Öhrn Life Management

I feel myself growing.

I just learned that my baby is 16,5 cm. I must admit that I have not exactly grown in proportion to those tiny cm. My belly has really popped out, my hips are soft and round and so are my boobs. Even my back seems to be widening. -So me growing is no news to the world.

But there is something more subtle that is also growing, expanding deep inside of me.

I think that pregnancy for any woman is a time in life where the wonders of creation become so intimate and obvious that we can not help but taking a spiritual perspective of our lives.

As I have said before, my prenatal students tend to be very receptive to the more spiritual or philosophical teachings of yoga. Of course some come for the exercise alone, but no matter if they are on a spiritual quest or not, as they progress in their pregnancy, I can see them getting adorned with a subtle glow, a softness that deepens in rhythm with their babies’ growth.

I interpret this as being a result of surrendering more and more to the force of the creation.

That surrendered softness opens doors to a beautiful internal, effortless growing process. Of growing acceptance. Of growing into the role of motherhood. Of growing unconditional  love.

Dear child,
Thank you for inspiring me to grow too, from the inside out.

I can’t help but feeling watery – from the inside out.

This feeling is not just thanks to the monsoon, showering us with its blessings of life-giving water. I experience the water element on a more subtle level.

Five elements
Yogic theory says that we, just like nature, are made up by the five elements earth, water, fire, air, space/sky. At any given time one or a few of these elements dominate our constitution. The different elements carry different qualities that in turn are expressed in us. Yoga, being a tool for self study, beautifully teaches us how to use the labels of these elements to gain better self awareness.

Feeling watery
Right now I am feeling rather watery. We say that the water elements is of a flowing kind, life giving, adaptable to circumstances that evens out irregularities.

Coming from a very fiery history, I can really enjoy the cooling sensation of the water element. It  helps me to take a step back, to sit more in the passenger seat of my life than I usually do. This goes for most things; from having less of an opinion about news in the papers, to choosing the main course in a restaurant.  Maybe this nature’s way of supporting me in dealing with all the changes I go through?

It is no wonder that I as pregnant  is more watery than usual. I imagine that the physical fact of me carrying extra water for my baby would affect me on many levels. For example, I find my eyes over flow more often that usually. Could I blame the water element for that…?

I suspect that the dominant element will change towards the end of my pregnancy, to become more earthy. We’ll see.

What element is dominant in you at the moment?

Earth – stable, grounded, heavy, static
Water – flowing, adaptable, reflective liquid, clear, assimilating
Fire – hot, light, bright, transformational
Air – mobile, quick, dry
Space/sky – open, unlimited, vast, free, expansive

Credits
My sincere thanks to Patrick Creelman for so graciously clarifying the concepts of elements at the Anusara Yoga Immersion in Hong Kong last week. I am also grateful for my friends, colleagues and great yogis Joung-Ah and Wolfgang for being there when I let it all flow.

Dear Child,
I hope that you are enjoying the ocean of amniotic fluid that has been created for you to safely swim around in. I feel that you are even more adoptable than I am, constantly growing and effortlessly accepting the changes you go through. Let us continue this synchronized swimming in peace!

Today I celebrate a decade of love to my husband. It was no less than ten (10!) years ago we started going out. Then, I could only hope that that sparkle in his eyes would carry the seeds of the beautiful wonder that is our son, and of the new miracle that is taking shape inside of me right now.

To me, anniversaries like this are such important reminders for me to really celebrate what my husband and I are. Not just by sending flowers, but also by contemplating love. To contemplate that maybe I actually don’t celebrate love enough, in the midst of everyday life.

A wise doula and friend once passed on some great advice to me. She said: ‘Prioritize family like this:
1) Your partner
2) Your children
3) The rest’
At first, this didn’t make sense to me at all. Why on earth wouldn’t I prioritize my little child first?! But then I had a second thought, and saw how the child would be there and get so much attention without me even thinking about it. Whereas my husband was in the risk zone of getting the left overs of energy at the end of a busy baby day – that is, not a lot.

This is why I dedicate my prenatal class tonight to my husband, and I invite you to join me, honoring your partners, @ the Pilatestudio, 5pm www.pilates.co.th.

Or wherever you are, pretend it’s your anniversary and celebrate, honor and praise your loved partner tonight!

Dear Child,
Ten years ago you were but a sparkle in your dad’s eye. Oh, how I long for the day when I shall see our love reflected in the wells of your eyes.