This is not just any squat. This squat is ceremonial and celebratory! This squat became available again at six weeks postpartum.
Before I was pregnant (and even during most of my pregnancy), I moved with great ease. Then came labor, the most strenuous event of my life! After five hours of Olympic pushing followed by an emergency cesarean birth, I had a long road of recovery ahead of me. I needed help sitting up in bed the first week. Walking was very slow and intentional. Just holding my precious new babe required very careful movement and placement.
Would I ever feel like “me” again?
This whole process is a grand reminder of the Intelligence in the body. The body KNOWS how to heal itself, even after traumatic experiences. There is a powerful and innate Intelligence in all our bodies. The same Intelligence that guided your development as new life within your mother and placed your kidneys, eyes and toes just perfectly is STILL functioning within you today. That doesn’t just go away after you’re born. Your body still knows what to do, perfectly.
I deeply honor that postnatal time when movement was very challenging. I appreciate the feedback my body gave me NOT to move into certain positions and to ensure that I moved slowly and gently. It was busy doing deep work; it was under major construction! If I would have ignored those messages, I would have caused more damage and interfered with my healing.
With time, patience, intention, and practice, my body feels like mine again! I can move with ease, joy and new sense of deep appreciation.
When was a time in your life that wiped you out and slowed you down? Maybe it was the ending of a relationship, a job, the death of a loved one, or some other life-changing event. Yes, there is Intelligence even in THAT. Did you eventually “find” yourself again? Maybe you even came to know yourself on a deeper level with more joy and appreciation. If you haven’t yet, I bet you will. Luckily, it’s designed in your favor. Now, that’s something to celebrate!