A Powerful Birthing Ritual to Nurture Your Inner Creativity

+ my maternity leave plans

I have officially entered the liminal space of pregnancy—baby Z3(P0) will arrive any day between now and March 18. The not-knowing is anxiety-inducing, but I remind myself daily I have birthed before, I am capable, I am strong, I am resilient, I have support.

My original intent was to publish through February. I’m taking my own advice to prioritize rest in preparation for baby’s arrival. It’s time to take maternity leave. To help you tend to your creative energy while I’m away, I’m excited to share a yoga ritual.

I’ve always found it sad some women choose, or feel they have to, go back to work immediately after giving birth. The arrival of a new baby is a time for deep connection, presence, and love. All of those acts are hard work enough, let alone meeting work deadlines, taking calls, hopping on Zooms, or coordinating work projects. Baby tending takes all my energy, leaving little room for my creative pursuits¹. Yet, I don’t want to be so consumed by motherhood that I lose myself. It was a long, painful process rediscovering Ashley after my daughter was born. Writing and yoga are a part of who I am. I want my children to know, see, and appreciate that mommy is more than mom. Having a plan to go back to work is an important part of my own self-care.

Maternity leave plans

From now until fall, all my posts and practices will be for paid subscribers. I will continue with the Full Moon yoga classes and New Moon nidra meditations. If you want to stay connected, please make sure you subscribe to receive these bi-monthly practices. I will also share some seasonal yoga rituals, including spring equinox and summer solstice practices. Depending on how I’m feeling, I may even pop in sporadically to share some exclusive stories about my postpartum journey. If you want baby pictures, want to know if I have a boy or a girl, want to know baby’s name, etc., make sure you upgrade to a paid subscription!

Come fall, I’ll gradually work my way back to a weekly posting schedule for both free and paid subscribers.

The birthing ritual

Before I go take a nap, I want to leave you with a birthing ritual. You don’t have to be birthing a human to engage in a ritual practice like this. Perhaps you’re bringing a book into the world, a new project, a new Substack post, a garden, a goal. Whatever it is you wish to birth, give yourself the space to consciously prepare for and honor your creation. Your creation is your expression and it matters. You matter.

The birthing ritual invokes the qualities of Bhuvaneshvari, a wisdom goddess from the Shakta Tantra lineage who embodies the spaciousness required to grow a child, idea, or creative project. She represents the courage it takes to deliver the child, idea, or creative project into the world. She represents the unconditional love that supports your baby, and the generosity required to create, nourish, nurture, love, and care for your creation.

The practice combines movement, breath, mudra, and mantra to balance the chakras with a specific focus on opening the fifth chakra to help you build confidence in your capacity to create and birth your soul’s work.

Bring your fears, anxieties, and doubts with you onto the mat as you cultivate the courage, spaciousness, love, generosity, and excitement that emanates forth when you follow your creative truth. Give voice, life, potential, and possibility to what is inside you, be it in human form, written or spoken word, or some other artistic expression.

These are practices I’ve been incorporating as I prepare physically, mentally, and emotionally for Z3(P0)’s arrival. This practice is inspired by my own personal practice and Uma Dinsmore-Tuli’s Yoni Shakti teachings.

I’d love to know…

Are you honoring your creative potential? What would you like to bring forth into the world? Let me know in the comments or by responding to this email.

Signing off for a while to be in communion with myself, my child, and my family. I’ll be back soon 🙂 Take care of yourself and don’t forget to rest 😌

The light and wisdom within me honors and acknowledges the light and wisdom within you.

Namaste 🙏🏻

Ashley

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1. I acknowledge my privilege in being able to choose if, how, and when I go back to work.