Welcome.
To all mothers with babies in their arms.
I sit with you,
Small one.
In the darkness of a dawning day.
And sometimes that might feel very quiet.
And very slow.
And you might open your eyes,
Bright and full,
And stare into mine,
Elated and tired.
And in the small dark moment of the little light of sunrise.
It is just us.
You and me.
My heart swells in a sort of love that I can't quite explain.
And at times that feels overwhelming.
A flooding of a feeling I've never felt before.
And sometimes that just feels lonely.
To be here,
Just us.
And sometimes that feels joyous and perfect.
And true.
And then I remember all the other mothers.
In the quiet darkness.
Feeding their little milky ones.
With four eyes bright in the coming day.
And suddenly I don't feel alone.
I feel connected.
By this gift of you.
And if the eyes aren't already closed.
And you were able to close them.
This is an invitation to close them now.
This is an invitation.
To be.
Just with yourself for a moment.
To pause.
To nourish yourself.
Just to be within.
And connecting to your breath however it is.
And connecting.
To your physical body.
However it is.
There is so much your body has done and continues to do.
For your little one.
You may have bigger ones.
Let's take a hand and place it.
Over your heart space in the center of your chest.
And maybe the other hand rests on your belly.
Just notice what it's like to feel the presence of your own hands on your own body.
Hands that do so much for others.
Hands that stroke and hold and rock.
And care.
Let this be a moment.
With your hands.
Send you.
Some nourishing love.
Back into you.
Notice the space between the skin of your hands.
And the body.
Notice the temperature there.
Notice any sensations of warmth.
Or tingling just like you hold your little baby.
Holding yourself in this moment of pause,
Just for you.
What do you need right now?
Send that to yourself through your hands.
Notice your body receiving it.
Taking a breath in through your nose.
Letting it out slowly,
Maybe with a sigh from the mouth.
And doing that a few more times in your own rhythm.
Just as your body needs.
The body might move.
With the exhalation.
There might be more sound.
There might be tears.
This is an invitation to allow all of that.
This is a moment of pause just for you.
And bring the awareness.
Down into your feet.
And send your feet what they need.
And draw the awareness to the knees.
Send your knees what they need.
Draw the awareness into the hips.
Send your hips what they need.
Draw the awareness into the belly.
Send your belly what it needs.
Draw the awareness into the chest.
Send your chest what it needs.
Draw the awareness into the shoulders.
Send your shoulders what they need.
Draw the awareness into the hands.
Send your hands what they need.
Draw the awareness into the neck.
Send your neck what it needs.
Draw the awareness into the head.
Send your head what it needs.
Now draw the awareness to the whole physical body.
The whole physical body.
The whole body is a beautiful container.
A container that gives life.
A container that holds you.
And sending your whole body.
A sense of appreciation.
Of gratitude.
For bringing you to this point.
And sense that feeling of appreciation all the way through the physical body.
In every cell of the physical body.
Send that appreciation to every cell in the physical body.
That contains you.
And if your baby is there next to you.
And place a hand somewhere on their little body.
And with one hand on yours and one hand on theirs.
Just noticing that connection.
And sending them some appreciation.
And gratitude.
You are doing a beautiful,
Beautiful job.
Just as you are.
And taking a breath in through your nose.
And letting it out slowly from your mouth.
And finding your way back.
Into this present moment.
Right here right now.
Externalizing your awareness.
