The Art of Bengkung Belly Bind

I was very honored to offer Mother Roasting services to my friend, Danielle, today. She is also a Sacred Pregnancy instructor in Phoenix and an assistant midwife. 9 months ago, she caught my little girl, Rainy. And today I got to meet her as a mother for the first time after giving birth to her son, Ocean, one week ago.

What you see here is the Bengkung Belly Bind. It is a bind that originated in Malaysia and has been used over many generations of women. A long, thin strip of fabric is woven around the pelvis, hips and the abdomen. Under this beauty is an underlayer. The underlayer protects the fabric from the belly firming paste which can get a bit messy since the primary ingredients are sesame oil and turmeric.

Why bind postpartum?
First off, it feels amazing! Second off, the belly firming paste smells amazing! Third, it looks pretty amazing!

But, aside from the beautiful sensations that accompany the Bengkung Belly Bind there are technical reasons to do it, as well. It pulls the separated abdominal muscles (diastasis recti) back together and stabilizes loose ligaments. It also helps relieve back pain from carrying a baby for 40ish weeks and supports the weakened back muscles during the early days of breastfeeding. In addition, constant pressure on the torso and abdomen accelerates healing by reducing water, fat, and air in the tissue.

When to bind?
It is recommended that binding begin 4 days postpartum for a natural birth and 6 weeks for a surgical birth. The bind is worn 10-12 hours per day for 40 days after the first placement.

What does a Bengkung Belly Binding Session include?

The Basic Bengkung Belly Bind Session Includes:

• A belly rubdown with an herbally infused sesame oil
• An Ayurvedic belly firming paste 
• Bind performed by a certified Sacred Pregnancy Belly Wrap Artist
• A hand-sewn Batik Cotton wrap 
• Binding Instructions 

Cost:

$145 at my location in Scottsdale

$165 for a home visit

For an appointment:

Email: kandy@mamalovetree.com or Call: 360-990-4142 (now located in Bellingham, WA)

Sacred Pregnancy Weekend Intensive Starts Oct 3, 2014

Sacred Pregnancy groups are being held all around the world and are the NEW WAVE of the pregnancy + birthing future. We are hell bent on changing the birth conversation as Sacred Pregnancy classes bring back the age old tradition of women sitting with one another during pregnancy and birth, getting EMPOWERED, witnessing each others process and BEING there for one another during an incredibly power-FULL rite of passage…becoming mothers.

Pregnancy is one of the DEEPEST DRINKS life has to offer. Each woman’s pregnancy pot gets stirred with various emotions and we all need a safe place to process those tides and sip some sanity from the community cauldron.

**********************************************************
This retreat will be held in a comfortable studio space at Kandy's house in Scottsdale. The cross roads are 101 and McDonald . A vegan/gluten free lunch will be provided on Saturday and Sunday and we’ll have snacks and drinks available at all times.

Please contact us with questions and to reserve your spot!
Kandy Naylor kandy@mamalovetree.com or XXX-XXX-XXXX (Now located in Bellingham, WA  CALL 360-990-4142)

Weekend journey outline:

Friday, 4pm-8pm

Sacred Space: we will explore creating a personal sacred space at home, a meditation practice, and we will discuss the benefits of journaling and create a collage candle that represents our birth wishes.

Saturday 9am-12pm

Explore connections to yourself, your baby, and your pregnancy experience + discuss your pregnancy expectations. We will create an art piece that will focus on welcoming the baby.

Food + Body Image: explore cravings, mindful eating, body changes challenges. We’ll discuss creating a sacred kitchen space and nutrition during pregnancy through postpartum.

Saturday 12pm-1pm Lunch

Saturday 1pm-3pm

Fears: we will hold space to discuss all fears relating to pregnancy, birth and motherhood, which will commence in us writing down our fears and then presenting them to the fire.

We will create a group silk painting after releasing our fears + POWER STICK with the empowered collective silk!

Saturday 3-4pm
Break. Mingle. Snack. Prepare for our partners to arrive.

Saturday 4pm-6pm

We invite your partners to join us for our evening circle. If you do not have an intimate partner, or you know your intimate partner will not attend, please bring someone that loves you and is supporting you through your pregnancy and birth.

We will discuss relationship shifts, romance and keeping the fire lit. You and your partner will create heart art and make a sweet connection.

Although our time together ends at 6pm, please give yourself and your partner the gift of having an intimate quiet evening together following class so that you may further your bond and deepen your connection.

Sunday 9am-12pm

Forgiveness: We will hold space to forgive past hurts so we can allow emotional space to open up before baby comes. We will do an exercise/art project pertaining to this theme.

We will discuss emotional nesting, gender bias and mother blessings.

Sunday 12pm-3pm - Free Flow Honoring + Pampering

This is a dedicated time to nourish our bodies and honor ourselves as goddesses. We will have lunch set up to take at our leisure, as well as pampering stations set up that we can all take turns visiting:

Rose Water + Epsom Salt Foot Soaks
Coconut Lavender Oil Leg + Foot Massages
Relaxing Chair Massage
Scalp + Neck Massage
Henna Art
Body Painting

Sunday 3pm-5pm We will sit in sisterhood circle in deep reflection of our beautiful weekend together, sharing experiences and looking forward to the future. We will create a salt bowl and everyone will go home with a piece.

Please join us for this small, intimate and life changing weekend retreat.

***********************************************************

Investment: $350 – includes all project supplies + drinks and snacks + lunch Saturday and Sunday.

Suggested supplies, not included in workshop fee:
Sacred Pregnancy Book
Mother Wisdom Deck

Guiding you through this weekend retreat will be:
Danielle Haines: Sacred Pregnancy instructor, student midwife, doula, BodyTalk Practitioner

and

Kandy Naylor: 

Sacred Pregnancy instructor, doula, yoga instructor, mother of 3, hospital and home birthed!

***********************************************************

Please contact us with questions and to reserve your spot!Kandy Naylor kandy@mamalovetree.com or XXX-XXX-XXXX (Now located in Bellingham, WA  CALL 360-990-4142)

POSTS

Sacred Pregnancy 8 week session

Kandy Naylor will be teaching the 8-week Pregnancy Journey class beginning September 3. Come circle and connect with other mothers on their pregnancy journey. This is the inaugural Sacred Pregnancy Scottsdale session! It will be for donation toward the opening of Sacred Space in Scottsdale. The classes will include snacks, crafts, sharing, and honoring which will include henna, salt scrub, massage, restorative yoga, and lots of love and fun! Art supplies included. Contact Kandy at kandy@mamalovetree.com for more information and exact location. Update: Now located in Bellingham, WA - Contact Kandy Naylor kandy@mamalovetree.com or 360-990-4142

ABOUT

Kandy Naylor studied Humanities, Art History, and Cultural Studies at Northern Arizona University. While in college, she found herself taking a yoga course and soaking it all in. She is now a certified yoga instructor. During her own pregnancies, she felt a deeper and deeper calling to the role of birth worker. She is now a birth doula, certified breastfeeding counselor, placenta crafter and will further her yoga teaching skills with Sacred Yoga prenatal teacher training in November 2014.

In 2015, she will be opening a Sacred Space in Phoenix, AZ offering prenatal yoga, postpartum yoga, Sacred Pregnancy classes, various workshops, massage, and postpartum services including the gorgeous Bengkung Belly Bind.

As she continues to expand her Sacred Pregnancy offerings, and support women during fertility, pregnancy, birth, and postpartum, she can also be found around her home crafting mei tai baby wraps, making malas, or preparing healthy, nourishing meals to feed her family.

Welcome to Sacred Whisper Bellingham! We are a tiny fraction of the international Sacred Movement founded by Anni Daulter. This newsletter will include information about fertility, pregnancy, birth, postpartum, nourishing foods, and motherhood. We wish to provide current information and resources with the primary objective being to make changes in how we, as a culture, think about birth and postpartum as it relates to the process and to the women it affects.