregnancy, birth and motherhood. Sheila had the following to say about the ‘Dance of the Womb’ book. ‘Maha Al Musa’s writing is rooted in her personal observation and understanding of Arab birth culture, for whom birth traditionally is a powerful dance, and in which women work with the pain. She interprets it to help women in childbirth.
Maha I love the way you write. It is so personal, yet has universal significance.’
– Sheila Kitzinger
Sample images from Dance of the Womb book.
Maha’s inspiring, hypnotic, and meditative DVD, Dance Of The Womb – A Gentle Guide To Belly Dance For Pregnancy And Birth – exercise component was filmed when Maha was pregnant with her third child in 2008.
Follow Maha as she leads you through an easy, gentle and sensual pre natal exercise programme that includes a wonderful dance stretch warm up and six bellydancebirth® dance instructions from the circle to the hands and arms to the chest movements. Maha’s style is more about the heart of belly dance rather than being performance based, which opens the way for women to freely participate in this ancient birthing practice without inhibition.
Maha’s instruction is easy and gentle to follow, making bellydancebirth an enjoyable and important health and wellbeing pre natal exercise for all pregnant women. The programme has clear instructions with beautiful music to empower you in pregnancy, alleviate fears and encourage you to trust in the beauty of your body’s birthing wisdom.
aha’s DVD also celebrates and shares her wonderful homebirth experience at 46 years of age, utilizing her bellydancebirth® techniques in a lovely 50 minute film journey set against a lively background conversation with two midwives. Maha and the midwives discuss bellydancebirth®, natural and empowered birth and many other educational birthing topics that open up a well of ideas and inspirations for all pregnant women to consider.
A truly rare and inspiring DVD perfect for all pregnant women.
Running time 2hours and 50 minutes.
Maha’s DVD has been endorsed by The National Association Of Childbirth Educators 2009. Endorser Dr Jane Svensson says:
“Dance of the Womb, both book and DVD, would have to be the most captivating work I have seen in a long time. The stretches, the moves, bring belly dance to life and will inspire many who participate not only for pregnancy but for life. The National Association Of Childbirth Educators Product Endorsement panel were unanimous in our decision to endorse both book and DVD – they are excellent resources. Good luck, Maha. ”
Dr Jane Svensson, Chair of Further Education Committee, NACE
Now in the 21 st century birthing mothers really need this sacred and potent knowledge to support their birthing process. We can affirm our emotional and spiritual connection to all women who have come before us and will come after, birthing our babies with awareness, autonomy and great strength by trusting in our bodies birthing wisdom
Maha’s DVD is gentle, informative and awe inspiring. She captures the mood of pregnancy – that lovely internal state of creating a new being. The tone of the DVD is quiet, restful, almost meditative encouraging you to take time for yourself to nurture you and connect with baby. In this mad paced busy world – it is so refreshing to find a philosophy that values the feminine state of pregnancy and gives you permission to slow down and enjoy it! Having had 2 births a fair time ago now, I can see that Bellydancebirth would have been an amazingly useful tool for me to help me connect with myself and trust my body to give birth without all the fear and negativity. It almost makes me wish I was pregnant again – just so I can try her methods. I highly recommend her book / DVD for every pregnant woman.” Nadia MacLeod – creator www.menstruation.com.au
Buy Dance of the Womb Book NOW
Buy Dance of the Womb DVD NOW
