There she is: Ina May Gaskin with me at AB Tech, where she spoke last night. Many of us who had our children at home wouldn’t have had the courage to do so without Ina May’s book, Spiritual Midwifery. Spiritual Midwifery introduced me to the concept of the “sacrament of birth.” Life is sacred, therefore, birth is sacred. It doesn’t stop with childbirth. Education is also a sacred practice — a “calling” for those of us who teach. Whether we are dealing with birthing children or educating them, an extremely high level of expertise is required (such as an MA in teaching), but that is only the beginning. Providing a child with a truly rich education goes far beyond training and technique — it requires a respect for the child that we sometimes call “namaste” — a recognition and nurturing of each child’s individual spirit.
