All aspects of our energetic selves are important when we're giving birth, but there are a few key areas that come to the fore. If we know what they are, we can work with them to harness the energy in our body in a way that supports us to birth with ease and flow.

We are biologically programmed to give birth when we're safe. If we're not safe, or we don't feel safe, labor will slow down or stop altogether. Our hormone profile will shift so we come out of our birth zone, can engage our brain and get ourselves to safety, and when we're safe labor can start again.

It's part of why soft lighting, quiet voices, relaxing music and being at home help us birth more easily. They're all cues that we're safe.

It's also why labor can slow down or stall when we arrive at hospital, and why interventions then appear to be necessary. If the sights, sounds and sensations of being in hospital make us feel unsafe, our bodies will respond. Rather than using interventions to keep labor rolling, if we work on feeling safe in our bodies, they will also respond.

It's common for us to feel fearful around giving birth. The overwhelming majority of people give birth in hospital, an environment that can easily make us feel nervous and that often has anxiety-inducing connotations - giving birth is usually the only happy reason for going to hospital, our other hospital experiences have usually been nerve-wracking, scary or grief-stricken.

Feeling safe is the first and most important requisite for birth to happen with ease.

Fear shows up in specific ways in the energy body, and we can work with that to reduce our feelings of fear and put our body into a state of feeling safe.

The more we nourish the root chakra, at the base of our torso, the safer we feel. When we have a strong inherent sense of safety, we take that with us even when our external circumstances might otherwise make us feel unsafe.

We can support the root chakra during pregnancy to prepare, and during labor to make sure we maintain that feeling.

It's easy for something to happen in the birth room that knocks our sense of safety. A comment from a medical provider, a bright light, a loud noise, being asked questions, being disrespected, ignored or even violated. It's vital in today's mainstream birthing paradigm that we are able to cultivate an innate sense of safety that allows us to navigate all these experiences without them impacting the trajectory of our birth.

Birthing a human into the world is the ultimate expression of our ability to create. And the energy for our creative expression comes from our sacral chakra.

The sacral chakra is the source of energy for our reproductive organs and on an energetic level is the fuel for our surges or contractions.

When we're giving birth we become a vessel for the divine feminine. It flows through us in a way that is literally visible to other people. The sacral chakra is our center for connecting to the divine feminine, it's where the divine feminine resides within us. Working with the sacral chakra supports us to move deeper into this part of ourselves and embody the goddess. When we embody the goddess we are a powerful force of surrendered, mother energy.

(Quote from Ina May Gaskin)

You've probably heard the saying 'what gets a baby in, gets a baby out'. You've probably also heard if you want to get your labor started that, among other things, you should have lots of sex and stimulate your nipples. The key hormone for a smooth, easeful labor is oxytocin, the hormone of love, pleasure and sensuality.

Many labor pain management tools work by harnessing our sensuality. Energetically our sensuality is governed by our sacral chakra. The more we work with the sacral chakra, the more sensual energy we have, and the greater our capacity to experience the sensations of birth as pleasure rather than pain.

We need to draw on all our power when we give birth. Energetically, our power center is our solar plexus in our upper abdomen. It's where we cultivate our inner strength, resilience, determination and endurance.

Most births span many hours, getting harder with each mile. We need to reach deep inside ourselves and find our power to keep going, to stay surrendered, to stay connected. The place we draw that innate strength from is our solar plexus chakra, so the more we support that energy center, the more resources we have to keep going.

There's a good reason it's important to support the body energetically when we're giving birth. When energy is flowing well in the body, the energy of birth can flow too, and your birth can unfold. If energy isn't flowing well, birth isn't going to flow well either. When birth doesn't flow, interventions happen. If your goal is to avoid any unnecessary interventions, part of your plan has to be that your energy is supported.

Even if you're planning for interventions, you still need your energy to be flowing so they're successful. If you've chosen to have an induction, if your energy isn't flowing properly, it won't work as well and you're more likely to need more interventions. If you're getting an epidural, you need your energy to be flowing so your labor keeps moving forward. If you're planning a C-section, having your energy flowing well will support your body to navigate surgery and recovery.

Reiki is the easiest way to support the energy in your body. While you're laboring, you'll need someone else to give it to you. Your birth partner or your doula/midwife can learn the skills they need to support you energetically with all aspects of your birth in Reiki for Birth.