Taking up space

Take up space.

I have been practising yoga for about 4 years straight now. I find it amazing that the choreography still engages me, even though it is somewhat repetitive.

Take tree pose, for example. It seems simple enough. In fact, my 5 year old can do it! Recently during a coaching conversation, my coach asked me how I wanted to ‘show up’ to an event. Immediately, tree pose came to mind - “I want to take up space,” I said. I am learning that my thoughts on matrescence, my learning and coaching offerings are worthy of taking up space. They may not be for everybody, but they are worthy of taking up space. On social media. In conversation. This is helping me overcome some imposter syndrome which, so I hear, is quite normal for entrepreneurs in the beginning. 

I also think, though, that this is relevant to how I show up as a mother, too. It’s time for the needs of mothers to take up space. It’s time for them to be recognized as noteworthy. That’s part of the shift in the paradigm of support for mothers that I’m talking about - helping mothers’ needs occupy real estate in the world. A mother’s needs deserve a seat at the dinner table, a chair in the boardroom, a seat in parliament - wherever a mother is, her needs are welcome there. Because you know what? No one operates in silos, or at least not effectively anyway. 

So I say, let’s take up space. Motherhood can be rainbows and unicorns and sunshine. It can also be grit and drudge and pain. And everything in between. All of those feelings are worthy of our attention and support.