Cherishing: 

Life Radiating from the Inside

​Prenatal (conception to birth)

In these 6 weekly online sessions, we will create a sacred space where parents-to-be from all over the world can feel safe to share, learn, meditate, and be nourished as they go through the journey of pregnancy and preparing for the arrival of their baby.  Our time together will offer a short pause from our daily routine to foster a connection to ourselves and others, as well as provide an opportunity to explore how the pregnancy journey looks from varying cultural perspectives. 

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Our sessions aim to find a balance of head, heart, and habit in the experience of pregnancy and anticipation of becoming a parent by offering useful insights in the Buddhist worldview. We will explore weekly themes specifically to those that arise during the time of pregnancy and prenatal development from the perspective of the fetus and the parents.  

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Some examples of themes that could be covered by the course include:

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• Contemplating the moment of conception from a Buddhist perspective on human development and Tibetan medicine 

• Exploring aspects of Buddhist psychology for understanding prenatal development and the time before conception

• Engaging with karma, reincarnation, 12 links, aggregates, 3 selves, Buddha Nature, Bardos of death and Buddhist prenatal development as explained in the Kalachakra text

• Engaging with The Four Thoughts in view, meditation and applying to the physical and emotional preparation of pregnancy and becoming a parent

• Discussing the three trimesters 

• What is going on for the unborn? What is happening for the mother? Where is the father in all of this? How can the father be included?

• Emotional well-being and support

• Preparing for the transition to becoming a mother/father. 

Experiential Buddhism, meditation and contemplation are woven into the exploration of the above topics, providing resources to support parents to be’s inner development as they embark on the journey of parenting. Some of these threads include the Four Immeasurables, loving-kindness and compassion, impermanence, interdependence, and Buddha-nature.

Additionally, we will guide you in the practices of meditation, contemplation, and the arts, focusing on the present moment and participants' witness to what arises in their bodies and mind.  The programme includes simple meditation practices, self-management and support tools, and basic rituals that parents to be can do to build a relationship with the fetus, making them feel welcomed, loved, and wanted.   

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Here is a general outline of our 2 hours together:

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• Opening and meditation

• Introducing a theme

• Open discussion of the theme 

• Close discussion with observations/tools

• Meditation/contemplation related to the theme 

• Contemplative art

• Closing and dedication

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The course will take place when a minimum of six participants are enrolled.

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We hope that you will join us in creating an island of nourishment for you and others on this path of parenthood.  

If you have any queries, please contact us at admissions@abidingheart.education or complete and admissions inquiry form.