more navel gazing

As I wrote yesterday's post about gazing at my navel, I looked for a few references explaining what "staring at my navel" actually means. Today, I was reminded to check wikipedia and found this interesting entry on "navel-gazing":

"When thou art alone in thy cell shut thy door, and seat thyself in a corner; raise thy mind above all things vain and transitory; recline thy beard and chin on thy breast; turn thine eyes and thy thought towards the middle of thy belly, the region of the navel (bj aXos); and search the place of the heart, the seat of the soul. At first all will be dark and comfortless; but if thou persevere day and night, thou wilt feel an ineffable joy; and no sooner has the soul discovered the place of the heart than it is involved in a mystic and ethereal light." (Gibbon, Decline and Fall, c. 63) This quote is the source of the common phrase contemplating one's navel, or more recently, navel gazing, which is used to indicate a supposed pointless form of activity.

Adapting it for a pregnant lady, "When thou art alone or with thine partner, seat thyself on a softly cushioned chair; raise thy mind above all things vain and transitory; recline thy chin on thy chest; turn thine eyes and thy thought towards the middle of the thy bulging belly, the region of the protruding navel; and search the rounded mound for activity. At first all will be still; but if thou perservere at least 15 minutes, thou wilt see the skin protrude from an inner movement that will produce ineffable joy."