A mantra I've embraced this year and repeat to my son all the time, "The world is full of magic, medicine and miracles. Every day is a new adventure." Its been a rough few weeks....months? I'll be frank, its been a real rough year. For a lot of people, not just me. But the last few weeks really … Continue reading The world is FULL.
Self Care
On parenting in the dark.
For the next four days I am alone. I am completely alone in my house for the next four days. Ok well, there is a dog and a cat here but for the next 96 hours there are no other beings in this household that require my attention. I haven't been alone in my house for … Continue reading On parenting in the dark.
Five Ways to Fill Your Well
I am re-blogging this fabulous post from The Practical Mystic because it resonates so much with me right now. Summer days are a time of high energy and activity, days are often full of social activities, events and trips. For me, the clear evidence that I have been letting self-care fall by the wayside is when I begin ruining those otherwise lovely, fun-filled times with friends and family by suddenly becoming a miserable grump and resenting everyone around me, including the dog and the cat (omg, especially the cat).
Part of the commitment to self, as the Practical Mystic points out, is carefully observing what your needs are today, in your body and spirit, and knowing that they will shift from day to day, season to season. My usual strong vinyasa practice is not serving me well right now and in the mornings my body is wanting to move more than be still for seated meditation. As the temperature warms and my life is in the midst of major transition, I am being drawn to more restorative or yin yoga practices, exploring tantric breath work and learning more subtle techniques for moving energy in the body.
I am thankful for the great resources offered in this post and re-commit to exploring new ways of nurturing myself in this season, paying closer attention to keeping my “well” from running dry (and I become a heinous bitch version of myself.)
And if it’s already too late and the train has derailed, don’t worry – here is some emergency first aid. I already used it this morning. (:
One of the things that has been turning over in my head recently harks back to a recent post, where I wondered how it was that my personal practice could be tweaked so that I could avoid burnout and illness during and after a busy period. On a walking talk with my mother the other day, she suggested that now I am in my 40s, my daily routine may need to be tweaked to reflect my changing life. After all, she said, your 40s are a time of hard work out in the world, and these busy times are likely to become the norm. Your practice needs to incorporate filling your well so that you can embrace this time, a time that you have been preparing for over the last decade and longer, without burning out, getting sick or both.
Aha! The missing piece of understanding clicked into…
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1 in 7
1 in 7 mothers in the US today report experiencing postpartum depression or anxiety. Among lower socio-economic groups, the numbers jump to 1 in 4 women. It takes many forms. It may not look what a woman or her family thinks depression or anxiety look like. You cannot always tell a mom has postpartum depression just by looking … Continue reading 1 in 7
You are amazing, Mom.
Today at our weekly mom support group we made Mother's Day cards for ourselves. I decorated mine but I could not think of what I wanted to write as I was sitting there. It has been a tough couple of months. My son's father and I have decided to split up. For the moment I am … Continue reading You are amazing, Mom.
The education of a lifetime: Karen Maezen Miller on Motherhood, Meditation and Anger
Karen Maezen Miller is a Zen priest and author of Momma Zen: Walking the Crooked Path of Motherhood, Hand Wash Cold and Paradise in Plain Sight. I have written before about her profound book, Momma Zen, and how it inspired me more than any other parenting text I have ever come across. And this interview by … Continue reading The education of a lifetime: Karen Maezen Miller on Motherhood, Meditation and Anger
Ritual for New Beginnings
"Time is the substance from which I am made. Time is a river which carries me along, but I am the river; it is a tiger that devours me, but I am the tiger; it is a fire that consumes me, but I am the fire." ~ Jorge Luis Borges The modern Gregorian calendar recognizes … Continue reading Ritual for New Beginnings
Honoring the Dark.
December fell over me like a heavy blanket. All at once it seemed, I felt the energy drain out of me. I worried I was slipping into depression, as I have in the past struggled against that gravitational pull, down into darkness, silence, deep introspection, isolation. I spent most of my adulthood watching for the … Continue reading Honoring the Dark.
The in between place: Sometimes things are just shitty.
I'm in the hard holding space. The painful, restless, unknowing place of trying to hold more than a human heart is capable of holding without knowing how anything is going to turn out. The in between space, waiting for each next breath, each next step, having faith that healing can happen, that peace is possible. … Continue reading The in between place: Sometimes things are just shitty.
The only true thing.
A couple months ago I got this message from the Universe (I know, one of those). The message was that I needed to get start getting up earlier. Now, let me tell you what the big deal is about getting up early. I have this kid, you see. This sweet, wily, hilarious and over-the-top crazy little human who controls … Continue reading The only true thing.
uncharted ground 