http://indra.civicpixel-host.com toward a theory of life Wed, 27 Jan 2010 13:36:23 +0000 http://backend.userland.com/rss092 en [caption id="attachment_354" align="aligncenter" width="573" caption="by LJ Martin - janesearing.wordpress.com"][/caption] I just wanted to acknowledge that I haven't written in a while.  It's been a productive time, but one in which I have not found much space for the formation of ideas into good words. That is shifting now.  I can feel the ... http://indra.civicpixel-host.com/2009/09/18/pause-for-reflection/ I'll admit - when I hear people talking about their epidural labors, or their breastless baby feedings, or their down-the-hall-in-the-crib sleepings, it makes me queasy. Literally. When it happens I often quite like the person and want to communicate nothing but loving support of their parenting choices, not moral righteousness ... http://indra.civicpixel-host.com/2009/07/22/learning-that-lives-in-the-flesh/ One of the things I respect most about the midwives I have seen in action is their ability to listen deeply to birth and discern whether things are ok, or not.  This is notable, because a lot can seem 'not ok' during birth, and because what is 'ok' is not ... http://indra.civicpixel-host.com/2009/07/15/turning-away-from-erotic-power/ I'm still not sure what to do with a body.  I am meditating on this poem by Rumi (translated by Coleman Barks).  I thought I would share this puppetry version, just for fun. It relates to the themes I am discussing here, though I can't quite articulate it more eloquently ... http://indra.civicpixel-host.com/2009/07/08/what-to-do-with-a-body/ A friend who read my blog came away with the impression that I think the experience of birth is more important than the outcome, meaning that I would advocate for risky but meaningful births, or deny that death is worth avoiding. This is a common misperception. More than just wrong, ... http://indra.civicpixel-host.com/2009/07/01/birth-as-an-opportunity-for-life-not-just-survival/ Risk Factors for America This week a striking statistic crossed my path - families without paid leave have higher rates of infant mortality. I have to let that sit for a moment so you can soak it in. I've been meditating on this for 6 days not yet ready to find the words, ... http://indra.civicpixel-host.com/2009/06/14/first-do-no-harm/ I watched the documentary "A Family Undertaking" last night.  It's about home funerals. I already had a hunch that I was as much of a death radical as I am a birth radical and this video (available on Netlix) confirmed it: bring on the fleshy, life-affirming, love-emanating reality of death! Of ... http://indra.civicpixel-host.com/2009/06/04/home-death-revelation/ I just packed for my partner who has a camping trip with 20 teenagers this weekend.  It's a division of labor that suits our nearly 17 year relationship; she hates to pack, I kind of like it, love her by doing it.  This afternoon, my two kiddos, comfortably stripped down ... http://indra.civicpixel-host.com/2009/05/08/how-we-bond/ Not everyone can bear children.  Not everyone will bear children in the same way, or with the same outcome. The reasons for this vary widely.  Sometimes there are no reasons. In the United States 7.4% of women ages 15-44 are infertile (and almost 12% have impaired fertility). Worldwide, infertility seems to ... http://indra.civicpixel-host.com/2009/04/30/cant/ I just read this article that debunks the construction of Somali pirates as robbers at sea and it got me thinking about midwives. What struck me first in reading this article was the gap between the perspective of this author (that the Somali pirates are local patriots, protecting their people) and ... http://indra.civicpixel-host.com/2009/04/23/how-midwives-are-like-the-somali-pirates/