Fill Your Cup
Step Out of the Rushing River and Sit By the Water
Happy New Year everyone! I dug up this letter that I wrote in Dec 2020 to introduce the first gathering of Mom Village (a meditation and Sensory Awareness group) and now it feels like a gem. I remember writing this and wondering if it was OK to call for “desperate mothers everywhere,” and if anyone would admit to feeling desperate. Now with a 10-month-old and a 4-year-old at home for a week, with no childcare, I can say that I reach moments of desperation nearly daily. Don’t you?
When I wrote this letter, three years ago, the whole world had just shut down and my desperation was at an all time high. I created Mom Village at this time to have a space to connect with other mothers and find my own soul again. In these early days the slogan was: “Nourishing ourselves so that we can nourish the next generation.” This still feels crucially important but now it’s shifting to: “Nourishing ourselves because we deserve to be nourished.”
Having a space to come together to drop all the bullshit and take a full hour to feel deeply into our bodies, to slow down, to experience pleasure and wonder simply in being alive, still feels essential. Mom Village starts again Jan 23, 2024. Thie year let’s practice taking time for ourselves, regulating our nervous systems, breathing deeply, freeing up energy to live our best life. Not just for our children but for ourselves. Everyone around us will benefit from our own well being, our own radiance. Who’s with me?!
Mom Village Letter, Written Dec, 2020 (lightly edited for clarity)
I am dreaming up The Mom Village. Calling desperate mothers everywhere to sit down in the mess of our lives together and be replenished and nourished by stillness, sensuality, and community. Quieting the mind, nourishing the body, freeing the heart. Dusting out the cobwebs so something new can grow. Let’s grow hope, inspiration, creativity, strength, resilience, and support. We are not meant to mother alone and we don’t have to. This is an invitation to come together as mothers always have to witness each other, to lift each other up, in authenticity, with humor, and curiosity. Coming back to the present moment by noticing the breath, the body, our thoughts right now. We allow whatever is here to just be here, without judgement, shame, or guilt. We simply notice what is.
For this one hour we give ourselves the gift of time to fill back up. We relish in a moment to pause with nothing to do and nowhere to go. We step out of the rushing river and sit by the water, letting it flow by. We notice the waves of breath filling and emptying. We let ourselves be held by community. We lean in to deep relaxation and feeling safe in this moment.
Join me in creating Mom Village! We will gather together, share our voices, practice mindful movement, meditation, and Sensory Awareness. These are tools that bring us back to the present moment, to the breath, to the sensations of being alive. This hour will be deeply relaxing and nourishing so that we can return to our families replenished and renewed to guide the next generation. This is big work! Mothering is important and powerful.
These tools help us grow the strength and resilience that we need as mothers to meet the unpredictable and intense challenges of raising a family. Awareness of the mind and body helps us enjoy the joyful moments and navigate the stressors without losing our minds. And when we lose our minds we have our Mom Village to return to, to fill up our tanks and be held by community. We’re in this together!
This will be a cozy intimate gathering. Bring coffee, tea, or blankets. Feel free to nurse babies, bring kids, and I encourage you to take this time for yourself. Mindfulness tools are wonderful for preparing for birth and beyond. Awareness of the mind-body connection and the ability to return to the sensations of breath prepares us for the unpredictable adventure of birth and parenthood. By practicing mindfulness we can grow our intuition and resilience to be able to respond to whatever comes our way.
For mothers anywhere on the journey from pregnant mamas, to new moms, experienced mothers, to grandmas. All are welcome.
Love,
Carol
Join Mom Village! For more info and to register follow this link
