reflections on my MBCP Teacher Training

Me, last month, in glorious Cusco, Peru at Sacsayhuaman.

I'm treating today's blog post as a journal entry of sorts. If you're here and reading along, thank you for your presence as I journey through this beautiful life.

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How Has My Personal Meditation Practice Changed Since Beginning The Mindful Birthing MBCP Teacher Training?

My personal meditation practice has deepened significantly during the MBCP teacher training provided by mindfulbirthing.org, not necessarily in a perfect, linear way, but in a very real and embodied one. I’ve come to see practice as a steady companion in the background of my very full life as a mother, yoga teacher, doula-in-training, and MBCP teacher-in-training.

Meditation has given me tools to anchor myself during challenging moments—especially in parenting. At times, I notice myself reacting from an automatic, “animal brain” place, but mindfulness allows me to recognize that moment, even after the fact, and gently return. I’ve become more familiar with what it feels like to meet my edges—both physically and emotionally—and how to stay with those moments instead of pushing past them or collapsing under them.

While my formal sitting practice isn’t always long or structured, my mindfulness in daily life—particularly in parenting, teaching, and personal reflection—has become much more alive and sincere.

Experiences of teaching I am or have been engaged with

I currently teach yoga and have for some time, and that space has become a fertile ground for integrating mindfulness. More and more, my students describe our sessions as “moving meditation.” I guide them not just through physical poses but into deeper awareness of their breath, thoughts, sensations, and emotions. I’ve noticed that my own language has shifted—becoming slower, more attuned, and rooted in presence.

I also offer yoga and movement to underserved communities, including single mothers, and have begun holding space for deeper conversations around embodiment, parenting, and self-compassion. In parallel, I support women-owned holistic businesses through web design—this, too, is a kind of holding space, and I see these seemingly unrelated roles beginning to weave together.

Concerns about beginning teaching

As I prepare to begin teaching MBCP, I’ve noticed some quiet fears surface. There’s a part of me that wonders, Will I hold the space well enough? Will I do justice to this work that has meant so much to me?

There’s also the very human concern of balancing this offering with everything else I hold—motherhood, livelihood, activism, community. I want to give it my full heart, and I’m learning to trust that presence—not perfection—is what this work truly asks of me.

That said, the grounding I’ve received from the training, and the deep resonance I feel with the content, have also given me a quiet confidence. I know that this work lives in me now, and I feel ready to begin.

Key learnings from each seminar

Each seminar brought its own insights. Early on, I learned to recognize how much I lean toward “doing it right”—and how mindfulness invites me to meet myself exactly as I am, not as I think I should be. The inquiry practices reminded me that holding space doesn’t mean having answers—it means being deeply present, curious, and compassionate.

The seminar on postpartum vulnerability was particularly powerful for me. It helped me articulate something I’ve long felt but hadn’t found language for: that the weeks and months after birth are often more disorienting than the birth itself. I now feel a strong call to support others through that threshold with honesty and care. I believe this training will greatly enhance my doula work.

Seminars that explored the physiology of birth and the structure of the 9-week program gave me practical tools that now feel like trusted companions. And throughout, hearing from fellow trainees and teachers gave me a sense of community and validation that continues to nourish me.

My own journey as a developing MBCP teacher

My journey as a developing MBCP teacher has been one of remembering and returning. Remembering the wisdom of my own body, my own birth story, my own parenting struggles. Returning to breath, to presence, to what is true in each moment—not what I hoped would be true.

The training has helped me integrate many threads of my life—mindfulness, motherhood, trauma-awareness, service, and embodiment. I feel more equipped not only to teach a course but to hold space for real, messy, beautiful transformation in others.

Most of all, I’ve learned that becoming an MBCP teacher isn’t about mastering content—it’s about becoming the kind of presence that others can trust themselves in. And that is a lifelong practice—one I feel honored to walk.