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Shanti Shivani

Shanti Shivani will bring us an experience of the Yoga of Sound combined with techniques of movement and opening which she learned in her work with the internationally known Frederick Leboyer (Birth Without Violence), teaching natural birth techniques. Singing is a powerful, transformative way of birthing, for sounds support the breath and the breath is the key to letting go. Shanti was invited to teach Leboyer's "Breathing and Singing" seminars and at conferences across Europe, and together they taught thousands of people these techniques.

Shanti Shivani is one of the few Western pioneers bringing the sacred traditions of Nada yoga and Dhrupad, the most ancient style of Hindustani classical music of India, to the West. The basis of her teachings of Nada Yoga – the Yoga of Sound.Dhrupad induces a deep contemplative state, connecting the singer as well as the listener with Divine Source.

Shanti brings a wealth of vocal, meditative, movement and experience to her classes and performances. She had the great fortune to be accepted as a student of the premier Indian family of the Dhrupad lineage, the Dagar family, who has been passing on this yogic singing tradition for nineteen generations. On her quest for healing and self-realization through sound, she also studied with renowned Western musicians and sound healers such as Fabien Maman of the Academy of Sound, Color and Movement.

Frédérick Leboyer, with whom she collaborated for years, was a key mentor for her, as he helped her understand the profound connection between voice, breath, movement, and birth. Frédérick Leboyer is known as the "Father of Natural Childbirth" in Europe. He best known for his books "Birth without Violence" and "Loving Touch: Baby Massage". He also created two films, "Naissance" (Birth) 1969 about "Birth without Violence" and "Le Sacre de la Naissance" (The Sacredness of Birth) 1983. Leboyer was a gynaecologist and head of a women's health clinic as well as a student of traditional Indian music and a practitioner of Hatha Yoga and Chinese martial arts.

Disillusioned by the technical development in modern health care, he left the medical community in 1973. Since then he dedicated himself holistic approaches to healing and arts. Leboyer realized that singing is the quickest way to open up the abdominal breathing. He combined this insight with movements distilled out of his lifelong experience as a practitioner of hatha yoga and tai chi which open up the body, and - chanting for pregnancy and birthing was born!

Shanti Shivani met and began work with Leboyer in 1983. Because of Shanti's background as a singer of Indian classical music and her extensive experience with yoga, meditation and various movement disciplines, Leboyer introduced Shanti to his work and by 1986 sent her out to teach his work. At this point Shanti had integrated Leboyer's movements and way of toning into her own pregnancy and the birth of her daughter Tara.

Shanti Shivani was invited to teach Leboyer's "Atmen und Singen" ("Breathing and Singing") in seminars and at conferences all over Europe, where she resided until 1993. Having realized the depth of this path in her own life and through the experiences of the people she taught, she feels very strongly about introducing and opening up women and their partners to this gentle way of birthing. She and Leboyer have taught thousands of people these techniques.

A Gentle, Loving Way to Birth your Child and your Self

Singing is a powerful, transformative way of birthing. Although certain techniques are taught, these only serve as a basis for remembering your own knowing of surrendering to the process of birth through the use
of sounds, for sounds support the breath and the breath is the key to letting go.

In this process, you learn:

• specific body movements to open up the pelvis, sacrum and entire back and the abdominal breathing
• simple toning practices to release tension and repressed emotions
• scales in different modes of music that balance your emotional body and connect you with your inner Being
• visualization practices to purify the physical and subtle bodies and promote inner peace
• to let go and allow your own sounds and songs to flow out of you

The benefits of this meditative voice, breath and movement work:

• promotes the physical, emotional and mental well-being of the mother-to-be
• stimulates the overall development of the unborn child and especially the motor skills
• empowers the pregnant woman to connect with her intuition, her inner knowing of how to give birth
• allows the mother-to-be to let go and surrender to the process of birth
• gently, lovingly supports the unborn child in its descent and birth process
• allows the pregnant woman to be transported into her inner sanctuary and experience pregnancy and birthing as the mystical transformation that it is
• allows the partner to connect with the mother-to-be and the birth process very profoundly through attuning with her breath and supporting her toning and
• supports conception by releasing built-up tension in the pelvis, reproductory organs and mind

For more, visit her site: www.shantishivani.com

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