NHE 105�Week Two

Beginnings: NHE, Prenatal and Infancy

Centering

Foundations of NHE: P.R. Sarkar

• Gestation, Birth and Newborns
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• The human structure having been formed, the tendencies of the mind are awakened and the life energies are perfected. With the advent of life, the mind is developed and then the foetus does not want to keep its existence dependent on others, and it is then delivered. The babe just born is incapable of sucking the breast or of crying. If the babe does not cry of itself, others make it cry, thereby creating a vibration in its nervous system. Crying constitutes the first step in the child's efforts to adjust itself with the world.
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Foundations of NHE, continued

In the human body there are many glands which are controlled by plexi.

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When a human child is born, not all the plexi function. Generally, the plexi do not function within the mother’s womb because the babe does not breathe directly. Although the plexi are there, they become developed after birth only when the child starts to use its own respiratory system. So after birth, when the plexi become developed, changes occur in the physical body, in the secretion of hormones and in the hormonal structures. Over-secretion and under-secretion of hormones affect nerve cells, and thus change thoughts. Instincts also change. In the human body these changes take place slowly in cold climates and more quickly in hot climates.

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Immediately after birth only the faculties of inborn instincts are expressed.

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Inborn instincts develop in human beings a few minutes after birth.

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When a newborn babe hears the sound of its mother, it thinks, "Oh, my mother is coming. I will get breast milk." It smells fragrances, feels the sensation of touch and reacts to the environment: "Ooooh, it's extremely cold." It kicks and urinates. These are all inborn instincts in the case of animate creatures.

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In living beings some instincts are associated with physical development, while some instincts are there right from the moment of birth. Thus, there are two main types of instincts:

a. Inborn instincts (sahaja'ta pravrtti), such as sucking mother's milk, urination, defecation, crying, etc.

b. Acquired instincts (grhiita pravrtti), that is, instincts acquired after birth, such as laughing while being tickled.

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Prenatal and Neonatal Concerns

• Prenatal development has many critical and sensitive stages, which, if disrupted by environmental or genetic influences, can be hindered.
• The Fetus’s awareness and hearing allows her/him a strong sense of the surrounding family emotions, stresses and love.
• The most growth in all developmental areas occurs during the first year of life (newborn – one year old).

What is Inborn?

Being with Babies

• “Authentic Infant, Competent Child” -- Magda Gerber, founder, Resources for Infant Educarers (RIE)
• Refers to the importance of responsive, nurturing and respectful caregiving
• Acknowledge their feelings and experiences; talk to them and encourage exploration
• When the infant can fully express themselves, they grow to feel competence and confidence
• Build secure attachment and trust

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