In 1974, the year of the publication of Leboyer’s historic book entitled BIRTH WITHOUT
VIOLENCE, a 25 year old woman and mother of three published a book revealing the
potential of normal childbirth and the importance of meditative discipline, the first
book on Prenatal Yoga in the Western World, aptly titled PRENATAL YOGA  & NATURAL
CHILDBIRTH.  

The language of Jeannine Parvati Baker shows us pregnancy as a master path,
loaded with illumination potential.  She learned Zen Buddhist meditation when she
was a teenager, and later practiced both Buddhist and Hindu meditation methods.   
Jeannine developed a connection with energy breathing, which she used in her own
births.

Of all the possible myths to identify with, Jeannine finds kindred archetypes with
Parvati of the Hindu stories and Cassandra of the Greek tale.  In the former, Parvati
longed for a child and parthenogenically realized Ganesha, who was followed by
her partner Shiva’s second son, Skanda.  These are Jeannine’s fourth and fifth born
children, two sons, Gannon and Quinn.  Jeannine sixth baby was given the name of
Parvati’s mother by Baba Hari Dass, Halley Sophia.

In the myth of Cassandra, she is cursed with knowledge of the future yet she is not to
be believed by anyone who hears her prophecies.  For many years, reclaiming birth
out of medical jurisdiction has been futile, and Jeannine’s prophecy that the
legalization of midwifery would regulate homebirth and keep birth hostage from
families has been born true – more states are in our bedrooms though licensed
midwives than ever before.  The ransom to free birth and let families be fully
responsible is easily rendered: decriminalize midwifery and let the parents choose
where and with whom they want to give birth.  

In the Hindu myth, Parvati invented her baby from the simple gifts of nature – flowers,
herbs, the soil, her saliva, sweat, and some other things.  For Jeannine, the mother of
invention is a passion to create the possible family and transform Cassandra’s curse
into a blessing.

EXCERPTS FROM PRENATAL YOGA , 3RD EDITION:

Giving birth is initiation into women’s mysteries…It prepares us for other altered states
and dying to the self. Giving conscious birth is a woman’s vision quest, par
excellence….Opening for conscious birth helps all power centers to open (Baker,
1974, p. XII).

With breath as an ally we can receive a vision that will spiritually feed us our entire
lives, right at the moment of conception and birth (ibid, p. XIII).

…new and powerful feelings and levels of consciousness brought about by being
pregnant. (p. 1) Women talk of their childbirth experiences being transcendent,
mystical, and / or the most profound spiritual experiences of their lives (ibid, p.18).

Discipline is very much needed during pregnancy, not only from the ritual aspect, but
to prepare for the great discipline required in caring for a baby (ibid, p. 2).

[Re Yoga teacher Hari Dass} I thanked him for the advice to concentrate on my navel
chakra during labor as this transformed labor pains into the gifts they really are (ibid,
p. 77).

As the White Hole dimension of awareness, the personal dissolved –boundaries of self /
other poured inside out with each birthforce wave. "Contractions" or labor pains were
transformed into "gifts". Balancing between pleasure and pain brought power –
power to be wisely used for the work at hand (ibid, p. 88).

Tremendous release when the baby emerges – like pulling the universe through the
eye of a needle (ibid, p. 90).

…and as the original definition of obstetrics is to "stand by", we can move out of the
small space of fear (ibid, p.101).

Jeannine Parvati Baker’s natural childbirth methodology included a spontaneous use
of energy breathing, but in Jeannine’s own words she was "channeling from the earth
how to integrate childbirth and meditation."  Meanwhile, the medical establishment
has become interested in meditation and mind/body medicine,  some hospitals now
encouraging the application of meditation in childbirth.