Come join other like-minded mamas for a “time in” of intentional reflection, mindfulness practice, introspection, connection and conversation. This gathering will occur in Berkeley on Sunday October 18 from 4:00to 5:30. Together we will create a safe space with “a time out from doing” and “a time in for being”. In the practice of mothering, creating time for internal space can be challenging. As the hub of the family wheel taking time for yourself is a gift to your family, as well as your self, who rely on your strength and wisdom for their daily sustenance. Join me in this important act of creating space for a mama pause.
This group is for mamas without their little ones, although parents with babies in arms (pre-crawling infants) are welcome. Cost for the gathering is a suggested donation between $25.00 and $35.00 and pre-registration is requested.
The meeting will occur at Birthways 1600 Shattuck Ave @ Cedar in Berkeley.
Please check with me for further details or with questions.
Feel free to share this information with others.
2nd-Time Moms’ Group – MIndfulness Focus
Next 6 week session begins in November
Similar to the New Moms’ Group – the 2nd-Time Moms’ Group is a combination of meditation/discussion/support group geared towards mothers of babies up to 6 months of age who have one or more older children. These groups meet for 6 weeks and provide an opportunity for moms to talk about the joys and challenges of integrating your new baby into your family and balancing the care needs of your children, yourself, and your partner. We will practice mindfulness skills, build community, and discuss topics relevant to mindful mothering.
Sample topics might include: balancing the needs of two or more children, helping older child in the transition to becoming an older sister/brother, attending to your relationship, staying “present” in the midst of the chaos, providing scaffolding for the development of a positive sibling relationship, and more.
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Living the Question
While we all know that the journey of parenthood is challenging with no clear answers available and a great deal of having to fumble in the dark, what I have found useful, both for myself and the mamas that I work with, is the idea of using questions as guides. Questions can support our capacity to be thoughtful and reflective and to live with awareness and curiosity. If we live the question, as Rilke put it, someday we will live our way into the answers
“… have patience with everything unresolved in your heart and try to love the questions themselves as if they were locked rooms or books written in a very foreign language. Don’t search for the answers, which could not be given to you now, because you would not be able to live them. And the point is to live everything. Live the questions now. Perhaps then, someday far in the future, you will gradually, without even noticing it, live your way into the answer.’
Rainer Maria Rilke
If we did not have to “live” the question in order to learn the answer, we might imagine that we could simply read the cliff notes. In fact, if we Googled them right now the whole thing could be completed in about 10 minutes. But coming to know the answer does not mean the answer for everyone, nor does it mean the answer for always. What it does mean, however, is that by living the questions, by holding the questions with respect and patience we can come to know the answers for us and our children and family at a given point in time. Since we are dynamic growing people the answer does not stay the same, and since we are individuals the answer for you is invariably going to be different then the answer for me.
Most of us have a hard time living with uncertainty. And nothing is more uncertain then who are children will be, and what will happen along the journey for them and for us. After all, it is not ultimately up to us how thing’s will unfold. While we can provide structure, nourishment, and guidance we cannot control the outcome. Rather we have to find the balance between intention and acceptance, knowing what we want to strive towards and knowing that we have to learn to accept things as they are. If we don’t learn to accept “what is” we will inadvertently stand in the way of growth and development, reduce our ability to be present for our children and experience greater dis-ease.
