We recently spoke to the lovely Fatima Wheeler of @birthinggoddess all about Mother Blessings and why they are so important for soon to be Mama's.  Similar to Fatima we are passionate about helping women to feel supported throughout this huge change in their lives and we are so excited to speak to Fatima.  

What are Mother's Blessings?

The first time I experienced a Mother’s Blessing was when I was pregnant with my first baby Zephyr and my friend Sarah offered to do one for me.

I will never forget the love , support and encouragement I received that day. I felt so empowered for my birth and it made me so excited to birth my baby.

I wondered why this ceremony wasn’t really well known in the western world.

We have baby showers where all the focus is on the baby, presents for the baby, games revolved around the baby however the mama is completely forgotten.

When a mama births her baby she is completely transformed ..so why is it that no one honours her and this sacred rite of passage ?

This is when I began thinking of the idea to do it as a business. I was already facilitating them for friends and felt so passionate about creating a magical ceremony where the mama felt held, loved and supported.

Why are Mother's Blessings so important for soon to be mums?

If you have been to a Mother’s Blessing before you will know it is completely different to the conventional baby shower. 

There’s depth and meaning behind it and the whole ceremony is so intentional.

The amount of love the mama receives is indescribable and there is a whole lot of emotions from everyone.

It is so important that the mama feels the love , connection and support from the ones closest to her as they are the ones that will be there for her during postpartum. 

What happens at a Mother's Blessing?

During a Mother’s Blessing there are different rituals you can choose from.

Usually the facilitator will chat with the mama weeks before the ceremony to tailor it to what resonates best with her.

The only job on the day for the mama is for her to receive. It is that one day she can sit back & have her love cup filled.

I am so passionate about filling the mother’s cup and feel so honoured I am able to facilitate these beautiful ceremonies.

I am now located in Mexico so I’m writing a Mother’s Blessing Ebook for the women who would love to create & facilitate one for a pregnant friend whether it’s their first born or third born. It’s so important to have one for every baby because with every birth the mother is reborn & transformed once again.

Words by Fatima Wheeler and photo's taken by @tamcreative_. 

Why the 40 days postpartum self care is everything

Written by Siri Pulapaka from Prana²

Ayurveda,a natural system of medicine, originated in India more than 3,000 years ago. The term Ayurveda is derived from the Sanskrit words ayur (life) and veda (science or knowledge). Thus, Ayurveda translates to knowledge of life.

There is a saying in Ayurveda that the 42 days postpartum care is equivalent to the quality of life for the next 42 years.

The key to postpartum care of the mother is to help the mother regain balance after she loses her vital blood and fluids, not to mention the loss of a huge space in the abdomen (previously occupied by the baby). With the sleep deprivation and fatigue that comes from feeding and nourishing a newborn, being grounded is crucial.

If you’re a mum who loves to hit the road after giving birth and dive right into a BIG Mac from McDonald’s to satisfy those cravings for carbohydrates – Ayurveda suggests you think twice!

Ayurveda encourages the mother to stay home for 42 days postpartum, and be looked after by her friends and family who cook nourishing meals that are good for the new mum to build great gut health - warming food and mild spices/herbs are preferred to help kick start the mums digestive fire going from easier to digest foods such as home-cooked food, warming soups, broths to heavy to digest food such as milk, cheese and meat. It is also important to ground the mind with spiritual practise, focusing on strengthening muscles with healing massages and light yoga.

Self-care from an Ayurvedic lens means to nourish both internally and externally – removing build up of toxins and helping our whole system come into balance.

A daily self care routine can help us remove toxins, regulate our body clock and digestion. It is one of the best things you can do to stay in balance.

As a mother it becomes difficult to follow any kind of set routine, which is why it is even more important to do the things you can consistently.

A daily rhythm helps keep vata (air + space) in check and supports your digestive fire. Rather than a rigid schedule, a daily rhythm allows for the ebb + flow of life while anchoring in on sleep and meal times.

To ensure you are the best version of yourself for your kids, I encourage my clients to implement the following daily self care practises:

1. Wake up early and watch the sunrise – even 5 mins of breathwork/mediation practise can set the tone for the rest of the day.

2. Daily self massage with Ibu Ayurveda massage oils followed by light yoga.

3. Drink hot water approximately 20-30 mins before breakfast to kickstart your digestion.

4. Have my biggest meal between 12-2pm when digestive fire is at its peak.

5. Get outdoors for some earthing, bare feet are a must for grounding before sunset.

6. Warm cup of Ayurvedic milk before bed – a must have tonic for any breastfeeding mama or for overall rejuvenation.

Ayurveda emphasises the need of preserving a balance between the body, mind, and spirit. In addition, as everything is connected, Ayurveda is an integrative science which means it can be added to supplement your existing medical plans not replace them. Ayurvedic massage, Ayurvedic cleaning techniques, dietetics, spiritual yoga practice, and herbal medication are the key components that will help you achieve your health goals.

For more information about a tailored self care plan for your body type, book an online consultation with Prana² today via https://www.pranasquared.com/

Blog written by Katey Knight

Mindful shopping. Is that even a thing?

Research says it is as more shoppers swap a fast-fashion mindset of last-minute purchases and impulse buys for a more conscious style of shopping. 

If you haven’t heard the term Fast Fashion, it describes the quick, bulk production of items on a mass scale. These items are easy on the wallet, but their impacts on the environment and the people who made them are huge.

Lots of clothes born from fast-fashion end up in landfill, and often, unethical and poor working conditions are at play for the people working behind the scenes to make it all possible. And let’s not forget the carbon footprint that comes from large-scale factories using fast fashion practices.

Lots of clothes end up in landfill

Let’s clarify. Onaverage, each Australian dumps an estimated 23 kg of textiles into landfill each year. That’s a lot of last-minute frocks that might have served a purpose for one event before heading straight to the clothing graveyard for an untimely burial.

Luna + Sun founder, Teshani McManus is passionately working towards making Slow Fashion – which is the exact opposite way of producing clothes – an established practice in the Australian sustainable fashion scene. She recently spoke to ABC radio about this, you can check it outhere.

Luna + Sun proudly uses sustainable and ethically sourced fabrics, such aslinen, along with zero waste packaging and works alongside companies to improve ethical practices behind the clothes-making scene, like Mantua Sewing, which helps improve worker conditions among migrant and refugee workers.

Teshani hopes her label’s commitment to improving the Australian sustainable fashion culture gives people food for thought about where they spend their next fashion shopping dollar.

“Ethically made clothing, especially Australian made, does come at a higher price point, but, when you shop for ethical fashion, you not only get a beautiful item that is made to last, you can rest assured that no person has suffered to make this item,” says Teshani.  

While buying sustainable pieces is an investment, the quality of these garments speaks for themselves. If you listen closely enough, you might even hear them pleading, ‘I’m helping make the world a better place, please don’t toss me out!” in your next wardrobe cleanse (if your clothes guilt-talk you, that is).

But if you find that it’s time to move a piece on and it’s served its purpose, your pre-loved clothing can always find a new home, like at Luna and Sun Vintage which Teshani will soon launch for her label.

At Luna and Sun they also use off-cut fabrics from their design process to make fashionable headwear and other accessories. A heady way to have a positive impact, don’t you think?

From headbands to scrunchies, it’s a sure way to get your head in the game of Australian sustainable fashion and make a difference. “Every small change we make really has a huge impact in the long term. Instead of buying 20 items from a fast fashion brand, why not invest in one item from a sustainable brand that will last you for years to come,” says Teshani.

Mindful shopping is definitely a thing. 

As it becomes a priority for shoppers looking beyond a fast-fashion quick fix, with the help of labels like Luna + Sun, we’ll all be one step closer to pushing the fashion industry down a brighter, greener path.