The Full Story
About
I came to this space with the intention of learning how to best support my community, friends, family and one day myself as I transition into motherhood. Now having experienced an understanding of how vital it is for all mothers to receive this care; I offer you Conscious Ayurvedic Postpartum Care.
What is Ayurveda?
Ayurveda is knowledge of how to ride the ever-changing waves of life successfully.
- Saravasti Buhrman
Ayurveda is a science that gives us practical, relatable and simple tools to understand ourselves in this life and therefore create a life in balance. When we truly understand ourselves, we feel a great sense of connection to our life purpose. The main principle of Ayurveda is understanding as is above so is below meaning, we are made up of the same elements and qualities in the universe around us. By accepting ourselves as nature we can understand how the seasons, climate, time of day, stages of life have a direct impact on how we feel. Ayurveda is all about recognising the qualities (gunas) present in ourselves and in nature and applying balancing qualities to pacify aggravated ones.
It is innate within you to always feel well. Today, we can utilise Ayurveda, the science of self-healing to achieve daily health and well being.
Although Ayurveda originates in India, it can be applied in conjunction with many traditions of care. How? It's concepts belong to nature. These practices can be implemented in our cultural, ancestral traditions in Ireland to the present day. When we empower ourselves to take responsibility of daily living, we experience moment to moment awareness, moment to moment consciousness, moment to moment healing.
Hello and welcome!
I'm Noretta, a practitioner of Ayurvedic Postpartum Care which may be referred to as; Ayurvedic Postpartum Caregiver/Carepartner, Ayurvedic Postpartum Doula, Ayudoula, or Ayurdoula.
My journey to Ayurveda began with a feeling of separation and disconnect with my mind, body, soul and environment. Through travel and the unraveling of life's experiences, my intention was simply to understand, who am I? and what is my life purpose? The wisdom of Ayurveda empowered me to understand my unity with nature, the manifest and unmanifest and therefore experience a life in harmony for the maintenance of good health and longevity.
Life is always moving, and balance is not a firm destination so I dance in love, kindness, compassion and care.
I give gratitude to the body of knowledge that is Ayurveda and the teachings I’ve received through Doug Hyde at Satmya Vedic Living and Learning Centre. Christine, Julia, Ashlee and Charlotte of Sacred Window Studies. Jillian Lavender and Michael Miller of the London Meditation Centre. Laura Poole of Mahasoma and to my greatest teacher of all, Mother Nature. With their blessing and the blessing of the guardians of this land before me, I invite you to experience a change in the Irish cultural care of mothers.
I look forward to meeting you.
Noretta x
Ayurveda's Light on the Postpartum Window
After the transformational experience of birth, the space in which the baby occupied is now empty. This empty space elevates air and movement in the body (Vata), which may be experienced as coldness, dryness, insomnia, depletion, indecisiveness, constipation, anxiety and fear. To maintain health this empty space needs to be soothed and brought back to balance with REST, routine and nourishment.
Another aspect of maintaining health in the Postpartum Window is through rebuilding digestive fire (Agni), which becomes greatly decreased following birth. The strength of our digestive fire is vital to overall health. Remember, it is not only food we digest but also emotions, mental and physical experiences. Like a campfire that is carefully tended to, digestive fire will gradually grow stronger with warm, hydrating, easy to digest, delicious food.
When a baby is born, an initiation into motherhood begins. This can be expressed as a dying of sorts of our old selves, and a birth of our new selves. The journey of letting go and death and the journey of birth and rebirth. We experience letting go of our old life and bringing forth new life as we become everything to this new being. This requires space, love, empowerment and support to grieve what you are leaving behind, as you embody and celebrate becoming a mother.
