During the first year of "school" two things changed for us. The first was the opportunity to spend time with another homeschooling family who inspired me with their success. The other was to invest in an internet connection at home. This broadened my resources tremendously! I went from downloading and printing Montessori worksheets and following a fixed curriculum to a wide world of homeschooling styles and influences. At first choosing a curriculum and/or homeschooling style can be overwhelming, much like finding the perfect school in an urban setting. I learnt the words Traditional, Charlotte Mason, Waldorf, Unschooling alongside my trusted companion Montessori.

How do we lose connection to our bodies? How do we reconnect?

I was in my thirties before I realized my childhood of physical violence and sexual abuse had created numbness for everything below my neck coupled with shame for my pelvic zone.

As an artist my early work was about the earth, the curving landscapes, the layers underground, layers of atmosphere, etc. but their format was always rectangular. And then at 32, I gave birth without drugs to a 9lb 3oz baby boy. This was the hardest thing I had ever done, and as profound an experience, on the other end of the spectrum, as when my brother was killed on a motorcycle. It changed me, opened me up and I started seeing circles in my art, mandalas. The birth also gave me the ground and self-valuing to begin work on healing my past.

For me, the word doula is both a noun and a verb.

The question of who is a doula is easily answered. A doula is one who shows up when the mother calls. Whether that is running to a birth that is happening in real time or returning for a home visit to assist a postpartum mother and 3-day old newborn in their precious moments of getting to know each other. The doula is the one that is on-call, with the birth/postpartum bag already in the car. A doula is a labor coach who has a voice that can soothe and empower at the same time. A doula is trained to assist in postpartum healing and provides a watchful eye over the newborn´s critical first days. A doula is one that serves families as they grow, who has a basket full of complementary therapies to soothe labor pains, shift energy, and anchor peace. A doula knows to do the dirty dishes in the sink and fold some laundry for the mama as she sleeps. In return, doulas get to witness newborn milky smiles and oxytocin rushes.

I adore observing Nahal´s sheer joy at lighting the first advent candle. This is a beautiful tradition that brings us closer together as a family. We sit around the glow of hand rolled beeswax candles nestled within a circle of greenery, tell festive stories and offer song and prayer before heading off to bed.

Tandem Nursing is generally defined as nursing two children simultaneously. This can be configured in several different ways. Nursing two children of different ages at the same time, at different times or nursing twins. The phrase Tandem Nursing is also sometimes stretched to encompass nursing while pregnant.

My personal definition of Conscious Conception: “The intention to call forth life onto this this earth, into a mother’s womb with the loving intent, consent and support of the father.  To agree as partners, to acknowledge the responsibility of caring for that life unconditionally in all ways and forever.  To do this as a partnership with united hearts and some type of connection to the Divine, Great Spirit, Creator, the Goddess… or whomever you connect with as a spiritual guide.”

Herbs are being used more and more in our every day lives as people become more aware of their healing powers.  What isn’t commonly known is whether or not they are safe for pregnancy.

The Taoist principles of Chinese medicine view the pregnant woman as the spiritual, mental, and physical vessel of the child.  Through the primordial dance of the vital essence of two separate beings coming together with a mutual soul contract, a woman’s womb becomes a sacred repository, which receives these essences and alchemically transforms them into one, which grow to fruition within her.  According to Traditional Chinese Medicine, the intrinsic role of the pregnant woman is to nourish and protect the growing being within her, who has come from spirit to be made of flesh and bone. 

This morning I’ve been thinking a lot about what we can do as mothers to reset our mornings, or reset our day. How many times have you wished to go back to bed and wake up and start again? Maybe you haven’t, but I certainly have had this thought many a time! I thought I would put together a little list of things I do to help re-start or re-set my mornings.