Postpartum Integration Circles

“When a baby is born, so is a mother...each unsteady in their own way.” ~ Alexandra Sacks

The process of becoming a mother (matrescence) is an unfolding evolution, a journey that is often a bit rocky along the way, even in the most optimal circumstances.

Re-defining your identity is never a small feat, and doing so while also tending to a tiny human and your own physical healing can make the process of settling in to matrescence feel at times like an insurmountable task.

Most new moms find themselves in survival mode for the early weeks of postpartum and any time not spent directly tending to baby is spent trying to attend to their own most basic needs. In the process, there is often very little time for making space to acknowledge and attend to the tsunami of emotions that inevitably bubble up following birth and the assumption of an all-encompassing new identity. This is your invitation to carve out some space for yourself at a time when so much is otherwise invested into giving to someone else.

About the Circle

The Postpartum Integration Circle is a place you can come to digest all that has been unfolding for you, in a non-judgmental community space. Informed by the mindfulness practices of the Plum Village Buddhist Community founded by Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh and the Council work shared by The Ojai Foundation, these circles are designed to use story-telling about your own experiences as a means to drop into your heart space and share what is alive within you as you undergo one of the most significant shifts a human can endeavor.

Unlike other mom groups/circles, there are no handouts, set themes or other rigid structures. Our goal is not to solve problems or offer advice, but rather to acknowledge and metabolize the emotions and experiences we are carrying that often go unnoticed and unnamed during the postpartum phase. This is a gathering to anchor you more deeply in your heart, giving you a break from the analytical and comparative mind states that tend to kick into overdrive after a baby arrives. We come to witness and be witnessed fully.

All circles are held online and you are invited to come as you are, no need to dress up or even leave your bed or couch. For optimal presence, I encourage you to have another set of hands available to help tend to baby during the time of our circle, but you should of course feel welcome to feed, snuggle etc. during the circle time as necessary.

At this time, all circles are being offered free of charge as an offering to those in my community and their extended networks.

Upcoming Dates

Immediate Postpartum Circle
(Open to anyone in the first 2–12 weeks after birth)
Sunday, August 14 – 2:30 p.m. Pacific/5:30 p.m. Eastern
Click here to sign up!

Postpartum Circle
(Open to anyone who has given birth this calendar year)
Sunday October 23 – 2:30 p.m. Pacific/5:30 p.m. Eastern
Registration opens in September