Join with
other moms in this journey of discovery, connection and unfolding.
Using mindfulness and embodied presence as our guides, this group
will explore the inner journey of the mamahood in a warm and supportive
environment.
"I
recommend this group for every Mama out there! It is an incredible
healer and stabilizer for your mental/emotional health. Carrie is
such a skilled, attentive, and heart-full therapist, who facilitates
this group by being present, gentle and understanding about everything
a new mama has to go through and deal with. I am cherishing every
minute of it! The group is an excellent way to build a deep connection
and support network with other mamas in your area." -Inna
Mindful
Mamas: 8-week series
New Group forming: June 12th through August 7th (no meeting July 3rd)
Thursdays in Berkeley
Connect with others on
the journey and support your own intention and practice as a mindful
mama! In a warm and supportive environment, together with your little
ones, we will explore the inner landscape of becoming a mama and what
it means to do that consciously. Sample transition-to-mamahood topics
include:
* identity issues ~ who
am I now?
* mamahood as a spiritual practice
* staying connected with your partner and baby
* evolving of relationships with family, friends & work
* integrating our childbirth experiences
* finding wholeness in both the joys and the difficulties
We will also be doing some
mindfulness meditation together each week, cultivating the ability
to stay present and peaceful in the midst of our delightful and challenging,
ever-changing lives. The deep wisdom of your body and how it can help
you identify and influence limiting patterns will also be worked with.
This 8-week group is appropriate
for mamas and their pre-crawling babies, and meets weekly near Ashby
BART.
The next Mindful Mamas 8-week group is now forming and will start June 12th on Thursdays at Anam Cara, 2915 MLK Jr Way, Berkeley 94703.
Please call 510-594-4330
or email carrie@embodiedbeing.net
for more information or to register (pre-registration encouraged for
pregnant mamas). Fee is $275 for the 8 sessions.
ALSO, ANNOUNCING A NEW GROUP: Mindfulness-based Support Group for Mothers with children of any age - read more below!
"I am so glad
that my daughter and I were able to be a part of Carrie's group. I
was able to really make time and space for myself even with my newborn
in my arms. It was nice to feel connected to all of the other new
moms and their babies and practice mindfulness in a nourishing space.
Carrie is a great facilitator." -Tina
What
happens during the group?
The
format includes sharing and support, as well as exploration of the
inner journey of mamahood. Sample topics may include: shifting of
identity, finding balance amidst chaos, integrating birth experiences,
relationship changes, making room for both the light and the dark,
staying connected with your wholeness, & finding your inner wisdom
-- though each group is truly unique and relevant to the women participating.
We also practice some mindfulness
together (in a guided format primarily), cultivating the ability to
stay present and grounded with whatever is arising. There is no particular
approach to birth or parenting espoused by these groups, and each
woman is encouraged and supported to cultivate her own inner wisdom,
authenticity, confidence and presence.
Who joins a Mindful Mamas
group?
This group works great
for women who have a desire to parent with presence and who have an
openness to using the mama journey as a path of growth. Mothers of
babies under one year are welcome, and those with pre-crawling babies
are encouraged to bring your little ones with you. Those with mobile
babes can enjoy some much needed mama-only time. Both first-time mamas
and mamas of more than one are all welcome.
Because of the depth of
sharing that often occurs in these groups, consistency is highly valued
and helps create a safe and supportive atmosphere for everyone, so
this group works best for women who are intend to make the group a
priority in their lives.
What is mindfulness?
Mindfulness is about being
with ourselves and each other and our lives just as they are -- balancing
intention with surrender, and opening to what is true. Mindfulness
is about coming back to the present moment, again and again. Mindfulness
is about letting go of our attachment to the "story" about
The Way Things Should Be, and diving into the direct experience of
what is actually happening right now. Mindfulness is about compassionate
curiosity, about reflecting, about welcoming the full range of our
-- and our children's -- aliveness. Mindfulness is about paying attention
and listening deeply, and allows the possibility of having perspective
and choicefulness and balance in our daily lives. No experience with
mindfulness is necessary.
"About ten years
ago, I became a very serious meditator and in total went on about
seven, week long meditation retreats. They were very powerful for
me and helped me clean out a lot of baggage that I wanted to let go
of. It was a very difficult but freeing experience. After a certain
number of retreats though I decided that taking a week out of my life
no longer worked for me and I've always searched for ways to continue
healing and growing in a way that those retreats helped me to grow.
But, I wanted to do so in a way that was more incorporated into my
daily life and with people who I knew in a more integrated way. Our
group combined with motherhood is the first time I've felt an experience
go as deep in a healing way as the retreats. After each time we've
met, I've felt some rather large shifts in my being. Anyhow, I so
value our group. I'm impressed at the honesty and bravery of everyone
in the group. I find that it's rare to find such a deep level of care
in this busy place we live." - Susan
"Carrie is a remarkable
facilitator; she crates an inspirational time for sharing and meditation
using the many tools and perspectives of her mindfulness practice.
My fellow mamas and I feel a strong connection and have been able
to support each other through our transition to mamahood."
-Michelle
How do I join or get more
information?
If you're interested in
joining, or would like to explore the possibility of doing so, the
next step is to call or email to let
me know. I look forward to hearing from you!
New! Mindfulness-based Support Group for Mothers with children of any age.
Wednesday afternoons, to begin May or June. 10 week series meets in North Oakland, limited to 6 members. Cost is $40 per session. Registration now open. Please contact me for more details and an intake interview.
Join other mothers who are looking to connect with other moms, receive support along the journey, and grow new ways of responding to the challenges of parenthood. I am pleased to be offering a group for mamas with children of any age, due to the many requests I have received for such a group. Our children are our greatest mirrors, offering us the opportunity to grow in ways we might never have imagined before having our children. This group will offer support for moms dealing with the trials and tribulations of motherhood, and will utilize mindfulness and body-oriented practices, as well as other non-verbal approaches such as the expressive arts to explore the interior landscape of what motherhood brings to the surface in us, as well as offer tools for how to handle the stresses and challenges presented to us.
top
of page
Mindfulness Meditations - guided meditation audio tracks featuring:
Carrie Katz, voice & celtic harp
Beth Vandervennet, cello
Produced by Sarita Pockell and Carrie Katz
Listen or download mp3s (right-click and "save as")
- Introduction
- Meditation for Pregnant Mamas
- A Message for New Mamas & Papas
- Meditation for New Mamas & Papas
- Instrumental
All tracks ©2008 Carrie Katz/Mindful Mamas, all rights reserved.
top
of page
Recommended readings for the mamas group:
On Mindful Parenting:
- Everyday Blessings:
The Inner Work of Mindful Parenting by Jon and Myla Kabat-Zinn
- Momma Zen: Walking
the Crooked Path of Motherhood by Karen Maezen Miller
- Brain,
Child: The Magazine for Thinking Mothers
This is my very favorite mama magazine; it is deeply thoughtful,
sometimes hilarious, and often irreverent...a breath of fresh air!
And, if you get a few people together you can get subscriptions
for a very low price.
- Parent’s Tao Te Ching: Ancient Advice for Modern Parents by William Martin (1999)
- Radical Acceptance: Embracing Your Life with the Heart of a Buddha, by Tara Brach (2004)
On mindfulness in general:
- Anything by Thich Nhat
Hanh
- Wherever You
Go, There You Are: Mindfulness Meditation in Everyday Life – by Jon Kabat-Zinn
He has several other books about mindfulness
- Parenting from
the Inside Out by Daniel Siegel, MD (for later parenting,
a must read)
- How to Talk
So Kids Will Listen & Listen So Kids Will Talk by Adele
Farber and Elaine Mazlish
top
of page
