- How are you doing? How are you really doing?
Thank you for asking. I am doing well, for the most part. I am so grateful that I have the privilege of staying at home with my family and that everyone I know is healthy and safe.
Whenever a wave of fear, negativity, worry and doubt comes over me (and they happen often) I know that I have to get back to the present moment and give it my full attention. Having my daughter close to me is such a blessing in times like this- our children are such great teachers of presence and living life moment by moment, day by day...
- How do you balance it all - entrepreneur, mother, wife, and taking care of yourself?
Lots of meditation. Lots of green foods. Lots of lists and prioritizing. My whole family is vegan, but I am putting extra attention on healthy living right now. Staying healthy and keeping my vibration high will ensure that I have energy to multitask and create. Keeping away from the "comforting" things like wine and junk food (vegan pizza, fries, sweets!), is hard but it helps with being productive and feeling mentally alert. Our family has a nice quarantine-routine going on by now, and it really helps me with being efficient with my time.
- How are you helping moms during Corona? Lydia mentioned hypnobirthing - I'm fascinated! What, if any, aspects of hypnobirthing can be applied to daily life if currently pregnant?
Many pregnant women are forced to change their birth plan during this time because they are away from their originally chosen hospital or birth center or no longer willing to birth at a medical facility. I chose to have an unmedicated home birth with my daughter so I’m receiving a lot of questions from pregnant women about the details of my experience with homebirth, about finding a homebirth midwife and doula, renting a birth pool etc. I try to be as informative as I can and help everyone that reaches out. I can’t recommend home birth enough for healthy, low-risk pregnancies!
No matter where your birth is going to take place I also strongly encourage women to educate themselves on pregnancy, birth and postpartum. There is nothing more empowering than making confident, informed decisions about your body and your baby. We have more time on our hands now and access to so much information, there is really no excuse not to take a birth education course. Obviously I strongly recommend HypnoBirthing –a gentle, intuitive and natural birth education course that prepares for the safest and most enjoyable birthing experience possible.
The element of HypnoBirthing I would recommend to every pregnant mother out there right now is relaxation. It has been proven that the baby feels whatever mommy feels and that those feelings can shape the emotional composition of the baby for the rest of his/her life. So mommies, please find a relaxation or meditation technique that works for you, practice it regularly and don’t give in to fear, stress and anxiety.
- What tips can you offer others who are pregnant and/or caring for children to maintain their composure in this stressful time?
Show up for yourself, your child/children, your partner, your family the very best you can every day but be gentle and forgiving with yourself and others. Make space for REST and things that bring you joy. When stressful thoughts and feelings arise, feel them and honor them, but know that they won’t last forever and that you have the ability to shift them. Happiness hormones and fear hormones can not be released at the same time. Our brain accepts one group of the other. Do things that bring you pleasure (dance, laugh, make love, take up a creative project) to positively influence your brain chemistry and leave no space for fear.
-What has been the hardest part of this ordeal for you?
My grandfather passed away a month ago and I wasn’t able to travel to my native Poland to attend his funeral and be with my family. That was and still is the hardest alongside with feeling the collective pain and the constant notion that I’m not helping enough.
-What is the number one thing you are mindful of doing consistently that helps you?
Meditating (I practice and teach a 20min, twice daily technique), spending time in nature (every day, regardless of the weather), connecting deeply with the humans around me (right now my husband and daughter) and being of service (because there are so many less fortunate than I am)
-If you're optimistic, what are you looking forward to?
I am happy about the break our planet is getting. Suddenly we are not driving, not flying, not producing as much stuff we don’t need and in effect not releasing as much carbon. This is really wonderful. I hope that when this pandemic is over we will be able to continue this much more minimalistic lifestyle. This time is teaching us the importance of health and well being, nature and preservation, human connection, family, access to healthy food. I would really like to see those fields of life become our new collective values of utmost priority.
Learn more about Zuzanna’s story and meditation practice at Ceremonia Meditation
