Eat Pray Doula Virtual Birth Doula Retreat is virtual training which takes place over the course of 10 half days with world-renowned doula trainer and Director of Orgasmic Birth, Debra Pascali-Bonaro and CNN Hero and Bumi Sehat Founder, Midwife, Ibu Robin Lim for a deep dive of blissful teaching, learning, connecting and loving.
Pathway to certification
All in person classroom requirements for DONA Birth Doula Certification will be fulfilled while attending the Virtual Eat Pray Doula training. All while immersing yourself in a world-wide doula sisterhood.
- Introduction to Childbirth
- DONA Approved Birth Doula Workshop
- Introduction to Breastfeeding for Doulas
The remaining requirements will be self-study. To learn more about certification, review blog article on steps to certify.
Eat, Pray, Doula is the right choice for you if...
- You are fascinated with birth and supporting MotherBabies and Families.
- You feel called to study, learn and experience the nourishing sisterhood that becoming a doula will provide.
- You are ready to use your special gifts, compassion, love and desire to make a difference in a career that will fulfill you, your soul and help to change the world.
Immersive Learning
A typical birth doula training takes place over 2-3 days. Our unique immersive experience allows time to dive deeper into learning, understanding, practicing and connecting.
- Connect to a community of like-minded women
- Discover the role and story of doulas
- Deepen your passion for providing a doula’s nurturing care and touch to birthing people and partners
- Discuss the impact of racism and a doula’s role in advocacy, reducing disparities, and creating equity globally
- Explore current practices vs. evidenced-based care
- Learn 10 tips for doulas to support a mother hormonal physiology – making birth safer and easier
- Develop a toolkit of comfort measure
- Create a language for gentle birth and enhance your communication skills
- Learn birth traditions
- Learn how to protect a woman’s memory of her birth in any situation and any setting
- Discuss the emotional, spiritual, and sexual aspects of childbirth and how to help release fears and open to birth on every level
- Discuss how to support fathers and other partners
- Deepen your breastfeeding skills and wisdom
- Revel in placenta wisdom
- Practice doula skills in a safe circle of support
Our teachers: A combined force of love and wisdom
In 2012, Ibu Robin Lim and Debra Pascali-Bonaro came together to teach the first Eat, Pray, Doula
Workshop in Bali. In 2017, they were joined by Midwife Mala Landt (CPM).
Since then, their vast individual and collective experience and passion for culturally safe, gentle birth — including informed and respectful decision-making as the pathway to Peace on Earth — has offered retreat participants an unparalleled wellspring of tools, inspiration, information, and hope for their own futures as
Doulas, Midwives, Nurses, Physicians, Acupuncturists, Therapist and Body Workers
to become change-makers in birth for the future of planet Earth.
Together, they provide our promised doulas with wisdom, research, song and ceremony which
has been acquired from traditional birthkeepers from around the world.
Learn more about our teachers
*click to expand
Robin Lim is an internationally-recognized midwife, well-known author and talented poet. Bumi Sehat International, her non-profit Indonesian birthing and educational clinics have saved hundreds of lives and delivered thousands of babies, serving the poor and medically disenfranchised citizens of Bali and in the tsunami-ravaged province of Aceh, Sumatra and the Philippines. Ibu Robin remains indefatigably committed to changing the world, one gentle birth at a time.
Debra has trained thousands of doulas, birth keepers and parents around the world in the practices of gentle birth support. She is the Founder & President of Pain to Power Childbirth Experience, Director of the award-winning documentary Orgasmic Birth: The Best-Kept Secret , author and inspirational international speaker, and chair of the International MotherBaby Childbirth Organization. Debra’s passion comes from her years as a Lamaze International childbirth educator, and birth and postpartum doula trainer with DONA International where she has worked with women, men, midwives, doulas, nurses and physicians in over 40 countries bringing comfort, love and pleasure to birth and life!
Mala has been a CPM for over 20 years and lives on the Big Island of Hawaii on a small organic farm with three of her four sons and their families. Her farm has been dedicated as a Gentlebirth Sanctuary and Education Center. Mala has had a home birth practice on the Big Island for 18 years now yet she has spent 10 of those years traveling to Bali to work with Ibu Robin in Ubud, Bali.
Mala has a BA in Anthropology and Psychology and a Masters in Special Education. She worked as a Dance Therapist in the North Carolina State School for the Handicapped and later on in the Virgin Islands Public schools, she taught Adaptive Physical Education. She orchestrated Preschools to begin combining special needs children and “normal” children, and proved the benefits for both populations in social adaptation and motivation in learning.
She is an International Yoga Teacher of 40 years, a professional Massage therapist of 20 years, a Cranial Sacral Therapist and Prenatal Yoga instructor and Postpartum Exercise Instructor. She studied at the Oneness University in India and became a Trainer of “Deeksha”, which is a
force for Global Awakening. She was an Instructor of Doula Certification and training with
the Barefoot Doctors Academy in Hawaii in 2004, 2009 and 2014.
Our daily ritual
Daily Schedule
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Introduction: March 7, 2022 | 5:30 – 8:30 pm EST
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Training: March 8-9, 14-16, 21-23, 2022 | 5:00 PM – 9:00 PM (EST)
- Breastfeeding: March 29, 2022 | 5:00 PM – 9:00 PM (EST).
Sample Content
- Opening Circle
- Childbirth images, messages, past and present
- Racial Inequities, Disparities, Birth Equity, Trauma-Informed Care
- Fetal Development
- Language Matters
- Stages and Phases of labor and birth
- The anatomy, physiology and hormones of pregnancy, labor, birth and breastfeeding
*times and topics subject to change
Common Questions
You do not have to have a professional background to take the Eat Pray Doula Retreat, but should have the following: fascination with pregnancy, childbirth, and newborn babies; a desire to work with women or couples during this most meaningful and demanding time in their lives; emotional maturity, stamina, and reliability.
There are no DONA Doula Trainings that will provide you with certification at the end of the workshop/retreat. Our DONA Gentle Birth Doula retreat fulfills 3 of the requirements of certification – an Introduction to Childbirth, DONA Doula Workshop, and a Breastfeeding Course. Beyond those, you will need to do additional reading, attend births, do some writing and create a resource list. Only our Birth Doula Retreat is a pathway to certification though, so please keep that in mind as you decide between our Advanced Retreat and Birth Doula Retreat.
After the retreat, you will begin doing independent/self-study to finalize your certification, including attending births. A requirement of DONA Doula Certification is that you attend at least 3 births as a doula and document those experiences for certification.
From experience we’ve found that doula trainings are incredible – inspirational, educational and full of sisterhood. BUT they are short! 3 days just feels too quick, and most of the time everyone wishes it could be longer and more immersive. You do learn so much in a “typical” workshop, and we encourage you to take one if you can’t attend Eat Pray Doula – but the virtual retreat atmosphere is something that just can’t be replicated. Sisterhood – replenishment – self-care – connection – deep immersion – love.
Will you join our circle?
Early Bird Registration
- Payment plans available
- Pricing will increase to $1,350 on January 15, 2022
If you find it necessary to cancel your reservation, the following cancellation policy will apply:
The deposit of $250 if nonrefundable, remaining paid balance is refundable in full until December 15, 2021.
After January 15th a 50% refund will be given
No refunds after January 16th, however spaces are transferable so you may sell or gift your space.