what a trip

After being away from home and computer for 6 days,

I am ready to share the fantastical experience that was the first Sacred Pregnancy Retreat with you.

I have done many things in my life. 

I have become certified in many wonderful fields.

But never has my mind been so blown in only four days!

There is so much to speak about that it is hard to find a starting point.

I guess the best place to start would be with the ladies themselves.

40 beautiful, amazing, intelligent, and gifted women showed up expecting nothing and accepting all.

40 women with the desire to bring the conversation of birth back to a place of love.

40 women who believe that birth does not need to be feared.

40 women who hold the body, mind, and spirit of women to be Sacred and cherished.

These women came crashing together

to create what is the beginning of the change of birth in this world.

Each of us came to Sacred pregnancy with our skills to share.

Never knowing that we would be given so much.

It is not easy for me to explain the Sacred Pregnancy Retreat because, to me, it is so many different things.

On a technical level we had wonderful speakers and one very gifted musician.

We were honored with the sweet, strong, soulful, and fierce music of Nina Lee.

A woman by whose presence, voice, and songs, we were roused to fire,

quieted to stillness, and brought to tears.

Her creation of the Sacred Pregnancy song is,

in my opinion, a gift of self affirmation for women as they birth in all their power.

We heard the passionate words of Gena Kirby.

A woman who has changed how I look at the beautiful Mexican scarf/shawl called the Rebozo.

Because of her passion, intelligence, and fierce spirit, I can not see myself ever going to another birth without my trusty Rebozo close at hand.

We enjoyed the joyful spirit of Mary Oscategui.

A strong and gentle woman who guides parents through the birth preparation and sleep consultation among many other things) and who is the Founder, CEO, and  President of the International Maternity Institute.

We learned from the fantastic, intelligent, and funny Dr. Robert Biter.

A man who believes in the sacredness of birth so deeply that he has risked his career to make birthing a safe and Sacred experience for all women through his work with Midwives and through his birthing center(s); Babies by the Sea.

And we were all brought together by the dream birthed into reality of Anni Daulter.

A woman who can not be categorized beyond being called a true gift to the world.

She is blessed with so many unique gifts.

An author many times over, a loving mother, the creator of the organic baby food company Bohemian Baby, and now the creator of the Sacred Pregnancy Movement.

Because of Anni's dream to bring trust, intimacy, self love, beauty, and deep sacredness back into birth...

Because of her focus and dedication to changing the conversation and the language around birth...

Because of her shining heart, her keen mind, and he tireless work (day and night, sick or well), we now have in this world the Sacred Pregnancy Certification Retreats.

Following her heart and through her guidance,

we are creating a whole new style of Pregnancy and Birth Education.

Imagine the bliss of a meditation practice, the healing and growth of being with dear friends, and the helpful knowledge of a birth class wrapped up in beauty, sweet smells, and the gift of knowing you can do anything!

This, and so much more, is what the Sacred Pregnancy Instructor Retreats is training us

to bring to the world!

I now return home a Certified Sacred Pregnancy Instructor and I am setting up classes to start in January of 2013 in both Marin and Sonoma County.

Do not fret, though, if you can not make it to one of my classes because we have 39 beautiful and righteous women from Southern California to Finland just waiting to bring you into this

brilliant "whoa-mans"community!

Now prepared to take this to every woman that I meet, all I can say is thank you.

Thank you Anni Daulter, Christy Funk, Sylvia Poareo, and Krista Miracle for everything that you have taught us not just about mothers and birth but about our deepest selves.

Thank you to the Ojai Foundation for the use of the sacred and ancient land, so filled with beauty and strong energy, from which to do our work and Gay for all of the delicious, nutritious, and nourishing vegetarian food that she so lovingly catered to us lunch and dinner for our entire stay.

And finally thank you to all of the "Whoa-men", most especially the "Whomb Warriors". 

Ladies each and every one of you are a special gift to the world and I have the deepest gratitude that I can now call you all sister.

Cindy, Nina, Danielle, Lisa, Amy, Sylvia, Trisha, Maggie, Ivonne, Kim, Kelly, Kristen, Jennifer, Sara, Gabrielle, Kristen, Sara, Amanda, Crysta, Lindsey, Nina, Tnah, Andrea, Katherine, Lauren, Paivi, Melissa, "Tree",and Mary, my Sacred Pregnancy Elders sisters, I will carry you with me forever. 

All I can say is WOW what an experience!

I am ready for Level 2 training; I truly can't wait!

Any one who wants more information let me know. 

This is an experience, these are people,

and Sacred Pregnancy is a phenomenon that should be shared with everyone.

abundance

It is often that I sit back and take in that which I have been blessed with in my life. The wonderful children who are so smart and sweet, the beautiful home (until I buy my forever home), the bounty always set before me even when times are lean. I have been gifted with abundance in my world. And I am so grateful for it all!

There is nothing like the thrill of getting the first red tomatoes from your garden (even if the plant was dying and they were all picked green). The joy of climbing an apple tree to get the gorgeous red fruits! Our apple tree is small and wonky but my what a producer! We have pulled 6 bags of apples (maybe more) from this one little tree and yet it still yields fruit fresh and sweet and as red as Snow White's own apple. I don't think I have ever purchased an apple (they are Gravenstein) quite as sweet or quite as satisfying as the ones we grab from our own little tree. We have even been lucky enough to have another tiny tree that gave us perfect little kid sized Golden Delicious apples; officially my favorite! Amusingly enough, apples have always made me feel slightly sick before (when purchased from the store all not ripe and sad) but this fresh plucked bounty has never caused me a moment of anything but glee.

It is in the midst of this yummy happiness that I have even more joy to behold. My Loki (all of 8.5 now) has taken to sewing like a fish to water. I actually had to drag him away from the sewing machine yesterday to go play outside for a little while. A mothers pride glowing out of the top of my head! My little crafting boy. He is such an inventive soul in every way already (he can't get enough of technology or science which is thrilling) I can hardly wait to see all of the fantastical creations that come from within him.

My youngest Bodhi, loves to take part in the household antics. He is the best helper (for a 2 year old) and always comes barreling through the yard when it is time to pick apples or water tomatoes or check on the thyme. He takes great pride in his findings of ripe foods. And if many of them have tiny nibbles taken out of them well those will be pie or apple sauce! He is simply sampling his wares. My littlest blessing (especially after all that we have recently been through) we are more than grateful for the life we live!

And though this year we only managed to get tomatoes and apples from our little 1/2 acre, and while the coop is about to be pulled apart and rebuilt for the umpteeth time (my plans were less than perfect but hey I am new at this...at least the girls aren't laying yet  *fingers crossed*), and though the gophers and moles are making it difficult to figure out how best to utilize our sweet little piece of land (we have decided not to kill any of them because as Loki says they have as much right to be here as we do...point well taken) the abundance that comes from the little we have (and shared gifts from the bounty of the gardens of friends) we have more than enough.

the day to day

The freshly torn stash for rag rug creation!

new and improved sewing education zone

not quite completed clothes for the shop

the coop base makes for great car driving terrain 

Being mama is a journey, an adventure, and a joy! There are new experiences constantly with my kids growing and changing and learning and unlearning the world around them. Each new experience is something for my soul to feast on. As the seasons shift to chillier days, inside of our home we are shifting to cozier activities. Many projects lay in wait for busy little hands and happy imaginations (theirs and mine)! Strips have been torn for future rag rugs, clothing is midway through being designed or sewn and making ready to hit my Etsy shop (click on the word etsy to go check me out), and my son (who hated crafting and would cry if I asked him to draw with me) has recently told me he wants to learn the fine art of Arts and Crafting! He wants to make a comfortor for his bed, and candles and gifts for friends and family and my heart is just full to bursting!What's an excited mama to do? As we live the unschooling life we are also busy with the seasonal life stuffs of picking, cooking, canning, and eating many many apples, making, pickles, finding new classes to take (swimming in the fall maybe), finishing up our coop, slowly creating our dream yard (so much yumminess to plant for next season), and just getting into the slower smoother, family flow.

And while we do all of this, in the background, there is much business to be done...

My not for profit is a dream moving swiftly towards realization with the business plan written and looking pretty solid. My clothing is slowly but surely getting created for the shop in the midst of life being lived. Our first print copies of Sacred Pregnancy Magazine have gone out for sale (oh happy days) and are looking oh so beautiful and are filled with some of the most amazing articles! (feel free to click on the words sacred pregnancy to go purchase your very own copy of this glorious magazine!) My first book, "Front Porch Summer Camp", is coming along beautifully and I can hardly wait to have it available to shop to publishers. Oh the sweet joys of the hyperactive and super ambitious heart!

What is going on in your world on your day to day dance? Let me know; I love to hear from you!

getting ready...

It's that time of year again, for me. Time to start rummaging through the art supplies, through the books, through all of the bits and bobs that make up our learning experiences and start prepping for more homeschooling/unschooling to be in full swing soon. 

While we "educate" and learn and grow all year round, I find that it is right around this time where the kids are looking for different crafting supplies. It's right about now that they want new books and are a whole lot more mature and ready for certain ideas and subjects than they were at this time last year. Maybe it's because all of them get one year older in June and July that I start to notice around July/ August that we are having a household growth spurt. 

So once again I have pulled out all of my books...and borrowed ones I do not own but desperately need from the library. I am updating my momma skills to match the new stages everyone is moving into. I am cracking advise books on unschooling, Waldorf catalogs, and wracking my brain (and other blogs) for ideas to fly us through this next season! 

So much has changed since last year. So much growth and so much new information to glean in the seasons to come. I am quite excited!

What do you and your family do to gear up for learning? I'd love to hear it!