Wednesday, January 25, 2012

A Necklace for Mothers


Wanted to share with you this gorgeous necklace, hand-crafted by Creativity is Messy, that was given to my dear friend at her baby shower.

This necklace spoke to me as a powerful symbol of the spirit of motherhood. 

For mothers, a great shift occurs, not only in the mother's body while pregnant, but also in her psyche. Many women (including myself) spend most of their lives tending to their own needs - working on developing their intellect, beauty and independence. Not to mention the energy spent attracting the right mate and keeping them.

Then BAM one day she becomes pregnant and all her energy naturally shifts away from herself and her needs, to that of another human being. For better or worse she is permanently changed.

Being a mother is an around the clock job, with endless dramas, tiring moments, and yet, many countless sweet ones too.

Nothing speaks to the selflessness of motherhood like a mother bird tending to her eggs. Rain or shine, weeks upon weeks, there is mother bird, centered, doing  her motherly job - sitting on her eggs. 

During the blessingway part of the baby shower, the girlfriends gathered together and spoke to the power of motherhood and the necessity of leaning of girlfriends because they are the ones who understand what you are going through. This necklace was a beautiful reminder not only of how special being a mother is, but also of the power of girlfriends too.

This particular jewelry piece stood out to me above other similar pieces on Etsy because of the workmanship, and unique style. It had both a nest and a bird, and with the blue Swarovski crystal, it has a little bit of bling too. When I asked Tera Larson of Creativity is Messy if she would be able to create a piece for me with turquoise oval eggs (the original piece had pearls), she was inspired. I was impressed with her communication, and friendliness. She sent over samples of the stones, and had it ready for me in no time. Let me tell you, the final product did not disappoint.

There is something to be said about the beauty of working with a real live person to create a special keep-sake jewelry piece. I love knowing my money was spent supporting an individual living their passion. It is still a bit weird for me using the internet as a medium, but I like that it cuts out the middle man.

I was particularly interested in the turquoise stones for the eggs of this "Necklace for Mothers" since it such a powerful stone. It is said to have many healing and awakening properties, as well as be very grounding. It is not a surprise then that turquoise is considered sacred to past and present Native Americans, as well as ancient cultures like the Egyptians.

How sweet is it that according to this website, "if given a turquoise by a loving friend, that stone would protect the wearer from negative energy and bring good fortune. The turquoise is the symbol of friendship. It also brings peace to the home."

Mothering, to me has been a journey of self discovery and awakening. I have learned so much about myself, and have felt so many poignant emotions I have never experienced before. It has pushed me to my limits and because of this, I have more compassion for others in their tough moments.

How fitting it is that "the turquoise gem stone is a stone of self realization helping you to better understand yourself, your ideas and your emotions." Just another reason to love this Necklace for Mothers.

Namaste

Wednesday, January 4, 2012

One Mom's Wish For Herself in 2012


The year 2011 started off very slowly, carefully and insular. New baby by my side and one vehicle meant a lot of days sitting, nesting, and being with my kids fully while at home. Things were quiet, sleepy, and cozy.

I used this time to reconnect with myself again after the long nine months of sharing my body with another while raising vibrant preschooler. Those precious few months after she was first born were so nice. She slept a lot. I cleared my schedule. I got more creative than I had since my first born. I started a home yoga practice. I started to write again. I gave my son a lot of one-pointed attention out of love and understanding that he probably needed it as reassurance with a  new baby changing his family dynamic.

Fast forward to the end of 2012 and life seems so busy, overscheduled, sleep deprived that I can barely relax. I noted to my husband the other day that I never sit anymore to just relax, or even better, to meditate. I used to meditate before I went to bed, and then I started working late into the evenings, and my daughter started to cry for me as soon as I crept upstairs. Although I teach several classes a week, my own personal practice has suffered the last few months.

As fast and stressful as things have been, it's all be so sweet. I feel so blessed at all the opportunities I've had to connect to others, to learn and grow.

Recently life has been chalked full of many great adventures, some that help me financially, some that have helped push me beyond my boundaries in my teaching, and others that involved celebrating and hosting loved ones. All good honorable life affirming things.

But my wish for 2012 for myself is to find the balance between the two extremes with simple, still, and peaceful on one side, and adventurous, over-ambitious, and over-scheduled on the other. It seems I need them both to feel whole and alive. Now I just need the wisdom to find the balance!


A potent dream I had recently sticks in my psyche and reaffirms the necessity of returned to a more balanced life. In this dream I was completely at one with my body as I turned a pirouette on a high toe in seemingly slow motion. There was nothing more blissful than the feeling of being completely and utterly centered in my body in that turn - I felt like a spinning top rotating around center axis. Because I felt so centered, the motion was so easy. Life was spinning around so slowly that I could take it all in.

I remember thinking about that one moment in the pirouette, and the accompanying feelings several more times that night while still dreaming. I even had another dream weeks later that referenced the pirouette dream.

I suppose the dream is about finding balance in everyday, but also about being centered in my mind and body at every micro-second. I do believe I found my image for 2012.