Meditation Is Like...Childbirth?

We’ve all heard stories of day-long labors, foregoing an epidural and other dramatic tales of distress associated with childbirth, but rarely do we hear one that compares the birthing process to meditating. They seem like total opposites, the former fraught with pain and discomfort, the latter bringing to mind words like “calm,” “peaceful” and “relaxing.”

Actress Jessica Alba is here to challenge these conflicting ideas! She says, “I didn’t scream. It was really Zen. I wanted to do it naturally. The labor was more like meditation. I did yoga breathing. I was focused.” Wow.

Natural childbirths, especially those carried out in water, have become more popular in the last couple of decades, and when you think about what’s involved in every labor—breathing!—it’s no wonder it’s comparable to meditating. It’s about timing, repetition, relaxing the body and mind as much as possible and having patience. Can anyone relate to this idea of childbirth being akin to meditation? [Daily Dish on SFGate]