How Babies Are Born

Watching my son’s birth remains one of the peak experiences of my human existence. I fell into a state of ecstatic bliss. It was so wild and intense. The OBGYN, who does this all day, every day, felt compelled to take out his iphone and record this mad man who had fallen on his knees to sing the praises of God.

Birth is the miracle of life. The making of the mother. The magical Grace that opens up to the first breath.

And birth has been taken from women. This most sacred of human events has been redefined by an overly scientific, patriarchal, medical model.

I want to be clear here. Our son, Darshan, was born prematurely. We were blessed by the advances of Western medicine. We needed the tools, the expertise and the science.

This is not an either/or. This is about nuance. And about keeping the sacred, sacred. Keeping the feminine, feminine. About bringing ritual, songs, and the old ways, to the miracle that is birth.

My dearest friend Nashira Baril has devoted years to the relentless stewarding of a birth center in Boston. It will be a sacred place. It will center the rituals and care needed for women of color to give birth in ways that honor our health and our ancestral ways.

Boston is just the beginning for this work. It is our prayer that these centers will sprout for women of color all around the country.

Here I am sharing the beautiful video that spells out the vision for this birthcenter. Please, watch it, and be inspired. And please, if you do have the means, take a moment to MAKE A GIFT that will help make this dream real.

On an especially proud note, Nashira was part of the very first cohort of the Evolutionary Leadership Workshop. This was the dream that she sought to make real. It is so beautiful to watch her passionate self stick with it, one experiment after the next. We will have the center in Boston. And we will do it with your help.

Thank you for your care and for your generosity,

Gibrán

PS Check out my conversation with Nashira on the Podcast