Ecstatic Birth

Session 2: Sheri Winston

This revolutionary midwife-turned-sexual-educator discusses the ecstatic journeys of birth and sex, the inherent connections between the altered states of consciousness of labor and birth, and sexual arousal and orgasm. She provides exercises that women can practice to make these trance states more accessible. Sheri Winston (CNM, RN, BSN, LMT) is a nationally known sex teacher, author, and former midwife. Her 2009 book,Women’s Anatomy of Arousal: Secret Maps to Buried Pleasure, recently won the 2010 AASECT (American Association of Sexuality Educators, Counselors, and Therapists) Book of the Year award. For more information, please visit intimateartscenter.com.

Session 3: Debra Pascali-Bonaro

The director of the groundbreaking film and co-author of the book Orgasmic Birth addresses how to set the stage for a safe, satisfying, pleasurable birth, beginning with pregnancy preparation, environment, role of the partner, sensations (movement, touch, surrender), and handling prior abuse — all the way through to the moments of ecstasy, transformation, power, and birth. Debra is co-chair of the International MotherBaby Childbirth Initiative (IMBCI), where she works with international organizations, Ministers of Health, and grassroots community organizations to create optimal models of maternity care. She is an inspirational international speaker and a Lamaze International-certified childbirth educator and teacher trainer with Passion for Birth. Debra is a mother of five. For more information, please visit orgasmicbirth.com.

Session 4: Laura Shanley

This pioneer and ecstatic birth advocate discusses clearing the major beliefs that prevent most women from experiencing an ecstatic birth: the idea that birth is inherently painful and inherently dangerous. When we understand that our fears are based on myths, not truths, they simply fade away. Laura Shanley is a writer, speaker, birth consultant, and author of the book Unassisted Childbirth. She is widely known as the “godmother” of the unassisted childbirth movement, and has been interviewed for print media, radio, television, and film throughout the world. She and her dog, Molly, live in Boulder, Colorado, where Laura maintains a website devoted to the topic of unassisted childbirth. For more information, please visit unassistedchildbirth.com.

Session 5: Elena Tonetti-Vladimirova

The director, producer, and workshop facilitator of Birth as We Know It, discusses conscious procreation, the importance of learning how to create the new generation consciously, and the different ways to approach conscious conception, pregnancy, and birth. A Russian-born visionary who after 25 years of intense soul-searching is now sharing her insights on the mechanisms and tools for creating our own reality. Elena had her first formal training in Russia at the College of Arts in theater. Since 1982 working closely with the waterbirth pioneer Igor Charkovsky, she moved on to organizing birth camps at the Black Sea and delivering babies amidst wild dolphins. Together, they launched a program of natural delivery and birth trauma release for adults as well as for babies. For more information, please visit birthintobeing.com.

Session 6: Nekole Shapiro

The founder of TantricBirth explores the significance of oxytocin in the birthing process and share different strategies to increase the level of (oxytocin inducing) connection and intimacy in the birthing room, both between the individuals present at birth and between a woman and her body. The process of birthing a baby grants you access to the depths of yourself and the power your life force brings to this earth. Harvesting the experience for these gifts requires support. Nekole Shapiro synthesizes a lifetime of experience as a body worker and Tantric practitioner, her birthing experiences as a mother and doula, and her profound love of science into TantricBirth, a holistic approach to the birthing experience. For more information, please visit embodiedbirth.com.

Session 7: Hari Kaur Khalsa

This global kundalini yoga and meditation teacher addresses the sacred spiritual nature of Woman and the power of the feminine energy as it relates to conception, pregnancy, and childbirth. She also shares meditation techniques specific to birth service providers, pregnant women, future mothers, and women at large. Hari Kaur Khalsa is a yogini, teacher and author, sharing the powerful and healing teachings of Kundalini Yoga with students of all levels around the world. Hari leads classes, workshops, and teacher training programs and is known for building communities of spirit. Hari’s two books, A Woman’s Book of Yoga – Embracing Our Natural Life Cycles (Penguin 2002) and A Woman’s Book of Meditation – Discovering the Power of a Peaceful Mind (Penguin 2006) help women worldwide. For more information, please visit reachhari.com.

Session 8: Ina May Gaskin

The “Mother of Midwifery,” opens the floor to participants questions about Ecstatic Birth. Ina May Gaskin is a visionary and pioneer in the field of natural childbirth and a powerful advocate for a woman’s right to give birth without excessive and unnecessary medical intervention. Her books Spiritual Midwifery and Ina May’s Guide to Childbirth inspire women to reduce the fear of childbirth by regaining confidence in their bodies and assuring them that their bodies still work! Ina May also developed the Gaskin Maneuver, the first obstetrical maneuver to be named after a midwife. The Gaskin Maneuver embodies the essence of midwifery by using simple body movements to facilitate a difficult birth. Ina May transformed her observation of increasing maternal mortality in the U.S. into The Safe Motherhood Quilt Project, a national effort to honor those women who have died of pregnancy-related causes during the past twenty years and to draw public attention to the unchanging maternal death rate in this country. As a speaker and educator, Ina May continues to delight listeners by infusing her sharp command of birth research and statistics with the wry humor that punctuates her writing. For more information, please visit Inamay.com.

Session 9: Saida Désilets

Saida discusses how a woman can strengthen her connection with her most intimate relationship — the relationship with herself. She will also teach about conscious energy cultivation and flow during birth and introduce the Jade Egg techniques for pre-pregnancy and post-partum pelvic floor conditioning. Saida Désilets, Ph.D., is the founder of The Désilets Method and author of The Emergence of the Sensual Woman. She is sought worldwide for her expertise in the field of conscious sexual energy cultivation and brings an innovative approach to the ancient wisdom of Taoist energy cultivation practices in a fun, simple, and practical method. Her newest online course, Enhancing Sexual Vitality, provides women with in-depth, easy to understand information that creates measurable results, such as greater pelvic health, more pleasure, more emotional awareness, and more succulence. She embodies her teachings and loves to celebrate the radiant beauty in all women. For more information, please visit saidadesilets.com.

Session 10: Jaiya Ma

This new mother and progressive sexual wellness expert shares her personal experience in actively, consciously preparing for an orgasmic birth and will provide techniques to enable women on their own journeys. Jaiya, one of the best educated sexual wellness expert, recently dove into a new frontier of sensuality as she took her own life experience of becoming a mother and is now coaching other women through the journey of orgasmic birth. With a background in Theatrical arts she brings fun, creativity and sexiness to her teaching. You may have seen her on Playboy’s #1 rated show “Foursome” as a Tantra Expert, The Tyra Banks Show talking about Alternative Relationships or one of her many Sex With Jaiya videos as a spokes model for Liberator. Jaiya features her work on her weekly syndicated radio show that draws hundreds of thousands of listeners. For more information, please visit newworldsexeducation.com.