*|MC:SUBJECT|*
New Moon No. 57, Spring
A sweet moment from my Mother Blessing ceremony.
“Childbirth is an experience in a woman's life that holds the power to transform her forever. Passing through these powerful gates - in her own way - remembering all the generations of women who walk with her. She is never alone."

Suzanne Arms
Hello wild ones,

I'm taking a brief break from hardcore nesting activities (prepping cloth diapers, making my birth blanket, cooking meals for the freezer, & the list goes on...and on...and on) to write what will likely be my last Letter to you for a moon cycle or two.

With my due date falling on the 23rd of this month, my sweet babe could technically arrive any day now, although I have a strong feeling he'll be choosing to make his grand entrance closer to the end of the month. I'm incredibly grateful to be working with home birth midwives who acknowledge that the due date is but a mere day on the calendar, and my baby will come when he's truly ready.

Whenever he chooses to arrive, I will be carving out the time and space to fully step away from my work as a holistic movement and wellness guide to begin my work as a new mother. The fourth trimester, or the 40 days following birth, is a critical time for healing, bonding, and becoming. I am giving myself this time away from my work obligations to cultivate a strong foundation for new motherhood from which my baby and I can build upon together.

Birth is a great mystery. I have plans to gradually build my client schedule back up in late Summer, and return to teaching movement classes and workshops in the Gorge this Fall, but the gods laugh at the plans of humans. Due to the physical nature of my work, I may have to take more time off than anticipated depending on how my birth actually goes. I've been incredibly intentional and proactive throughout my pregnancy to set myself up for a smooth birth experience, but there's only so much within my control. Humans are exceptionally adaptable, and I will humbly adapt as needed, while hearing the faint tickle of laughter from the ether.

I had a dream last night that I saw a fawn frolicking through our woods. As I sit here now, writing this last Letter to you before I step into the birth portal, I look up to see a doe walking through our yard with her two tiny fawns enthusiastically frolicking behind her. I've been looking forward to this moment ever since we moved out here last Fall, seeing the first fawns on our land in the Springtime. Preparing for my own birth experience during this fawning time continues to remind me of the instinctual nature of birth itself. I stepped away from my writing to soak in this moment. Together, the gods and I let out a giggle.

 
- - -

They say it takes a village to raise a child, and the closer I get to raising my own child, the more I realize the truth behind those words. We are a communal species, like a herd of elk or pack of wolves, we thrive when we're working together and supporting one another to elevate the whole community. While I'm settling in to newborn land, there are a few ways you, my extended tribe, can help with the raising of my child by supporting my work.

As a self-employed small business owner, I am not eligible to receive any kind of paid maternity leave. The US is infamously known for having pretty lackluster maternity/paternity leave options compared to other developed nations, so my husband (who's also a self-employed small business owner) and I have created a Parental Leave Fund that anyone can contribute to on our baby registry. If you've ever taken a yoga class with me, participated in one of my movement workshops, or simply found value in my writing over the years, consider contributing the equivalent to a yoga class or a cup of coffee. Any amount is helpful, it all adds up!

My Virtual Studio will remain up and running, even when I'm physically resting in bed after birth. Luminous Flow, my signature movement class, is designed to awaken your senses, activate your muscles, and nourish your spirit. It's a functional fitness, alignment based approach to a yoga practice, with a focus on restorative movement. Luminous Flow recorded classes are available on the Membership Portal 24/7, so you can move with me whenever you fancy.
You can purchase a membership for one month, or multiple months at a time. A monthly membership provides access to 4 recorded Luminous Flow classes for the month of your choice. Class times range between 30 and 45 minutes.
 

monthly membership includes:

+ Luminous Flow class sent to your inbox weekly

+ Unlimited access to Membership Portal for the month

+ Introductory offer for new Virtual Luminosity clients
And lastly, I have gift cards available to purchase on my website for both virtual and in-person private sessions, as well as monthly memberships to my Virtual Studio.
Becoming a mother will forever change me and the way I show up in my work. I am leaving a lot of space to see how my work transforms on the Otherside of the birth portal. One thing is for certain: I will continue to educate, guide, and hold space for others to live in better relationship with their bodies and the wider world around them through movement and wellness practices. I look forward to seeing how this journey from Maiden to Mother builds upon the foundation I've set for my way of walking alongside you on this path to remembering our place within this wider web of Nature.
I'd like to leave you with the words of John O'Donahue that were lovingly spoken to me at my Mother Blessing ceremony. They will surely touch a tender place in your heart, for we each were an echo once within our Mother's wombs.

 

For a Mother-To-Be
 
Nothing could have prepared 
Your heart to open like this.

From beyond the skies and the stars
This echo arrived inside of you 
And started to pulse with life
Each beat a tiny act of growth,
Traversing all our ancient shapes,
On its way home to itself.


Once it began, you were no longer your own.
A new, more courageous you, offering itself
In a new way to a presence you can sense
But you have not seen or known.


It has made you feel alone
In a way you never knew before;

Everyone else sees only from the outside
What you feel and feed 
With every fiber of your being.

Never have you traveled farther inward
Where words and thoughts become half-light
unable to reach the fund of brightness
Strengthening inside the night of your womb.


Like some primeval moon,
Your soul brightens
The tides of essence
That flow to your child.


You know your life has changed forever,
For in all the days and years to come,
Distance will never be able to cut you off
From the one you now carry
For nine months under your heart.


May you be blessed with quiet confidence
That destiny will guide you and mind you.


May the emerging spirit of your child
Imbibe encouragement and joy
From the continuous music of your heart,
So that it can grow with ease,
Expectant of wonder and welcome 
When its form is fully filled

And it makes it journey out
To see you and settle at last
Relieved and glad in your arms.
 
- John O'Donohue, To Bless the Space Between Us:
A Book of Blessings
See you on the Otherside.
Stay luminous!
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This is Lumen Letters, a writing platform where I share my thoughts on holistically human living. Hopefully, you find the general information in this letter informative and helpful, but it is not intended to replace medical advice and should not be used as such.
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