Bellydance and Pregnancy : unfolding the magic
I manifested it.
Considered a very sexual dance I had no idea about the origin of bellydancing until a school friend who learnt and later taught it told me about it. Originated in Egypt, it's a form of dance that celebrates the reproductive ability of the woman's body - the creation of life itself. The movements prepare the womb and make space for the growing baby inside. It's a dance form that comes naturally to Egyptians, vey intuitive. It is believed that since Egypt's economy revolved around the river Nile, in years of famine this dance form was used to be performed in front of whatever the people considered God-like to seek abundance and prosperity.
I was always fascinated by the dance form especially after knowing what it really stood for and secretly in my head imagined moving to the beats. And here at the Assagao Birthing Center in Goa, I got the chance to experience it for real. And what better time than now when I’m pregnant. And I could not have hoped for a more authentic teacher who comes from where the dance originated from - Egypt! She taught us a few moves and gave us only one instruction to follow — follow your intuition and SMILE. I attended my first workshop with Manar as I entered my third trimester. And I saw how each one of us participating would transform in the process. We would begin with hesitation, focus on following the technique right and eventually just letting our hair down and be in the moment! By the end of the class even the shy ones could be seen looking at themselves confidently in the mirror and enjoying themselves to the core.
I come from a culture where showing our belly is not encouraged. I remember even while wearing a saree I would make sure that no part of my belly or back shows. In pregnancy wearing loose clothes that don't reveal your shape primarily for the reason of protecting it from the evil eye was the norm. So when the question of showing my belly during the workshop came up - ofcourse it was voluntary - it took me a couple of moments to decide if I wanted to. And when I did I think I freed myself of a few centuries of conditioning. I seek Allah's protection for me and my children. I feel empowered to express my ability as a woman to nurture life and feel delighted to be able to celebrate it. Could there be a bigger miracle than to grow a little being inside you?
And now for the benefits of belly dancing during pregnancy:
It builds up strength in the muscles of the pelvis and abdomen. This is especially required during childbirth and keeping these muscles strong helps the mother get back to normal faster.
It helps reduce stress and anxiety of the pregnancy and provide immense relaxation almost immediately. It's like breathing deeply.
It’s infact a danceform that was taught by mothers to their daughters as soon as they hit puberty to welcome their womanhood and prepare them for childbirth later in life. Manar started dancing when she was two. Kaira is two now and has already picked up quite a few steps. She loves to dance but only when we’re not looking! Her moves are on beat and effortless — such a treasure to watch (from the corner of my eye) MashAllah.
Any kind of dance will keep you in the moment. Belly dancing during labour can help a woman take their mind off the pain and carry out birth in a way that you flow with the contractions (or surges) rather than fight them. Pain has alot to do with how you perceive it.
It also assists in building and maintaining a good posture that prevents stress on the back and keeps the body fit. Many women experience lower back pain during pregnancy. I did too. But for the last two months since I started dancing I have seen it almost disappear and I attribute it to the belly movements that I'm sure has increased the blood flow to this area.
Belly-dancing builds up the floor tone of the pelvis that is essential in preventing any instance of prolapse of the uterus later in life. Woman’s body takes almost a year to get baack to its normal self after the birth. Childbirth scars - physical and emotional - can last a lifetime. It’s so important to have a good birthing experience.
Coordination of various bodily limbs and keeping a balance of added weight becomes quite easy with regular belly-dancing practice.
Belly dancing can start nudging a baby in an improper position to take the right position for delivery. A child facing ahead can start facing behind which is optimal. I've seen people get worried about the position of baby especially towards the end of their pregnancy so much, get last minute scans and then freak out if the baby is in a posterior position or breach. But babies can change position even while in labour. Many movements and exercises can help in this but what really won't help is to get anxious. Adrenaline and oxytocin don't work together. We have to train ourselves into concious relaxation. Some tools could be hypnobirthing audios, music, pranayama and yoga. For me it's definitely dance.
Last but not the least- Many women lose confidence in the body that they had prior to getting pregnant. All the hormonal changes, stretching, tearing could add to the mental stress. Belly dancing could help build up on the body image. It’s a dance for women of all shapes and sizes. As our teacher Manar would put it- There is no right or wrong way of doing it. The dance is all about being intuitive and celebrating being a woman!
We had a great time doing this little choreography on one of our favourite songs at the beach. It wasn't about rehearsing and putting a perfect performance together - it was more about embracing the spontaneity and having fun. Which we did. At 36 weeks of pregnancy, I am grateful to Allah for giving me the spirit, strength and stamina to experience something like this. Childbirth is not a one off event. There's much more to it than the pain of labour and birthing the child. I thank Allah for a smooth and healthy pregnancy. I pray to Allah for an easy and safe delivery and healing after that. I seek everyone's blessings for the same.
