Jasmine Danino
This article was first written in 2018.
Our beautiful baby Luna was born on the afternoon of January 2, 2018, the day of the first full moon of the year. When I wrote the column “My Story My Calling” in October 2017, I talked about how my husband and I felt the universe had aligned itself to make it possible for us to move from Peru to live in Bali. Settled in our new home, we were awaiting the arrival of our first yogi baby into the world. And now, here she is.
How she came into this world is what I wanted to share with you.
It’s hard to actually explain in words the intensity of the birthing process. I haven’t experienced anything else in my life that was so profound, intense and life changing.
We decided to have a water birth at home in Bali supported by two amazing midwives. During the process, there were so many moments that I thought I just couldn’t pull through. My husband, Rafael, was there every step of the way; I couldn’t have done it without him. Music played an important role; I had prepared a playlist with seven songs that just looped for almost six hours.
One of them was the mantra “ONG NAMO GURU DEV NAMO”, the Adi mantra which translates into “I bow to the divine presence within me”. It was surreal because the chant always played at the perfect timing, allowing me to trust the process and connect with the divine inside. It continuously gave me the faith and strength to pull through.
Luna arrived into this world as we were singing the Gayatri Mantra, a powerful and sacred chant, with our midwives.
Om bhur bhuvah svah
tat savitur varenyam
bhargo devasya dhimahi
dhiyo yo nah prachodayat.
The eternal, earth, air, heaven
That glory, that resplendence of the sun
May we contemplate the brilliance of that light
May the sun inspire our minds.
Nature is amazing, it’s definitely a miracle. When I think of that moment, I still get the chills. As a new mother, when I look at Luna, I feel she represents what pure love truly means. She is a blessing. She teaches me to be present. She teaches me to enjoy every moment. She teaches me to be a better person. She teaches me that everything is okay as it is.
There is so much power in a mantra, and more importantly, in a small human being.
Jasmine Danino is the co-owner of Radiantly Alive yoga studio in Bali.
www.radiantlyalive.com. (Translation of Gayatri Mantra by Douglas Brooks)
