Motherhood continues to take me by surprise. It peaks my curiosity and leads me to ask questions like:
“Who am I as a mother?”
“What does it mean to be a mother?”
“How does one mother with care?”
“How do I take care of my birthing body - even when I am not birthing a human baby?”
“How can I own the title of mother and not being a martyr?”
“How do I context switch between mothering and career work?”
“How do I connect with my lineage of mothering?”
“How do I heal a mother wound?”
How do I process grief, big and small, that arises in motherhood?
“Where does mothering fit in with the rest of society?”
“What does motherhood teach me about nature?”
“How do I create a supportive village for my little one?”
These questions and more keep bubbling up as I move through different seasons and challenges in motherhood. I am learning to truly feel into the questions and the feelings they present in order to grow through them. The questions and accompanying feelings offer me a way to grow uniquely into who I am as a mother and a person, as I listen to my intuition, guides, and nature. Yoga, meditation, breath practices, and sound healing primarily help me hear this inner wisdom.
Reading books also helps me make sense of these experiences, thoughts, and feelings. Books expand my understanding of the fullness of motherhood beyond my lived experience. When I first started reading books on motherhood, I had somewhat of a reductionist mindset. I subconsciously wanted answers to simplify the complexity that I was experiencing in motherhood. Now over a dozen books later, I am finding the books and my yoga practices are opening up my experience of motherhood. The complexity of motherhood still exists (maybe more than ever) but instead of feeling daunted by it, I now have many pathways and frameworks through which to explore.
Motherhood, if you open to it, is a big practice of self study. Understanding yourself, your relationships, your connection to the universe and the spirit realm. As with all self study you can incorporate an assortment of methods.
For you
Practice
A breath-based meditation for when you want clarity, ease, and spaciousness. You can do this practice anytime during the day. You will know it by heart after you listen to the recording a few times and then it becomes yours. It is wonderful to insert this practice into moments of your day when the intensity around you is creating intensity inside of you. May this practice serve you in feeling whole. May you remember there is a wellspring of clarity, ease, and spaciousness inside of you.
