Dear Friends,
Following on from last week’s blog, here is a wonderful process you can try if you are desiring conception. Conception can be a conscious event just like birth or raising a child. Just because we assume that we just ‘get pregnant’ it doesn’t mean we are not able to creatively invite it into our lives.
We must remember that it takes two people to conceive a baby, it is not just the woman. Conception is also not an intellectual process that you can fit into your scheduled diaries or put on your ‘to do’ list. Make time for your conception and honour the creative process that it is, without trying to make it happen.
These exercises can be done alone or with your partner. This is a great opportunity to involve your partner into the ‘self exploratory’ arena of pregnancy, and not just doing the fun stuff. You might like to try this exercise by yourself first and then try doing it together and see if they are different in any way. You may also have other children and time pressures so doing it together might be too difficult but see if friends or family could babysit for you for a couple of hours.
Alone:
- Set out some of your art materials ready for your spontaneous choice.
- Begin with the centring process and/or some deep breathing preferably with eyes closed if this feels comfortable and in a comfortable place free from interruptions.
- Gently lay your right hand on your belly and your left hand on your pubic bone/genitals.
- Stay like this for a while, tuning into where your hands are and see if any thoughts, feeling, or images emerge.
- Is there anything you need to express right now?
- (If appropriate): Is there anything you wish to forgive yourself for, like feeling or thinking a certain way about your body, behaviour or that you were wrong in any way?
- Ask your inner child if she is ok with you conceiving a baby? Does she have something to say? Reassure her that everything is taken care of and she will still be number one.
- What do you think about babies, being a mother/father, being a woman/man, your body, your relationship, men and the Masculine, women and the Feminine, the higher powers?
Once you have mulled over these questions, see which art materials you gravitate towards and make an image (images) with your selection. And remember, there is no right or wrong way to do this, so no judgement about what emerges.
You may also wish to write freely in your journal about thoughts, feelings or images that arose.
In doing these exercises over time you will begin to uncover how you feel about having a baby – or having another baby. You may wish to do some of the other exercises on your own birth story or exercises for previous births with your other children. Anything that can free the way towards conception.
If you are doing this with your partner:
You can begin the same way with the centring process and maybe even sit opposite each other holding hands, breathing together. If it feel right, see if you can connect your breath together.
When you feel ready, place your own hands on your own belly and genitals. This can also help men to connect to their sexuality and innocence and their desire to procreate. Placing his hand on his belly can help him connect to his life force. A man also has a history that needs acknowledgement. He may have experienced emotional, physical or even sexual abuse, a traumatic birth, low self esteem and not see himself as the powerful life creator that he is, his ability to be a father of another human being and so on.
Revel in this time together and mull over some of the questions. Try not to strain your brain but just let the thoughts come and go and just be aware of thoughts or images that come to the surface as you sit together in stillness. Also try not to feel pressured to think up an image, this is supposed to be relaxing, insightful and fun.
Here are some interesting questions you may wish to contemplate – without judgement – which you can either write about or makes images, collages, sculptures or anything that you feel inspired to create that expresses your deeper thoughts and feelings.
• Do you think you have to be married in order to conceive a baby?
• Do you think you have to have a certain income or financial status before you conceive?
• Do you think you have to be a certain age to have children? Do you think you are too young or too old or just not ready?
• What is holding you back?
• Do you want to conceive a baby because all of your friends are having children?
• Are there any fertility issues pending?
• Do you feel impatient? (There is also divine timing with conception and even birth. There is a school of thought that suggests the unborn child chooses his/her parents, culture and set of circumstances and our job is to remain open and joyful in the process).
Have a great week of creativity and fun!
Warm wishes,
Alex xx
