Silence is a gift. When your mind is quiet and your body is at rest, you come to all sorts of realizations which may have escaped you in the daily grind. This is what moms who attended Mommy Mundo’s Mindful Mom Re-Treat have come to know.
A half-day retreat giving moms time to re-center and re-focus their lives, the Mindful Mom Re-Treat has become a source of learning and inspiration to many.
“I learned that I cannot do everything by myself!” Rocel A. Villasis, mom of two, exclaims.
“I used to take on more than I can manage, and it has taken a toll on me emotionally and physically.”
Rocel has since learned to prioritize and delegate her tasks, leaving her with some precious me-time. She says, “Motherhood has consumed so much of my time that I have been on auto-pilot, and become so predictable. From the time I went to the retreat, I have been able to do spontaneous things like going to the salon, doing the grocery by myself, and going out with friends which has been a low priority. I am absolutely loving it!”
Jaycelle Playda-Sahagun, mom of one, shares, “I learned that I should be nurturing all the other different aspects of my life! It’s so easy to fall into the trap of just taking care of your baby, especially if you’re a first time mom, and easily forgetting yourself and your spouse. But as I’ve learned the hard way, focusing on just one aspect thinking it’s a way to simplify your life is wrong. Each aspect of my life should be nurtured.”
Hazel Benito, mom of two, agrees.
“I believe that there’s more to being a mother. It’s more than taking care of the family and the household. It’s realizing my purpose, and that purpose is being a significant and supportive mentor to my children and someone who is positive and motivating to my husband,” she says.
For her part, mom of three Teresa Gumap-as Dumadag became more conscious of the power of her thoughts. She explains, “I learned to be more aware of the scripts that are playing in my head. It taught me to be mindful of the scripts that have the most influence in my life and evaluate if these scripts are helpful or not.”
“You can change the scripts that are playing in your head even if they had been playing there for a long time. Get rid of the scripts that are not helping you and your current family situation. I knew this lesson already, but it was good to be reminded of it during the retreat,” she says.
Most of all, the moms realized the significance of taking care of themselves.
Jaycelle says, “Taking care of yourself isn’t a luxury, it’s a necessity. Managing the stress levels in your life is just as important as making sure your family gets the care they need.”
“You do not have to give everything of yourself and it is not selfish to do that. Moms need their me-time to recharge and de-stress, so they can give themselves fully to their husband and kids,” says Rocel.
“Taking care of myself is essential to taking care of my family also,” says Teresa.
Hazel says, “Making time for self-care isn’t selfish but a generous effort towards being a better person. I went home not with so many goodies in my bag but with a full heart and mind. That’s why sharing it with other mommy friends has been really fulfilling.”
The first batch of the Mindful Mom Re-Treat for 2017 happens on January 28, Saturday. There will be two scheduled retreats, the first from 9 AM to 12 PM and the second from 1:30 PM to 4:30 PM at Earth Kitchen, Bonifacio Global City.
Register by texting (0908) 8657245 or go to bit.ly/mmre-treat5
The P800 participation fee covers snacks and the workshop kit.
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