LUNA MAYA, CASA DE PARTOS

Luna Maya Birth Center works to ensure that all women in Chiapas have access to humanized health care, including safe and humanized birth. We believe that women in Chiapas have the right to make informed choices about their bodies and have access to the necessary resources to ensure health and wellbeing. We believe in access to safe motherhood as a human right leading to the empowerment of women, enhancements in quality of life, and the strengthening of families.

Our organization is dedicated to the holistic health of women and families and to the promotion of sexual and reproductive rights and the right to safe motherhood. We invite you to get to know our center and the services and educational programs we offer!

Up and Coming at Luna Maya...

Visit our blog!!

Keep up with our weekly news, birth stories, workshops, skills, recipes, and much much more! http://lunamayamexico.blogspot.com 

International Midwifery and Humanized Birth Conference!

June 11 to 13, 2010 in San Cristobal de Las Casas, Chiapas

visit www.lunamaya.org/congress for details and registration 

Mayan Moon Retreat Weeks!

2010 Mayan Moon Retreat WeeK: 1 to 6 February 2010. Sign up now!  

Mayan Moon Retreats (in English) are one week intensive workshops for birthworkers to explore traditional Mexican midwifery techniques and philosophy as applied to modern practice. Read more here...

PAY WHAT YOU CAN FOR BIRTH CAMP! until December 31st!!!

 As you know, Luna Maya rests in southern Mexico, a place where our local economy is dire and where the impact of the global crisis has been profound. A crisis in southern Mexico makes a difference in the amount of food the local women and children can eat. This year, the crisis has meant that Luna Maya has lost almost all of our funding and one of our fundraising initiatives are the Birth Camps and training sessions we hold. With income generated we are able to continue to subsidize birth of women who can’t pay $600 that we charge for birth, and are able to fund the work we do attending the local women’s shelter.

I was told to consider changing the Birth Camp payment scale, but I was confused. I thought, but Birth Camp is amazing, who wouldn’t want to come and find the funds to participate? I kept hoping, as everyone else is doing, that Birth Camp would fill and hoping for a miracle, that women in this time would be abundant and gather the funds they needed.

But the reality is that just as we have to shift our budget for the local women, we have to shift our budget for all women. The reality is that if I want to be a revolutionary midwife, if I want to say that I honor all women, it means I have to be radically true to myself and challenging systems, all of them.

So here goes…

For the next two weeks that embody the time of Mary’s undisturbed birth, that embody our release of this years past and planting of next years visions, that embody the calling of the Sun and the closure of what has gone I am inviting you to participate in Birth Camp on a Pay What You Can basis. That is a $900 retreat for whatever you feel is right to pay.

This year as I make my closures I look back and honor how my capacity to make decisions has been so fundamental to my growth. And I want to translate that deeper into Birth Camp. Women have the ability to lead with their heart, and I must lead with my heart. Similar to our sliding scale in our services, Luna Maya is removing the risk of cost for you.

Why?

1.        I deeply believe that unity among midwives is of the few things that will change birth.

2.        I want women and midwives to inspire other women and midwives to grow, evolve and believe deeply in themselves.

3.        I know that the more women who can participate in Birth Camp, the richer the experience

4.        I trust that women are wise and support each other, and I know that Birth Camp is a place where this specially happens

So from today until the 31^st of December, I trust your wisdom, your guides and your power. Register for Birth Camp now, and Pay what you can!!!

2009-10 Capital Campaign

Luna Maya needs your support!  We are in the midst of a fundraising campaign for much needed support that will let us continue our work with women and families in Chiapas, México.  You can collaborate through cash donations, through the donation of computer equipment and medical supplies, through hosting a fundraising event in your city, or through our new program Sponsor a Birth!  As of september 2009 we are no longer funded and would like to be able to sustain our low prices and service to the community. We need your help! Click on any one of the links to read more and help us continue our important and unique work.  

Q'anil Nacer

Childbirth Education and Beyond

Our commitment to birth is profound and we know that birth entails more than a woman and a baby, it involves immediate and extended family, our community and our culture. That's why we support your choices, growth and consciousness through our education and community building program. "Q'anil Nacer" includes Prenatal Yoga (monday to thursday 10am and monday and thursday 6.30pm), Yoga for Kids (monday and thursday 5pm), Childbirth education class (wednesday 5pm-FREE), Mamas Group (1st tuesday 5 to pm 7and 3rd wednesday 11 to 1), MamaBaby Yoga (wednesday and friday 4pm and monday and thursday 12pm). 

We also hold courses such as:

Prenatal Massage: a 3 session course designed to promote contact and physical communication between the couple during this time of stretching and expanding! Fridays 5 to 7pm

Infant Massage: Touch is our first lagunage. Learn how to massage your new baby, understand her/his communication and connect ourside of your womb during this 4 session course. Saturdays 10 to 12pm

Pregnancy Celebration: Celebrate your big stretch, your fertility and your motherhood during this feminine ritual. Designed for women only we will paint our dilation mandalas, sculpture our clay birthing Mama and Cast our Beautiful bellies. Saturdays 1 to 3pm.