Join
with other moms in this journey of discovery, connection and unfolding.
Using mindfulness and embodied presence as our guides, this group
will explore the inner journey of the mamahood in a warm and supportive
environment.
"I
recommend this group for every Mama out there! It is an incredible
healer and stabilizer for your mental/emotional health. Carrie is
such a skilled, attentive, and heart-full therapist, who facilitates
this group by being present, gentle and understanding about everything
a new mama has to go through and deal with. I am cherishing every
minute of it! The group is an excellent way to build a deep connection
and support network with other mamas in your area." -Inna
Read reviews of Mindful
Mamas at Mamasource:
You can become a member
of this site for free, and link into many baby & mom-related resources,
as well as exchange advice & support with other mamas. You
can read reviews of Mindful Mamas at Mamasource here.
Mindful
Mamas: 8-week series
New Groups forming late Sept / early Oct 2009
Thursdays in Berkeley
Connect
with others on the journey and support your own intention and practice
as a mindful mama! In a warm and supportive environment, together
with your little ones, we will explore the inner landscape of becoming
a mama and what it means to do that consciously. Sample transition-to-mamahood
topics include:
* identity
issues ~ who am I now?
* mamahood as a spiritual practice
* staying connected with your partner and baby
* evolving of relationships with family, friends & work
* integrating our childbirth experiences
* finding wholeness in both the joys and the difficulties
We will
also be doing some mindfulness meditation together each week, cultivating
the ability to stay present and peaceful in the midst of our delightful
and challenging, ever-changing lives. The deep wisdom of your body
and how it can help you identify and influence limiting patterns will
also be worked with.
This 8-week
group is appropriate for mamas and their pre-crawling babies, and
meets weekly near Ashby BART.
The next Mindful Mamas 8-week group is now
forming and will be held on Thursdays at Anam Cara, 2915 MLK Jr Way,
Berkeley 94703.
Please call
510-594-4330 or email carrie@embodiedbeing.net
for more information or to register (pre-registration encouraged for
pregnant mamas). Fee is $275 for the 8 sessions.
"I
am so glad that my daughter and I were able to be a part of Carrie's
group. I was able to really make time and space for myself even with
my newborn in my arms. It was nice to feel connected to all of the
other new moms and their babies and practice mindfulness in a nourishing
space. Carrie is a great facilitator." -Tina
What
happens during the group?
The
format includes sharing and support, as well as exploration of the
inner journey of mamahood. Sample topics may include: shifting of
identity, finding balance amidst chaos, integrating birth experiences,
relationship changes, making room for both the light and the dark,
staying connected with your wholeness, & finding your inner wisdom
-- though each group is truly unique and relevant to the women participating.
We also
practice some mindfulness together (in a guided format primarily),
cultivating the ability to stay present and grounded with whatever
is arising. There is no particular approach to birth or parenting
espoused by these groups, and each woman is encouraged and supported
to cultivate her own inner wisdom, authenticity, confidence and presence.
Who joins
a Mindful Mamas group?
This group
works great for women who have a desire to parent with presence and
who have an openness to using the mama journey as a path of growth.
Mothers of babies under one year are welcome, and those with pre-crawling
babies are encouraged to bring your little ones with you. Those with
mobile babes can enjoy some much needed mama-only time. Both first-time
mamas and mamas of more than one are all welcome.
Because
of the depth of sharing that often occurs in these groups, consistency
is highly valued and helps create a safe and supportive atmosphere
for everyone, so this group works best for women who are intend to
make the group a priority in their lives.
What is
mindfulness?
Mindfulness
is about being with ourselves and each other and our lives just as
they are -- balancing intention with surrender, and opening to what
is true. Mindfulness is about coming back to the present moment, again
and again. Mindfulness is about letting go of our attachment to the
"story" about The Way Things Should Be, and diving into
the direct experience of what is actually happening right now. Mindfulness
is about compassionate curiosity, about reflecting, about welcoming
the full range of our -- and our children's -- aliveness. Mindfulness
is about paying attention and listening deeply, and allows the possibility
of having perspective and choicefulness and balance in our daily lives.
No experience with mindfulness is necessary.
"About
ten years ago, I became a very serious meditator and in total went
on about seven, week long meditation retreats. They were very powerful
for me and helped me clean out a lot of baggage that I wanted to let
go of. It was a very difficult but freeing experience. After a certain
number of retreats though I decided that taking a week out of my life
no longer worked for me and I've always searched for ways to continue
healing and growing in a way that those retreats helped me to grow.
But, I wanted to do so in a way that was more incorporated into my
daily life and with people who I knew in a more integrated way. Our
group combined with motherhood is the first time I've felt an experience
go as deep in a healing way as the retreats. After each time we've
met, I've felt some rather large shifts in my being. Anyhow, I so
value our group. I'm impressed at the honesty and bravery of everyone
in the group. I find that it's rare to find such a deep level of care
in this busy place we live." - Susan
"Carrie
is a remarkable facilitator; she crates an inspirational time for
sharing and meditation using the many tools and perspectives of her
mindfulness practice. My fellow mamas and I feel a strong connection
and have been able to support each other through our transition to
mamahood." -Michelle
How do
I join or get more information?
If you're
interested in joining, or would like to explore the possibility of
doing so, the next step is to call
or email to let me know. I look forward to hearing from
you!
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Mindfulness Meditations
- guided meditation audio tracks featuring:
Carrie Katz, voice & celtic harp
Beth Vandervennet, cello
Produced by Sarita Pockell and Carrie Katz
Listen or download mp3s (right-click and "save
as")
- Introduction
- Meditation
for Pregnant Mamas
- A
Message for New Mamas & Papas
- Meditation
for New Mamas & Papas
- Instrumental
All tracks ©2008-2009 Carrie Katz/Mindful Mamas,
all rights reserved.
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Recommended
readings for the mamas group:
On Mindful
Parenting:
- Everyday Blessings:
The Inner Work of Mindful Parenting by Jon and Myla Kabat-Zinn
- Momma Zen: Walking
the Crooked Path of Motherhood by Karen Maezen Miller
- Brain,
Child: The Magazine for Thinking Mothers
This is my very favorite mama magazine; it is deeply thoughtful,
sometimes hilarious, and often irreverent...a breath of fresh air!
And, if you get a few people together you can get subscriptions
for a very low price.
- Parent’s Tao Te Ching: Ancient Advice
for Modern Parents by William Martin (1999)
- Radical Acceptance: Embracing Your Life
with the Heart of a Buddha, by Tara Brach (2004)
- Buddhism for Mothers: A Calm Approach For
Caring For Yourself and Your Children by Sarah Napthali
On mindfulness
in general:
- Anything by Thich Nhat
Hanh
- Wherever You
Go, There You Are: Mindfulness Meditation in Everyday Life
– by Jon Kabat-Zinn
He has several other books about mindfulness
- Parenting from
the Inside Out by Daniel Siegel, MD (for later parenting,
a must read)
- Playful Parenting by Lawrence
J. Cohen (also great for older children)
- How to Talk
So Kids Will Listen & Listen So Kids Will Talk by Adele
Farber and Elaine Mazlish
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