The Paula Method – How this prepares you for birth…

The Paula Method is a holistic healing approach that is less well known than other modalities, but one which I personally believe holds incredible hidden wisdom and has a lot to offer –  especially to women before, during and after birth. It is based on the observation made by its founder, Paula Garbourg, that there exists a natural muscle coordination in our bodies, and that the circular or sphincter muscles work in tensegrity and are interconnected.  When we contract and release our eyes for example, other circular muscles (those which we can control as well as those we cannot control) will start to contract and release as well. This will spontaneously encourage the body to self regulate, release, relax and heal. 

Sphincter muscles are in our face (eyes, mouth, nose), in our bodies (i.e.heart, digestive track, uterus, cervix among others) and in our pelvic floor (urethra, vagina and anus), and our palms, fingers, and feet will also trigger the sphincters. It doesn’t take a lot of practice to feel this in your own body.  Try lying down and start by contracting and releasing the muscles of your eyes, at whatever pace your body wants. Make sure to contract to the fullest, and more importantly, to release and relax to the fullest. Perhaps you will quickly notice that other face muscles like your mouth will also be contracting. Eventually you may feel your pelvic floor as well. Notice what happens to your breath. Also notice what spontaneous movements begin to arise in the body.  This is where the magic begins – the body will begin to move and react according to what it needs in order to help it realign and relax.  This happens on a very deep level, and includes organs and muscles over which we have no conscious control.  The body’s innate wisdom takes over and it will do what is needed in that moment.

Practicing various exercises before birth (from the second trimester) will prepare you in many ways.  First of all, as you embody the exercises, it gives you the opportunity to experience spontaneous movement – connecting to and allowing the body to move freely, not from the neocortex or intellect, but from a more primal place, the primitive brain. This happens in birth as well, as the hormones of birth move you out of your thinking mind and more into a trance like zone. Practicing in pregnancy will also help the body organize itself best, no matter what week of pregnancy you are in.  It can help tone and relax many muscles and systems of the body.  It will not cause you to go into labor before it is time to, but once you are, it can be a great aid:  helping both in pain management and in moving things along.  In Israel some of the “exercises” have been in the labor ward for generations.  The most famous example is breathing out while making a SHHH sound, this is widely used by midwives to help women breathe in labor as well as in the pushing stage.  You can practice this in the bathroom to see how it feels in your body.

There are Paula practitioners throughout Israel, though only some of them have specific experience working with pregnant women.  Most have a lot of experience working with women postnatally because it has been proven that the Paula Method can help alot with urinary incontinence, hemorrhoids and other pelvic floor issues. 

The Paula Method is a well of wisdom and it’s a true gift to yourself to spend the time to explore it.  I have only explained and discussed one tiny piece of this healing modality, I encourage everyone to try it, it may surprise you in its simplicity and depth.