If you missed it – Watch PART ONE
Back in February, I had the opportunity to sit down with my dear friend Dr. Kate Antoniotti of MamaCore Method. We talked about the idea that traditional mother circles could mean something more, the balance of masculine & feminine energy during the postpartum window, finding autonomy, and the innate desire to connect and be vulnerable. Today, I’m sharing part TWO of our chat where we discuss the importance of dropping back into our bodies to allow for deeper connections and as a tool for reclaiming the forgotten sacred window.
This conversation is in response to a Mother Circle, hosted in collaboration by Kate and Southwest Michigan’s BLND Health. The overarching theme for our gathering was tuning into our bodies and opening up dialogue around the forgotten sacred window.
Dr. Kate Antonitti is a community-based chiropractor specializing in the specific needs of a woman body navigating the journey towards motherhood. Her MamaCore Method combines movements rooted in Developmental Kinesiology and Vinyasa Yoga to create a gentle practice that feels innate and intuitive to our transforming bodies.
In this video we discuss 5 burning questions…
Q: Tips for reclaiming the essence of a forgotten sacred window (00:40/02:10)
Q: How is breath the most attainable tool in reclaiming the essence of the sacred window? (03:35)
Q: What Unspoken spaces of motherhood deserve more attention and what can we do to shift the dialogue? (07:22)
Q: How does vulnerability, inner wisdom and connection push the paradigm even further? (09:10)
Q: Why is this work and dialogue so important to you? (11:17)
The full annotated chat can be read down below!
Q: What is the essence behind the sacred window? (00:40) & Do you have any tips for reclaiming the essence of a “lost” sacred window postpartum experience? (02:10)
Cassie Ballard of Our Seva: This idea of claiming our sacred window was a theme to guide our conversation during the mother circle, do you have any tips for how we could reclaime the essence of a forgotten sacred window?
Kate Antoniotti of MamaCore Method: In the book The Fourth Trimester by Kimberly Ann Johnson, Kimberly shares 5 universal traits of the sacred window across cultures – connecting with nature, loving touch, spiritual connection with wise women, nourishing foods & mother the mother.
To me, those traits still felt pretty big and all-encompassing, so I needed to bring it down a bit and ask myself, “how can I do this in my life today?”. This will guide you to take the next best step that resonates with your inner wisdom.
The importance of connection to other women who are also on the motherhood journey is SO important!
Cassie: Yes! It allows us to feel as though we are in this together. It feels easier to adapt to big changes when we know there is a support system waiting there to catch you. I love the idea that connection can be as simple as a phone call to someone you trust and admire.
Q: In your opinion, how is breath the most attainable tool in reclaiming the essence of the sacred window? (03:35)
Cassie: You don’t have to go anywhere to tap into your steady breath to drop back into your body and away from the airy headspace that brings in confusion and second guessing.
Kate: Breath is such a huge piece of the puzzle. During my own sacred window, I felt so broken down after birth. I knew I needed something to truly build me back up. Everything I was seeing in regards to returning to your body had this underlying concept that felt so clearly opposite of what we need to be doing with our postpartum bodies. They were saying, suck it all to heal our core…disconnecting us even further from our steady breath.
So when we talk about breath, we are talking about allowing deep, expansive breath that fills your whole body. Sometimes the term “expansive” can be triggering during the postpartum period because you already feel very expanded, but in the cultural conversation it’s important to note that taking a big belly breath can actually feel like an act of rebellion…even in your postpartum.
Cassie: Breath is SO immediate! For me, I find myself breathing from the chest up and stuck in my own head. As soon as I consciously take a few deep breaths, I instantly feel reconnected with the wisest parts of myself. It feels like THE solution to every motherhood problem.
Kate: Yes! Breath into all of it.
Q: What Unspoken spaces of motherhood deserve more attention and what can we do to shift the dialogue? (07:22)
Cassie: With this project, Our Seva, we are dedicated to talking about the unspoken spaces, the spaces like the forgotten sacred window. Do you have an unspoken space that you feel deserves more attention.
Kate: Just off the top of my head…We are so innately wired for connection, but our connections are often distorted by cultural pressures like comparison and competition. I think we need to better acknowledge when we are doing that within ourselves and decide how much externally we are going to allow to influence us.
Cassie: Totally agree.
Q: How does vulnerability, inner wisdom and connection push the paradigm even further? (09:10)
Cassie: I’ve realized that mothers tend to banter as a way of connection, but we are stuck on the surface level talking about simple annoyances. When we drop into our breath, move our bodies and build personal connections, we are able to stripe away the filter we put on our experiences. It feels like an authentic way to push the dialogue without a layer of judgement and criticism.
Kate: Yes. Dropping back into our body and leaving the mindless chatter is the best way to feel grounded in the present and deeper allowance for heart-to-heart connections. Without it…we’re swirling.
Q: Why is this work and dialogue so important to you? (11:17)
Cassie: We frequently talk about how we feel called to have these conversations. We both have daughters that drive us to have these transparent conversations so the next generation of women can more freely tap into their inner wisdom and build supportive communities.
Thank you Kate for joining me!
Join the Our Seva Motherhood Circle
Join Kate and I in the Private Facebook Group where we frequently explore what it means to advocate for the needs of the transforming body. Together, we are shifting the paradigm around what it means to build connection, share through vulnerability, find a new balance, and inspire great change within our motherhood communities. If you like where this dialogue is headed, follow along for weekly themed discussions around identity, maternal mental health, cultural expectations and our sacred service to motherhood.
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