Belly dance in Pregnancy (Sayuntis)

SAYUNTIS (ANG SAYAW NG BUNTIS)
Belly dance, yoga, meditative and fun movements in pregnancy
Ma. Stephanie Fay S. Cagayan, MD, FPOGS, FPSSTD


Belly Dance has long been recognized as a form of birth dance. For thousands of years this dance has been a favorite of women all over the world because of its joyous, celebratory and non-judgmental nature. This type of exercise program guides a pregnant woman through healthy, gentle, non-strenuous movements which will help her cope with the changing condition of her body, her view of the labor process and her overall awareness of self essential for birthing. Sayuntis (coined from the phrase “sayaw ng buntis”) is belly dancing adopted for the pregnant woman. It is similar to other exercises in that it burns fat and conditions the body. But unlike other exercises in pregnancy, Sayuntis enhances femininity and inner beauty, providing us with a new dimension of creativity and spontaneity, and helping us to face pregnancy with empowerment and joy.
Dr. Ma. Stephanie Fay S. Cagayan, an obstetrician gynecologist and a fellow of the Philippine Obstetrical and Gynecological Society as well as an associate professor of Pharmacology and Toxicology at the University of the Philippines College of Medicine along with her student mentee Ms. Joy Santos, created and prepared Sayuntis because she believes that the female body is greatly endowed with the capability to deliver a baby and to nurture life in this world. Her fascination and passion with belly dance began during her endless quest of self knowledge, development and empowerment when she experienced burn out in her profession and vocation of healing. From then on, she got hooked and tried to learn more about the dance and in the process discovered its benefit for self-healing as well as birthing. Herself a mother of three, she teaches that despite medical advancement, it is still much better to deliver naturally via vaginal birth. Sayuntis aims to awaken this unique feminine power of childbirth through belly dancing indigenized into our own culture.
Sayuntis incorporates indigenous dances like the pangalay, a native dance of the Samal and Tau Sug communities in Jolo, Sulu during the pre-Islamic and pre-Christian times. Central to Sayuntis is the principle of Hara, the Japanese term for belly and is considered the core energy centered in the abdomen. Anatomically, hara is the physiologic center of gravity, located approximately three finger widths below and two finger widths behind the navel. The hara also emphasizes that the center of all the movements of Sayuntis is the baby inside the mother. The belly dance movements in Sayuntis also incorporates the four elements of nature, namely: Hampas sa Lupa (earth-based movements ie. pelvic movements), Kumpas ng Hangin (air-like movements ie. hand movements), Agos ng Batis (water-like movements ie. Undulations), and Alab ng Apoy (fire-based movements ie. shimmy).
According to Maha Al Musa (2007), a renowned bellydance teacher for pregnant women, our birthing energy – the force that supports our journey through the labor process -- is strongly related to our sexual energy—that succulent force of creativity, inner power, desire, and primal instinct. When we dance in pregnancy, we “internalize the movements and emotions of our sexual selves to connect to our wisdom and instinctual nature as women.” When we prepare ourselves emotionally, physiologically, and mentally in giving birth, our body welcomes it more freely and birthing becomes a real celebration right from the very beginning.
Sayuntis and belly dance of pregnancy connects us to our deepest subconscious, makes us more aware of ourselves and our self-conceived inhibitions, and moves us not to denial, but a total acceptance of who we are and the infinite possibilities of what we can do. It also helps us become more accepting of our emotions and provides an outlet to express our feelings. Awareness and openness reclaim the sacredness of childbirth as a natural process that the female body is made to perform, rather than a stressful event that we should face with dread. In the end, this whole openness to self and the process of childbirth will help us to have better birth outcomes. When we dance in pregnancy, we allow the natural energy to flow in and out of us, thus, allowing us to face childbirth with less fear and anxiety, possibly with more joy, celebration and acceptance. However, pregnant women should first seek prenatal consult and approval of health care provider before undertaking an exercise regimen in pregnancy













The following are benefits of Sayuntis or belly dance in pregnancy

1. Promotes good posture
2. Helps maintain general fitness
3. Improves abdominal control and awareness, hastens delivery
4. Many movements useful for relieving back ache and discomforts during pregnancy and labor
5. Helps maintain pelvic floor tone through connection with deep abdominals, prevents pelvic organ prolapse
6. Promotes balance and coordination
7. Non jarring/non contact activity
8. Fun and social, emotionally uplifting
9. Body shape no boundary
10. May help with constipation
11. promotes letdown reflex during postpartum period

Precautions with Belly Dance in Pregnancy

1. Avoid or take care with movements that accentuate a deep lumbar curve
2. Avoid back bends
3. Maintain a neutral pelvic tilt (ie keep your bottom tucked under)
4. Be aware of the softening of the ligaments in your body, especially the pelvic region, and therefore the increase risk of ligament strain
5. Avoid sharp changes of direction
6. Avoid jumps
7. Take care with hip twists (avoid or soften them)
8. Avoid sharp movements - you may need to soften your hip drops/ lifts/ flicks
9. Make sure you know how to co-contract your deep abdominals and pelvic floor muscles for stability and support

General Guidelines for Exercise in Pregnancy (ACOG)

1. Monitor your heart rate and keep it below 140 beats per minute.
2. Don’t overheat – don’t exercise on hot humid days, keep up fluid intake.
3. Avoid exercises involving sudden movements, breath holding, lying on your back.
4. Vigorous exercise should be preceded by a warm up and followed by a cool down.
5. Stop exercising if you develop pain, bleeding, faintness or otherwise feel unwell.
6. Have a small snack an hour before exercise.
7. Avoid activities where there is a risk of falling or violent body contact.
8. Limit periods of strenuous exercise to 15-20 minutes.
9. Restrict sessions of strenuous exercise to 4 times weekly.


Contraindications to undertaking exercise in pregnancy
1. Persistent bleeding in the second and third trimesters
2. Pre-eclampsia or pregnancy-induced hypertension
3. Preterm labour (previous/present)
4. Intrauterine growth restriction
5. Cervical weakness/cerclage
6. Placenta praevia
7. Preterm prelabor rupture of membranes
8. Multiple gestation (individualized and medically supervised)

(for orders of the book Sayuntis with its with accompanying instructional video, please call Rhythms Health and Wellness Counseling Services 302-5327 or 09175500522 or email cagayanmsfs@druginfo.ph or text 09189382741)