May Newsletter

Hello amazing Mothers & Mothers-to-be!

Welcome to May and the glory of not only so much beauty in nature but also a glut of bank holiday weekends to enjoy them!

I’m landing this newsletter with you purposefully on May’s full moon. It will be at its moment of greatest fullness this evening at 6.34pm. Like all full moons it will rise as the sun sets, being in the opposite part of our sky. What I particularly love is that one of the old names for May’s full moon is the Mother’s Moon. Refer to the Ancient Greek goddess Maia, after whom May is named. She is associated with motherhood, midwives and nursing. Perfect for this newsletter.

I’m also landing this newsletter with you on the eve of the second (of three!) May bank holiday weekends. I hope it’s a relaxed one for you. For me I’m excited as Monday is my Birthday (thanks King Charles for my bank holiday birthday!). I have a special birthday offer for you all - find it right at the end of the newsletter.

I hope as always that this newsletter will provide you with some things to help you take a little pocket of time for yourself - to be inspired, to bring some joy and to help you support yourself with simple self-care. Something all mothers need more of!

Scroll down for my monthly yummy recipe, 2 minute self-care practice, a lovely guided May meditation, a morning ritual to try and some inspiration - a book, nature, art to visit & things to think about perhaps, plus a poem to enjoy.

Wishing you a relaxing bank holiday. I hope you get to dodge the rain and see some of the beauty around us this May.

Looking forward to seeing you soon

Susan x

PS Don’t forget you can also join me on my Instagram and Facebook pages too:

A simple monthly recipe

Smokey roasted pepitas

These are a super-delicious snack, very moreish and also really good for you. Full of omega-3, fibre and lots of good stuff like manganese and zinc. And simple to make too. I tend to pop them in a hot oven that’s finished cooking something else, or alongside something I’ve got the oven on for. Eat as a yummy snack, or sprinkle over salads, soups or roasted veg - really versatile.

Ingredients:
200g pumpkin seeds
1 tbsp soy sauce or tamari
½ tsp flaked sea salt
1 tsp smoked paprika

a few grinds of black pepper
Sprinkle of chilli flakes to taste

1 tablespoon oil (rapeseed, olive oil or sunflower)

You can also swap in some sunflower seeds if you have them.

How to make them:

Heat the oven to 180C (160C fan)/350F/gas 4.

Put all the ingredients onto a baking tray, toss them together until they are all well coated. (you can do this in a bowl if that’s easier - but I find this simply makes more washing up!)

Then spread them over the baking tray into a rough single layer.

Bake for 8 to 10 minutes, until toasted and golden. Give a quick stir/shake halfway through the cooking time so they roast evenly.

Then remove from the oven and leave to cool, before spooning into jars.

Some things I’m loving right now & you might like too…

This month my inspiration to click on, I hope you enjoy them too.

If you’ve never listened to the RichRoll podcast, then really you should. It’s so inspiring, engaging & informative.

Here’s a book I’m starting to read that will help you understand why freedom from ‘grind culture’ is so important, and why rest is vital to life.
Something to mesmerise you, and and because these are my favourite animal
Where to get out in nature and see some stunning carpets of bluebells right now.
A fantastic art exhibition I want to see in London this month before it ends
And another read, this time about why we should embrace weeds

2 minute self-care.

DANCE IT OUT

for modern mothers 2 minute aelf care header

Put on your favourite song (OK it may be a little more than 2 minutes - even better!)

Turn it up.

Put your arms over your head and shake out your hands.

Let your body move any way it wants, jump, shake, dance!

Now notice how you feel :)

A poem

Words can be powerful and inspiring, and help you feel less alone. So here’s my second monthly poem share:

gutsong by Vicki Rivard from the book Brave New Mama

i must

unshackle myself from

the harsh voices,

plunge deep

into my

gut &

trust

that i can mother

from there

instead.

A daily ritual

Barefoot walking

Feeling the earth beneath your feet can have both physical and mental benefits. And now the ground is a little warmer it’s a great time to start doing this, just for a few minutes a day.

Taking a daily bare foot walk in your garden can help to improve circulation, help stretch and strengthen feet, ankles and legs. It also helps you connect with nature - the temperature of the ground, the feel of the grass or pebbles underfoot, the sounds around you (the bird song is amazing right now), other things you notice in the garden - colours, smells, sun on your skin. There’s other benefits too - take a read more about them here.

Give it a go.

A May meditation

A garden meditation to help you connect to the bright Spring energy of this time of year.

Something AMAZING

Something so, so very lovely has happened!
An amazing local couple have donated a FREE place on one of my group Hypnobirthing & Antenatal Courses. They want to make a difference to another local couples pregnancy and birth experience. They say:

”Every month my husband and I like to donate a percentage of our earnings - we like to try and keep it local and personal and this month feel like we’d like to direct some of our giving to pay for someone to attend your classes. We have become super passionate about parents being fully educated and empowered when preparing for birth. We would like to pay for a couple to attend your hypnobirthing & antenatal classes. Your work is such a wonderful mission and we’re very glad to support it.”

This is so very kind and generous of them. It means I can offer a fully funded place for a couple who would not otherwise be able to afford it. Amazing. I am so thrilled.

So if you (or someone you know) wants to go from feeling worried or fearful about birth, and want to change that to feel fully informed, more empowered and have practical techniques to support you in labour - then this might just be the right thing for you.

ANY questions at all please just let me know. Here’s the form to apply: https://forms.gle/cLMFamHSgc9EDRUi7

If you want to know more about the course, and all the amazing extra’s you get too, then head here:

And please, please, please do let any pregnant folk you know, so that this amazing donated place can go to a couple who really needs it.

Lets Come Together…

Come and find some time and space for yourself. Slowing down, taking some real me-time is so very important for your health and wellbeing.

My Slow Sunday Mini Retreats are time and space for you to press the pause button on the stress and busyness of modern life and modern motherhood.

They are simple yet deeply effective way of calming your nervous system, helping your body release deeply held tension, and giving your mind a break from that frazzled feeling that’s so common in us mothers (and all humans in general!)

Come and join me on Sunday 21st May, 2.30pm for a gorgeous afternoon of rest, relaxation and self-care.

More info on my Slow Sunday here. And book online here

This is a glorious class for ALL mothers and pregnant folk too. My Mindful & Creative Journaling For Mothers is a little fun, creative escape each Tuesday afternoon. We chat, drink tea, eat chocolate and do some simple, fun doodling, collaging or colouring in. Everything is provided for you, and it’s super supportive and open to everyone (you don’t have to be ‘good at art’ or think of yourself as ‘creative’ to really love this class)

More about these classes here Come and join us.

Here’s Mays full schedule of classes & events too:

Wishing you a brilliant second May bank holiday weekend. And as I have an additional celebration for this bank holiday - it’s my birthday on Monday 8th as I mentioned. So here’s my special offer for you all. I’m celebrating with a massive 50% OFF all my online programs and courses, these includes:

~ The Online Pregnancy Yoga Program™

~ The Truth About Early Motherhood

~ Calm & Empowered Motherhood. A complete Mothers self-care toolkit to help you find calmness and strength, as you traverse the ups and downs of motherhood. Yoga, meditation, guided relaxations and more

~ What Nobody Tells You About Your Pelvic Floor

~ Meditation for Modern Life

~ ‘Blank Page’ - Journalling For Wellbeing Course. 12 different types of journalling to explore.

Simply use the code: CELEBRATE to get your 50% off any of these courses and programs. See them all and purchase here.

Susan x

PS Do drop me an email with any feedback on this new Newsletter, or any suggestions. It’s always lovely to hear from you.

Other things you might find supportive…

For Modern Mothers Podcast

You can also now listen to my podcast. This is a podcast to help mothers and mothers-to-be you thrive physically, mentally and emotionally in the modern world.

You’ll find no BS talks about all aspects of modern motherhood & wellbeing - physical, mental and emotional health, self-care, mindset, pregnancy, work, relationships, birth, cyclical living. This is a podcast to support, inform and empower you to find your own unique way through motherhood. Episodes include:

~ The Truth About Baby Sleep

~ Postnatal Bodies

~ Breastfeeding Myths

~ Self-Care For Mothers

~ Reconnecting with your Menstrual Cycle

Plus there are some guided meditations on there too. Use the link below or simply search for 'for modern mothers' on your preferred podcast platform (Apple Podcasts, iTunes, Google, Spotify, Stitcher etc). ttps://www.formodernmothers.com/podcast