Dance and doula work: Meridian Negilski's Scholarship Blog

For the Spring 2018 Doula Scholarship submissions for the  Maternal Support Practitioner Program at bebo mia inc we had some amazing applicants and are thrilled to present our winners’ submissions. With the help of some incredible sponsors like Olivia Scobie & Candice Tizzard of Stages Doula, we were able to offer 6 Scholarships to the very first round of our extended version of the combined fertility, birth and postpartum doula training.

We are so honoured and excited that we are able to provide our Spring 2018 doula scholarships to incredibly strong, motivated, kind and passionate women from all over the world who would otherwise not be able to afford a doula training program. When a scholarship recipient is chosen they must submit a blog entry introducing themselves and their “why”.

We are pleased to introduce you to the recipient of the Olivia Scobie Perinatal Mental Health Scholarship for the  Spring 2018 MSP aka Doula Training Program, Meridian Negilski…

My name is Meridian, I’m 30, and I live in Boise, ID with my partner and our 8 month old son.

I’ve always known that my purpose is to help and empower others through dance and doula work.

As a dancer, I studied, performed, and taught traditional West African dance for over 20 years. Watching the joy in my students as they lost themselves in the rhythms of the live drums and connected to the freedom they felt, set my soul on fire. When I traveled to Africa I was inspired by societal differences in how we perceive and treat mental health issues and began exploring methods of dance-making as modern ritual for both personal and communal healing in grad school. 

My life mission is to help others during times of transformation and healing, using the power of authentic movement through dance and doula work.

 “Birth” in dance represented the new life that emerges from healing, and I was also fascinated with the physical act of childbirth. It was something I kept secret. I didn’t have any children, and it was somewhat awkward to explain to people why I was sobbing and watching birth videos on YouTube. I decided that one day I would become a doula, and merge my two worlds.

When I became pregnant, the first thing I did was find a midwife. I educated myself on the birthing process and the stages of labour. I studied breathing and meditation techniques designed to help me cope with the pain. I danced, stretched, and did other intentional movement practices. 

My birth didn’t turn out as I had been planning during the entirety of my pregnancy. I laboured for nearly 4 days, ended up in the hospital with a high fever and an infection, my baby was wedged in my pelvis, I had to have an emergency c-section, and baby ended up in NICU.

After my birth I knew without a doubt that one day I would help other women and their families through the birth process and the difficult period of adjustment after. I had been following bebo mia on social media, and when I saw that there were scholarship opportunities available, I knew the time to merge my knowledge of dance with doula work was now.

The Olivia Scobie Perinatal Mental Health Scholarship has made it possible for me to fulfill my dream. I am beyond thrilled to begin my journey of empowering others as a doula. I look forward to building a business that integrates mental health and movement/dance to educate and provide services for those in need in my community.

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Bebo Mia’s mission is to connect women* to their intrinsic value & power. One of the ways we aim to do this is by offering the most comprehensive combined fertility, birth & postpartum doula training! Our team of instructors are diverse, interesting, committed to social justice & super funny.

Collectively we are committed to changing the landscape of birth experiences across the globe. 

Thinking about registering for class this September? Our EARLY BIRD rate is on now!

Are finances the only barrier to becoming a doula for you? Apply to our Scholarship for the Fall 2018 MSP Program!

Want to become a sponsor?! Learn more here.