The Ocean Teaches Me Just Like Birth Has

Believe it or not, surfing wisdom is also birth wisdom.

I’m comparing where I am on the surf journey with where many of you are on the student midwife journey.  

There are so many similarities; from being ridiculously excited to “do the thing”, to feeling like an imposter to not even knowing what you don’t know!  EEEKK!!

I had this amazing surf lesson yesterday with a “wisdom keeper” of a man.  50 years of ocean and surf experience.  Wow.  It was humbling to be in his presence, and yet he was so humble himself.

You never do know what lessons the Ocean wants to teach you on any given day; so much like birth attending.  We never know how it will go, and how as the mama/midwife/student we do not know in advance what needs to be taught.  (And by “need” I mean what our Soul requires for growth). 

My lesson yesterday turned out to be about fear and dealing with panic in the Ocean.  Really, it reminded me of how we can often go to a birth ungrounded or in fear or panic and really that is happening all of the time in the birth world.  Disembodied, overworked midwives AND students.

This surf teacher was really good at calling my fear out in me gently; he then walked me through his own process of breath and grounding and focus to deal with the panic.

Our new version of Indie Birth Midwifery School reminds me so much of this surf wisdom.  It’s not that we won’t feel fear/panic/overwhelm in the Ocean OR at a birth.

We will.  You will.

With this new version of our school, we are offering more support, wisdom and guidance in concrete learning and practical ways with how to be with the hard things.

To get anywhere really great, whether that is as an athlete or a midwife, you have to be willing to feel it.  Live it.  Face it.  Birth is life, is a mystery and we can be intellectually prepared and knowledgeable but I feel we must also be emotionally prepared.

I’m feeling so grateful for the way birth work has influenced my life and I’m happy to share what I have learned with you.

And by the same token, I am also learning and new at a thing and I  totally resonate with the student journey.  It’s exciting and scary.

Our next cohort starts soon and we’d love to have you.  Fear, panic and overwhelm are actually welcome because that is often part of our journey.

I’d love to hear any honest truths you want to share about the path and learning and the challenges.  I’m here for it. 

Oxoxo

Maryn