Visit our Canada siteSome of you may have first met Dona in a Mommymundo bazaar circa 2008 with her brand of onesies, Say One Word. These off-white onesies were selling like pancakes! They were made of natural, unbleached cotton (a pioneer in the natural fabric line during that time) and had words like Love, Peace, Joy, Hope and Blessing printed on them, promoting the idea of the power of words for healing and growth. Dona was a new mama to her daughter Carmen in addition to being a yoga teacher, dancer and healer. She has continued to evolve as a woman and mother through the years.
MOTHERING A BABY VS. PARENTING A TEEN
Now a mother of a teenager, Dona shares that the biggest difference in parenting a teenager compared to parenting a baby is the quality and quantity of physical presence. Mothering a baby meant having her little one attached to her most of the day- breastfeeding and babywearing, diapers and sleepless nights. We all know that too well.
At 14, the tables have turned as Carmen is now individuating and experimenting with different ways of being. One thing that is constant though is establishing that when Carmen needs her mom, she knows where to find her. Mom will always be her safe space. Consent and boundaries have always been respected in their household. These days, for example, Carmen makes sure to remind her mom to knock before entering her room. As challenging as this may be for parents, this is a something that Dona celebrates as well because she can see how she has instilled these values in her daughter. When they are in heated discussions, she reminds Carmen that this is her first time parenting and that this is also the first time Carmen is consciously embodying what it means to be a daughter so they have to be patient, compassionate and kind with each other. Dona has noticed that Carmen is still navigating the in-between zone of being a child and being a teenager. One of the plus sides of the pandemic is that Dona feels that her daughter got to stay younger longer because there was much less influence of social media and peer pressure.
EMBODIMENT, ENERGY MANAGEMENT and INDIGENOUS WISDOM
Beyond motherhood, Dona envisions a world where we can all become more of who we truly are – fully, fiercely, unapologetically. Dona wears her hair in a braid almost daily to represent three vital strands in her life, as inspired by one of her mentors Carol Cano M.A. who founded Braided Wisdom, a cross-cultural mindfulness organization.
Dona’s passions are Embodiment, including dance as a healing art, yoga and menstrual cycle awareness. These have been the foundations of how she lives her life. She also puts great emphasis on Energy Management, something many women need to become aware of, because we tend to give more than what we have. She shares this through high performance corporate workshops and one-on-one coaching on women’s whole-being. Another aspect that is of great importance to Dona is Indigenous Wisdom with Nature as her teacher and a weekly circle of women Elders as her guides. Braiding these three strands, Dona invites us to become more in tune with who we are and build our capacity so we can fully embody our highest future potential and become responsible ancestors for future generations.
As a woman and mother, Dona considers herself as someone who embodies the Visionary archetype. She defines that as someone who is able to see future possibilities while being grounded and stable in the present moment without exaggeration, reduction, or embellishment. During her meditations and contemplations, she is able to tap into her intuition and receive Wisdom and deep guidance for her next steps, even if it may seem unclear on the surface. Dona shares the wise words she received from an Indigenous Elder from the First Nations, “Walk the path to make it visible.”
#MOVETOELNIDO
Walking this path has led her to take the step to move to El Nido, Palawan. Dona fondly recalls falling in love with the island when she was a teenager herself.
“I’ve wanted to live in Palawan ever since I was 13 when I first came here with my Aunt who was with the DENR doing a survey of the underground river.” She made a wish and decades later, the opportunity to make this bold step with her family opened up. In February 2021, as soon as the flights became available, Dona and her family visited El Nido. A supposedly one month vacation became a full move to El Nido, Palawan. A big part of the move was considering Carmen’s opinions and feelings before making a decision. “We were regularly checking in with her, asking if she liked it here, how she felt being here. It is really a blessing that she loves it here and that it has been a nourishing place for us and our daughter.”
RENEW AND RECOVER, BUILD AND DISCOVER
Moving to El Nido also birthed into co-founding The Earth School with her husband David Esteban. The Earth School is a K-12 International School centered on sustainability, Earth stewardship, and innovation with nature as the context for learning. There was a shared need by the families in the community for such a space. David also had the capacity to spearhead this with his family’s fifty years of education experience. He is also a curriculum development expert and teacher for over 10 years. Banding together as a community, the Earth School opened its doors in 2022 in Kalye Artisano, Lio Beach and Lio Estate. It has a team of like-minded teachers and staff who envision a world of healthy individuals, communities and ecologies.
The Earth School offers learning without walls. The school provides a wonderful range of ecosystems for the children to explore, discover, and apply their learning. The creative, inspiring, and passionate faculty of the Earth School are the ideal guides through the many wonders of nature. As the school’s Director of Community Connection, Dona embraces her advocacies and is honored to see how they are being applied daily through the school and it’s core values. She knows that they are creating conscious individuals who will make an impact on our planet as ancestors of the future generations.
For Dona, we are here in this world to experience and evolve with life in her fullness while embodying our own wholeness. “Be courageous in being who you are at this present moment. And be open to receiving blessings and support,” she reminds us. Connecting with Dona is a gift for every woman who wishes to live fully, fiercely and unapologetically.
To know more about Dona and what she’s brewing up for 2023, follow her on www.innermoonwellbeing.com and on her social media pages https://www.instagram.com/innermoonwellbeing/ and https://www.instagram.com/the.earthschool.elnido. She also offers one on one Energy Management coaching and Women’s Whole-being workshops and coaching. You may email here at mindbodydona@gmail.com. The Earth School will be hosting a Kids Camp in July 2023. Check out their website for more details! https://theearth.school/
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