Mindfulness now entails more than just meditation and yoga. It’s a movement that has been integrated into all activities—anything from being a successful CEO to consciously eating your meal. Using mindfulness on your journey from conception through motherhood can have an immense impact on the bond among you, your partner and your children. Being a mindful mama is one of the greatest joys of life.
We partnered with our friend, Lori Bregman, a doula, life coach and author of The Mindful Mom-To-Be, to make mindfulness for mothers a little easier. Lori came to us after witnessing several mothers struggle with the ups and downs of pregnancy and early parenthood with the intention of creating a piece that would connect mothers to the calm, nurturing and powerful energy within them. With that in mind, her and Heather Askinosie created the Mindful Mom Mala Necklace and Bracelet to give mothers that energy.
We asked Lori for her insights and wisdom into being a mindful mother and how every woman—whether they are trying to conceive or have been a mother for decades—can tap into their intuition and create a conscious and intentional environment for their future or current children.
What does it mean to be a mindful mama?
To me, being a mindful mama means being present, conscious, kind and loving— both to others and you. It also means knowing who you are and making choices that reflect your truth—those decisions that authentically feel right for you, your children and your family. I always try to encourage and support my clients to find their own authentic way that is right for her and her family, and empower her so she trusts herself and knows herself enough to follow her truth. That’s what being a mindful mama is all about.
Why did you want to create this mindful mom piece?
I see so much fear and distrust during the journey into becoming a mother as well as those who are well into their motherhood journey. I wanted to create a piece that helped connect women to the energy they need. I wanted to include stones for calming, intuition and motherly instinct and self-love. These things often get forgotten, but can be easily reconnected to through the use of crystals. If women don’t take time to love and nurture themselves, they will have nothing left to give to their family and children.
Why do you think crystals are an important component of mindfulness?
I personally love my healing crystals, have them all over my house and am always wearing them. More and more of my clients are wearing them when trying to conceive, during pregnancy and in birth. They hold a special vibration, which for me, reminds me of that intention of energy to be aware of.
Why is being mindful important during motherhood?
That baby of yours is as much a part of you as your internal organs. The better you take care of yourself during pregnancy (both physically and mentally), the better you create a loving and healthy environment for your child. Once they are born, little children aren’t responsible enough to make all the choices they need to make for themselves. We can mindfully guide them by being a living example of creating peace, remaining present, practicing self-care and spreading love and kindness. Teaching them by our actions how to be aware and more conscious. Children are sponges—they adsorb, mimic and become who we are. The more mindful we can be, the more they can develop healthy and thoughtful habits and behaviors.
Lori’s client, Cassidy, using her Mindful Mom mala beads during her pregnancy.
How does the energy of this mala tap into a mother’s intuition?
After you learn how to use mala beads, you set your intention for your piece. I created a guided exercise that comes with the mala to teach you exactly how to do this. As you’re repeating your affirmation with the mala 108 times, you may notice your intention changes. That’s your intuition! It’s telling you exactly what you need! One of my client’s was repeating I am confident and as she moved through the mala, it evolved into I am strong and then I am powerful. And that was her intention and chant through the rest of the mala beads. It was exactly the energy she needed.
If a woman didn’t have a mindfulness practice during her pregnancy and first years as a mother, is it too late to become a mindful parent?
It’s never to late. Life is short and in today’s world, with us all doing 100 things at once, time seems to be speeding up. When we go at this pace, we miss out on so much of the here and now. It’s never to late to slow down, drop in and just be.
Why should all mamas have this mindful mom mala and bracelet?
This mala and bracelet is meant to remind current and future mothers that they always have a choice to be mindful and that they can always choose love over fear. It really helps promote a calm energy, allowing women to tap into their inner power. When we are going 100 miles an hour, it’s pretty hard to be present and make wise decisions.
Also, 10% of the proceeds from this mala and bracelet will be donated to Every Mother Counts. 303,000 women die every year as a result of complications during pregnancy and childbirth–that’s one woman every 2 minutes. EMC is a non-profit organization that is committed to making pregnancy and childbirth safe for ever mother. They inform, engage and mobilize new audiences to take action and raise funds that support maternal health programs across the globe. A full 100% of every donation will help to ensure sage birth outcomes.
You may also like Crystals for Fertility and The Mindful Mom-To-Be: Q&A With Lori Bregman.
