Body & Spirit
by Mimi Doe
“Mothering is a rich and
creative activity. Fostering
and nourishing your
child’s spirit is as creative
an endeavor as writing
Spiritual Pregnancy
a novel or painting a

masterpiece.”
A
long with taking prenatal vitamins,
✿ Become aware of your vast inner treasures parents ask me, “Should we baptize, should we
preparing the nursery, and reading up
and how you might express them through family circumcise, should we go to services each week,
on child development, try some of the
life, moment by moment. Practice bringing how can we choose between our two religions?”
following to prepare for the arrival of
yourself fully to ordinary activities; lathering your I can’t answer these questions for you but I can
your baby:
growing tummy with lotion, setting the table for tell you that courageously taking action to
✿
a healthy dinner, or selecting nourishing music articulate and claim your family’s unique set of
Cultivate time alone to dream, plan, and
for the drive to work. The creative spiritual call spiritual beliefs paves the way to the progressive
tune into the rhythm of a new life within you.
of mothering is “Be here, be here now.” and unfolding of a shared sacred identity. Every
The tools and tips on this site can help. Allow
eventually, “Be here, see me, honor me, join me family needs a spiritual grounding—every day
your spiritual path to deepen. Your body’s
in this moment, Mom!” of the week. Rituals, traditions, imagination,
changes urge you to take a break from your wonder, and authentic listening, helps your child
normal routine and offer a powerful opportunity
✿ Mothering is a rich and creative activity.
feel a sense of belonging to something grand
to come into alignment with spirit.
Fostering and nourishing your child’s spirit is
and good and always available.
✿
as creative an endeavor as writing a novel
As you prepare to mother, open your heart
or painting a masterpiece. Motherhood as a ✿ Release the notion that your child will
to receive more love from your world — your
creative expression lies before you. Opportunities fulfill your every expectation and instead think
partner, parents, friends, pets, and coworkers.
to explore this creativity will present themselves of how you might fill your own expectations as
Think of absorbing all this nourishing energy
each day. You can put the toddler in front of a mother.
and wrapping it around you and your baby as
a television — or an easel. You can give the
a cocoon of warm, gentle light. One of the joys
baby a bath with your hands while your mind
Mimi Doe, Founder of SpiritualParenting.com and
of pregnancy is all the positive remarks friends
sorts through the data needed for an upcoming
author of five award-winning books for parents.
and strangers alike feel inclined to share with
Sign up for Mimi’s free newsletter at: www.
talk — or you can bring yourself fully to the
SpiritualParenting.com.
you. It’s as if the world is conspiring to bolster
smell of lavender- scented suds, the sound of
you with love – open your heart and take it
gleeful squeals, the vision of sunlight shooting
in – let it strengthen and inspire you.
in to illuminate sweet baby skin. Tap into your
✿
creative well and free your spirit as practice for
Perfection is impossible for anyone but
the creative mothering possibilities ahead.
particularly for a parent. Letting go takes
on a whole new meaning from here on
✿ Committing to parenting decisions and
out. Begin to practice releasing unrealistic
choices can be difficult. Often, we search for an
expectations of yourself. You are growing
expert to tell us how to complete this “project”
a new life — a monumental job— so go
perfectly when the answers lie within. Practice
easy on yourself. There will be no grade at
following your intuition during pregnancy: what
the end of these nine months, no promotion,
would taste good, should I rest now, how does
no gold star. Instead there will be a new life
my body want to stretch? If you hone your inner
that you’ve co-created, a miracle that you’ve
cues now, this intuitive parenting will feel more
been privileged to harbor. Pamper and care
natural after your baby is born.
N
o
S
o
V
for yourself as you care for this new life you
are harboring. Buy a snuggly terry cloth robe
✿ Begin to create a life rich with personal
Y
Shiro
to wrap around yourself as a signal that it’s
i
T
ri
spiritual meaning. Don’t wait to find just the
M
time to let go and relax!
right church or temple that moves you. Many
T
o: D
P
ho
12 July/August Thrivehr.com
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