Here at the Center for Sacred Window Studies, we share voices from many perspectives and backgrounds. We believe that the sacred weeks post birth, and the experience of humanity is experienced in countless ways. We learn by listening to one another and honoring our stories. The views and opinions of our writers do not necessarily reflect the mission, viewpoints or opinions of the Center for Sacred Window Studies.
Christine Devlin Eck directs the Center for Sacred Window Studies, where she educates and nurtures Ayurvedic Postpartum Caregivers. She is a life-long student of peaceful parenting, positive humanity, spirituality, and alternative healing methods.
Christine came across Ayurveda through yoga and eventually became an Ayurvedic Practitioner. Reflecting on her Ayurvedic training at the Kripalu School of Ayurveda, Christine shares:
I remember finding the Kripalu School of Ayurveda and it was almost as if this light-bulb went off. And it was a stretch, but we made it work. I remember being in that first class and realizing that I was in the exact right place at that moment – and that is a beautiful feeling.
While training as an Ayurvedic Practitioner, Christine found out she was pregnant with her second child. She connected with Ysha Oakes, the founder of the original Sacred Window School, with whom she studied Ayurvedic postpartum care. She was thrilled “to have some control put in my hands for how I could make my own experience different than it had been the first time.”
After training with Ysha, Christine started working as an Ayurvedic Postpartum Caregiver.
When Ysha passed away in 2015, Christine partnered with other instructors and students of Ysha’s to continue providing postpartum caregiving education.
Today, Christine directs the Center for Sacred Window Studies. Through the APC Cohort program, she trains Ayurvedic Postpartum Caregivers. Here Christine teaches the Universal Mother Principles. These virtues of Flexibility, Simplicity, Compassion, Listening, Intuition, and Non-judgement guide our relations with others. Likewise, Christine ties the Mother Principles into every facet of her work: from interactions with doula clients to mentoring and educating students.
Christine guides her students to be just as gentle with themselves as they would be with a new parent. And she encourages students to nourish themselves so they don’t wind up running on empty.
Christine understands that Ayurveda is spiritual, physical, and mental. So she ties this wisdom into her care of new birthers, understanding that their birth experience affects all aspects of their being. With this knowledge, Christine effectively supports the birther utilizing the wisdom and skills of Ayurveda. This is another concept that she teaches her students.
Christine’s favorite part of being an Ayurvedic postpartum caregiver is “having the privilege of being present at such a transformational, wide-open time for a brand new family.”
She wishes all new families “knew how tender they were.” Christine wants every family to have access to a conscious, compassionate postpartum caregiver. This depth of care leads to an incredible postpartum awareness that will pass down from generation to generation. And when one person experiences empathic, effective postpartum care – they will never forget it. They will make sure that others experience it as well.
“As much as we’re training postpartum caregivers…we’re training educators. We’re training activists. We’re training people to go out and let other people know that this is a big, important issue – and that every brand new parent needs to be cared for in a better way.”
Images by Erin Long Photography
Listen to the full podcast interview below:
Nicole Hunt is a mother, yoga teacher, and a student in the Ayurvedic Postpartum Caregiver program. She runs the non-profit Here + Now Motherhood in Johnson City, Tennessee.
Conscious Postpartum Caregiver Program
Inspired by Ayurvedic Principles
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