Photographs of birth capture what an intense physical event it is: lots of grimacing, blood, nakedness and sweat. A film can transmit much of the emotion of the experience: pants, groans and cries, the anxiety and the joy. Birth itself, the experience of giving birth or sharing birthing with someone you love can be one of the deepest spiritual experiences of one’s life.
Labor and birth are powerful rites of passage. Experienced consciously they are excellent preparation for the concentration and surrender of parenthood. A laboring mother experiences the forces of nature and spirit using her as a vehicle; the participating father sees the strength and transformation of his mate and is himself transformed. Together they experience and guide the emergence of their child, taking responsibility from the beginning for his being. The newborn experiences from without the vibrations, voices and love she knew from within. Those who share the birth imprint together with the parents on their new brother or sister joining them on the material plane.
