The Whole MAMA

Let’s be honest. Let’s really talk openly. Let’s get down to the nitty and gritty. Let’s put it all out on the table. Let’s dump it all out so we can sift through and clean it all up!

How often to you hear that from someone you love? From anyone?

Are you someone who wants to hear the dish? Does it excite you? Are you juiced up to dig deep and spill it all…get to the bottom of it all. Maybe? Or maybe just if it has nothing to do with you? Hearing someone else’s dirt can be a tad more exciting, no?

OR

Does it cause you to clam up? Do you make a joke…change the subject? AVOID????

The other night I got to thinking…. about how much I skim over things in my life. How unwilling I have been to really dig, scoop up all the messy dirt, and sort through it all.

What got me to this train of thought???

Well, it was about 3 in the morning. Addy, our 22 month old, was in bed with my husband and I (don’t ask) and I heard a little rustling noise. At first it became part of my dream. I was moving baskets in my dream…weird.

Anyway, I then stared to slowly wake up and realized the noise was very real and sounded like it was coming from under my bed.

I don’t know about you but around here in the middle of the night, everything is bigger-louder-scarier- more dramatic-and BIZARRE.

So, in my bizarre half asleep state, I was convinced that there was a mouse under my bed. I was so sure that I almost convinced my husband WHO ended up out of the bed on all fours with a flash light and twitching. He may not have admitted to believing me but he was twitching like a little girl at the possibility that I could be right.

I, of course, could not sleep a wink the rest of the night.

EEEWWWWWWWW!

The idea of it still makes me cringe.

All that was running through my head was,  “When the last time I cleaned under my bed??????”

CRAP!

I couldn’t remember.

I may do a lot of straightening but really digging, pulling it all out, getting messy, taking the TIME to sort through…the time it deserves and needs…….THAT I totally put off. I say I will do it. I even believe myself. BUT….I quickly find a distraction and I AVOID.

Did I do this? Did my lack of cleanliness invite rodents?? OH GOD PLEASE NO!!!!!

So, while I lay there awake all night with my daughter’s big heavy head on top of me, unable to move, I had a moment of pure connection. All the work I have been doing around telling the truth with my life coach and my new little furry friend……..it all came together.

I do a lot of surface cleaning in my house ……….

and in my life.

Particularly, with my relationships.

I am always on the go, in a rush, looking ahead.  I am good at keeping it looking good on the outside.

Basically, I surface clean my relationships.

I almost cried when I realized I couldn’t remember the last time I sat with my kids, without distractions, and simply asked them how they were feeling. Allowing them to dump it all out so we could sort through and clean it up.

I couldn’t remember when the last time I did this with my husband. Like really put it all out there. Taking the time to get to the nitty gritty.

What would be the equivelant to little mice under the bed be in my relationships?

Anger, resentment, fear………

Just as gross as mice without any possibility of someone thinking they are cute.

I am on a mission to get honest. I am talking a whole new level of honesty. I want to get down to the nitty gritty.

I want to sleep soundly.

I have to thank The Handel Group™ for bringing me on this ride of telling my truth.

BTW, there was no mouse…..it was just the wind.

Lesson learned though…loud and clear.

p.s. You could now eat off the floor under my bed.

AAHHHH! Feels good!

Calling all MAMAs! 

We are 2 sisters with 2 husbands and 6 kids combined, starting a revolution. As we try and find our way along this journey of motherhood we have both hit some…. potholes.  So, we have learned to lean on each other and start getting real. The truth is, in taking care of everyone and everything around us, we were forgetting to take care of ourselves. And let’s get real…. ”When mama ain’t happy, ain’t nobody happy! “  We, as Whole MAMAs, now believe that by taking the time to look great, feel great, and be great, we are better able to show up for those we love!   The Whole MAMA community takes the time to move our bodies, expand our minds, dig deeper and reach higher. Our mission is to encourage every MAMA to embody the  power we hold as mothers and women and use it to spread the love! 

 Join us as The Whole MAMA presents “BE Excellent” Sunday May 1^{st ,}  1-5pm, at Revolution Yoga  7 North Village Ave RVC NY 11570 $25 pre paid, and $30 at the door.

You can click here to pre-pay with paypal or credit card.

We will move our bodies in a unique IntenSati workout followed by a workshop with Handel Group life coach Hildie Dunn!  We can’t wait to see you all there!! Bring water, pen and paper. 

I woke up this morning to the feeling of a new day.  It still amazes me what a difference a day makes.  Yesterday, I walked around in a a funk.  I had one of those days when I questioned everything.  Sort of a dramatic, “feeling sorry for myself mood”. And I really didn’t do much with it for most of the day.  I made a decision somewhere through out the day that I was just going to stay in it.  

I always say, all that I do with intenSati and the MAMA’s is for me.  I went through the training, because I wanted more Sati in my life.  At that point my options were take all Bec’s classes, which I did, or get into the city, which I also did!  But I wanted to be in the conversation…for good!!  And now I find myself still feeling the same way.  It has been a year and a half since I trained and two years since I started doing intenSati, and I need to be in this conversation more then ever!! 

I have to check in with myself before I teach.  I have to prepare, breath, write, read, meditate, pray, etc. Yesterday, my husband had to come home early, so I got my butt to a yoga class.  And I left a different person!  And then I got to get up in front of a room of dedicated MAMA’s and be moved and inspired.  Every time I I have this experience, of taking a kind of crappy day and turning it around, mostly because I have to, I am just so grateful.  I don’t think I’d do it left to my own devices.  This stuff works for me!!

I am still amazed at the power of a good class. A class with people who are really in it.  A class with people who care about each other.  A class where we all feel safe and vulnerable at the same time.  This is what the MAMA’s are to me.  And I am seriously grateful! Thank you MAMA’s!

All the festivities are finally starting to quiet down, and it’s time to ease our way into this new year.  But…the question still remains, what does that look like?  I thought the clock would strike midnight, the ball would fall, and I’d be struck with the perfect plan for 2011!  I’m realizing more and more that my reference for life is very dramatic.  What really happened was, I was not exactly getting along with my husband and went to bed at about 10:47pm.  Not exactly a firework moment!!  Luckily, I got a dose of reality the next day.  

I am always amazed at how often I can hear the same idea, before it sinks in to my very thick skull.  I went with Rebecca to a Handel  event on Sunday afternoon.  And the always amazing Laurie Gerber knocked my socks off!!  I needed to hear every single word of what she had to say.  So today I thought I’d be able to design my year, but I haven’t .  I feel like I have writer’s block with my life!  

But I have the MAMA’s!  We are getting ready to kick off yet another challenge.  And now I know what it’s all about.  Falling in Love with my 2011!! I am so grateful I have this amazing group of women to not only listen to this kind of stuff, but really, truly support me and each other as we all figure it out.  So, I’m not exactly sure what my year looks like yet, but I know it’s going to be cussin amazing!!! I can not wait to get started again with the super fantastic MAMA’s.  Ladies let’s do this thing!

Kick off is at Fuel the Soul at 1pm on January 16th!!  For details or to reserve your spot email us at wholemamachallenge@gmail.com 

Just wanted to make sure you all had an opportunity to place your order for your very own…Whole MAMA tee shirt!!! They are black, fitted and cute! $15. Send us a note if you want one.  Sizes s-2x.  Also, mark your calendars this Friday Dr. Julie Spencer talks to the MAMA’s about S E X!!! Wooohooo! 

Today started off like any other day.  I woke up, started making coffee and oatmeal, and turned on the tv for the little dude.  It’s pretty much what I do every morning.  But then, somewhere along the way, I got annoyed.  And then overwhelmed.  And then I totally decided to stay in it.  There was a big part of me that knew it too.  But, I just stayed pissed off.  And I realized something about myself.  I text Brian when I’m annoyed, and it’s ugly.  It’s my little tool for staying in my funk.  I say what ever I want. I piss and moan and curse.  It seems like no big deal, but all that time and energy I spend telling him how bad my day is, I could be changing it.  So, I decided, I’m done with that.  I will not “whiny” text Brian anymore.  It’s just dumb.  I said to all of you, so I have to do it now.  

I just wanted to say, on the record, that the 5:30am class rocks my world!  It changes my whole approach to the day.  I know there are scientific and spiritual reasons for it, but for me I think there is just no time to get into my “stuff”.  I am up, dressed and saying “I am changing my focus, and letting go of the past”, before I have the sleepies are out of my eyes!  And on top of all that awesomeness, I am surrounded by these amazing women who are in it to win it! Starting December of right! Just sayin….

Well, we are half way through!! Which means it is officially holiday mayhem.  I know for me it get’s harder for me to simplify and redirect my focus when I am really busy! I am so grateful for the challenge and the relationships that have come with it to help me stay on track!  I realized today that one of the main goals I had with intenSati and the MAMA’s was to see the conversation change.  You know, the one about the weight you can’t loose from the last baby, or how annoying your husband is, or the school’s or principle’s short comings!! I had a dream of standing together at pick up and talking about what we can do to make all these things better, and supporting each other along the way.  And, HOLY COW, it’s happening!!!! The MAMA’s are no joke.  We are taking action, seeing the change!  I just wanted to say thank you.

I am changing my focus
I am letting go of the past
I’ve got a good thing going
and I’m making it last
I am done complaining
I’m here to play full out
Watch me, Watch me!
I like what I got
I like where I’m going
I know what I want 
And the results are showin
I am grateful 
for what is here
My time has come
This is my year!!

I surrender my worries
I have seen my strength
I have seen my beauty
I have seen my wings
I stand in the truth of my soul

Oh soul,
you worry too much.
You have seen your own strength.
You have seen your own beauty.
You have seen your golden wings.
Of anything less,
why do you worry?
You are in truth
the soul, of the soul, of the soul.”
-Rumi

Monday night was the big kickoff to the Holiday Integrity Challenge.  I was a little nervous, I had to teach a new series and wasn’t sure who would actually show up.  And sure enough at 7 o’clock the MAMA’s started to roll in.  I was really excited to see a lot of new faces, that’s what we’ve been hoping for.  We want to see this grow!  So we all got settled in the space, and started.  The energy in the room was huge and beautiful!! I kept tearing up with gratitude and awe of all of these women.  What a night! 

This morning was the first 5:30am class.  I have to be honest, we had low expectations.   It was dark, rainy, and very cussin early!!  Bec and I opened up the studio and before we knew it there was 9 of us shouting in a chorus of “are you a warrior? YES! And are you ready? YES!”  And we were home by 6:35. Now that is my new favorite way to start my day! Thank you, Thank you, Thank you!!