Turn off the Baby Showers …. And bathe in a ‘blessingway’ instead!
Over the past few years, I’ve noticed a similar dialogue taking place over the tea station during breaks at our (parenthood preparation) workshops: “Are you having a baby shower?” conversations often lead to lamentations “It just feels so shallow” “just another excuse for my mother-in-law to buy unnecessary gifts” “those blue and pink balloons will end up landfill“
There is still a need for women to engage in a ritual that honours this rite of passage; but in ways that are supportive/authentic & meaningful to them. So how can expectant mothers provide that playful and “loved-up” experience, in a way that is empowering for them and for their tribe of women? Enter the BLESSINGWAY.
Hold up…What exactly is a blessingway?
A blessingway is a pre-birth ceremony that honors a woman’s rite of passage into motherhood, with all its challenges and beauty. Rooted in ancient Navajo tradition, a blessingway brings your closest tribe of women together, empowering you to release your fears, cultivate positive energy and prepare emotionally, mentally, and spiritually for your birth and role as a mother. Surrounding you with love and positive intention, this soulful women’s circle ensures you enter labour and motherhood – strong and supported.
Why choose a blessingway over a baby shower?
It’s lovely to receive gifts for your baby to be, but what’s in it for the Mama? You will shower your baby with love and nurturing and attention, and it’s the mama who needs to secure her ‘village’ around her so that she is supported and manages the wondrous, blissful and challenging entrance into motherhood. From an environmental perspective, baby showers create a lot of waste and addresses the material support but brushes over the emotional support needed for the transition into motherhood.
This is what a beautiful mamma recently said about her Mama Blessingway from The Parents Village:
I feel so incredibly grateful for the Blessingway Lana facilitated at my home. I'd never attended or heard of a Blessingway before my own, but I was so deeply moved and grateful for having experienced this process with the closest women in my life prior to the birth of my second child. It was such a beautiful ceremony with powerful and meaningful words and rituals. Lana provided a very safe and warm environment for myself and my closest friends to come together and connect to a sense of tradition and spirituality that is often easily lost in the chaos of life leading up to childbirth.
A friend of a Mama to Be said this about her first experience attending a Mama Blessingway at The Parents Village:
I recently attended a blessingway that was facilitated by Lana, and what a beautiful experience this was. I didn't know what to expect going in, but found the ceremony a calming, loving experience. What I gained from the experience was a new found view on just how important women are in each other's lives. In building them up, supporting them and holding them through their big experiences. I loved the focus on the amazing qualities of the mother to be and what they add to each of their women's lives. It simply highlighted how amazing our mummy to be was. This was so lovingly guided by Lana throughout, in a calm and serene setting. She did such a magical job of decorating the space which added to the experience.
What can I expect from a Mama Blessingway with The Parents Village?
Tailor-made to suit your interests and needs, this gathering could include a combination of pampering the mama-to-be, birth art, red thread ceremonies and affirmation rituals.
You might even decide that in lieu of gifts, all participants spilt the cost of the Blessingway making it a much more affordable and meaningful than a baby shower!
For more information or to book a Mama Blessingway contact Lana at The Parents Village
0413 389 620 or email: enquiries@theparentsvillage.com.au
