I have spent the last 10 days travelling to and experiencing time in the Australian Wilderness. 9 days and 8 nights of camping – 3 of which I spent camping on my own for my vision quest.  I am sure I shall share more about this experience in the future, however for now it simply feels good to be home and allow my experience to settle within me.

As a mother, there is so much mama guilt that I have felt with leaving my girls. You know the feeling?? It wasn’t until my oldest was 4 years old and youngest 2 years that I had 2 nights away and gosh that was hard! I used to feel it simply for attending a talk at our local school! The more I have come to see that in order for me to be present, it is essential for me to take small amounts of time to re-centre my energy. Even an hour alone in nature reignites my Soul and allows me a little perspective and reflective time.  It has also become much easier as my girls have grown.

At the same time, the more I proceed on this journey of mindfulness, the more I see the importance of setting ourselves us for success. Ultimately this means supporting our mindset and my favourite ways to do this are self nurture, mindfulness practices and cultivating sacred spaces.

I love this statement from Daring Greatly: How the courage to be vulnerable transforms the way we live, love, parent and lead by Dr Brene Brown…

“When it comes to parenting, the practice of framing mothers and fathers as good or bad is both rampant and corrosive – it turns parenting into a shame minefield. The real questions for parents should be “Are you engaged? Are you paying attention?”  – Dr Brene Brown

For me this is exactly what I am aiming for. To be present and engaged. To take time to review what is working and what is not. Being prepared to change my approach, unlearn what I know and shake things up a little.

I’m constantly learning that perfection is a false god, that as we strive for, only creates a host of problems in our lives – feelings of lack, scarcity and insecurity. The more we can surrender to simply being OUR best version of engaged and present, the more fulfilment, flow and peace we will see in our daily lives as mamas.

My time away has gifted me with such perspective for which I am very grateful. I’ve been busily working on finishing some exciting new projects, re-arranging the furniture to better support daily life and enjoying the simplicity of cooking our evening meal + showers!

As always, thanks for reading. It is so exciting to know there are other mamas on similar paths, seeking to share connection and support to continue to align to the truest version of ourselves.

Have a beautiful day,

Natalie xx