Nurturing a Community of Self: WIth Mom in MInd

Let's face it; you—and likely a vast majority of the women you know—feel overwhelmed, overworked, and outright depleted from the level of energy it takes to manage our lives in a semi-sane, somewhat effective way.  I'm thinking I don't want to tell that story over and over, and that there IS a way to walk my path as woman/wife/mother/entrepreneur/volunteer and still feel energized, healthy, and ready to embrace the blessing that is my life.

According to the National Institute of Mental Health,  anxiety disorder, panic disorder, and depression, occur in higher rates in women than in men.  Add to that the fact that in many households, women are the primary care-givers of their children, and you can start to see why these sorts of comments ran rampant at With Mom in Mind this past Saturday.

"I'm running on 'E' by the time six o' clock rolls around!"

"I need to remember how to make time for myself since it's been so long!"

"Girl, my house falls apart if I leave for too long, so I just avoid it when I can!"

That is no way to feel or to live, and that's precisely why I feel that these types of events are a NECESSARY part of our lives as busy women.  This past Saturday, Shelley Chapman of Naturi Beauty Concepts and I did our versions of shouting it from the rooftops that women everywhere deserve to nourish, nurture, and grow their fullest versions of SELF! We did that through With Mom in Mind, and fortunately, we had a great group of women ready and willing to receive and give their time and energy to us and most importantly to themselves!

We got to meet up with some of our blog family, some of whom we'd never met face to face, as well as connecting with new fellow Execumamas and Naturi Beauties, and I tell you, the energy in the room was goosebump-inducing!

Our guides were a part of an elite group of women whose work directly impacts the daily work we do as women and mothers, and I'm most proud of the fact that I was able to create another avenue through which they could shed light via their particular brands of sunshine--and SHINE they did!

Our yoga instructor, Tiffany Campbell of I Love My Temple Yoga & Wellness Center here in Atlanta, had us quiet, focused, and paying attention to our bodies, and we needed/appreciated that.  Tiffany was so gracious as some of us moaned and almost cried as she gently talked us through a series of poses.  It was wonderful, and every single one of us knew we needed Tiffany's session.  The soreness in my arms today remind me that there is much work to be done, and the mental picture in my mind of Tiffany's sculpted arms serves as a great reminder that mamas can be/stay HOT and healthy too!! #HotMamaSociety

Next in our line-up was best-selling author, educator and speaker, Christine Martinello, one of many Queen Momagers! I'm telling you, she had such heart-warming anecdotes and practical tips for us that I know she was exactly who needed to be there at this inaugural workshop.  She's a wife and a mother first, and I love that, despite how accomplished, widely recognized, and fantastic Christine is, she's so humble and welcoming that you just want to sit and chat with her for hours on end.  She donned a tiara, a smile and a wealth of resources, and we all graciously soaked in the sunshine Christine brought into the room.  #QueenMomager

Then came the oooh's and aaah's as Kahran Hill of CreativeSoul Photography, the talents behind this project passed around photos and talked to us about ways to capture the essence of our families on camera.  Kahran and her partner, Reg, are masters of their craft, and I can say this because they kept my children happy, occupied and smiling during a long outdoor photoshoot.  Can we say #MagicalPhotographersWithSkills??

Then, the finale was just what our bellies were waiting for--the blessing that is getting to taste the food of  a chef who is passionate about her work.  Shelley Chapman of Naturi Beauty Concepts had on sipping on mint-cucumber yumminess and then indulging in swordfish kebobs with couscous, and then a sinfully delicious helping of a poundcake/almonds/mandarin oranges/whole buncha other good stuff dessert!

Overall, I am so excited about this series of workshops, and the fact that I get to meet so many wonderful women who are determined to remember themselves, their health, and their happiness throughout their journeys is nothing shy of BLISSFULLY RIGHT, and I accept the gift of their company, your company at the next With Mom in Mind.

Pictures and video to come...