Foundations of Birthing from Within: Heart of Mentoring
Course Curriculum
Part 2: The Heroic Journey of Birth
How is Birth Like a Heroic Journey?
The Phases of the Heroic Journey
The Labyrinth of Birth
Map for Leading Parents through the Labyrinth
The Return: The Birth Story Gates
As discussed in the video, talking to parents about the "gates" of labor is an additional step to the LabOrinth process that you can choose to include. The postpartum journey also includes gates. Sometimes mentors may choose to do a postpartum Labyrinth as part of processing a birth story or in a postpartum session.
The following documents include the Gates of the Return, as outline by Pam England.
Practice...
Consider a Heroic Journey that you have completed, or perhaps are still working through. Create a mandala or map of the thresholds you have crossed at each phase... the Preparation, the Call, the Ordeal, the Gates, the One Forbidden Thing, the Hook, and the Gates of the Return.
Trace the labyrinth as a tool of contemplation. Try making a labyrinth out of material you haven't worked with before... clay, sand, paint, objects found in nature, etc.
Teach a parent or group of pregnant parents how to make a labOrinth, and lead a lively dialogue on how the labyrinth is a metaphor for birth and postpartum.
