Juggling a pregnancy, a toddler, a business and running a home with low help has not been easy over the past few months. As we move towards a new normal, I’ve made some changes in my own life to find a balance…
I’ve spent most of my pregnancy so far at home in quarantine, and I consciously decided to limit my intake of media and be more present in the world. Because where your attention goes, energy flows. This has really helped me stay focused on what’s there, instead of be anxious about what’s not there and what the future holds.
As a family, we’ve really slowed down our pace of life. Sleeping early, reading books, picnics in the garden, practicing yoga, taking afternoon naps together, making messy art, zoom calls with family, being available to each other 24/7. It's made us reprioritise our time and value the little things so much more.
We may not actively engage with each other every minute of the day, but the close proximity is what’s made a big difference for everyone. And especially for our two-year old Krishav, this has been without a doubt the best time of his life, to have his full time working parents around and available to him.
I’ve found it liberating not having go into the office and be able to schedule my day so I can take short breaks and rest whenever my body needs it through my pregnancy. Putting travel and social outings on hold has also been a blessing, allowing me be more in tune with my body and what’s happening inside.
I’m also getting all of this extra time with Krishav before the next baby comes along, and I can’t be more grateful for it. That mom guilt many of us experience when we’re separated from our young children? I’m completely free from it. And it feels GREAT.
It’s easy to complain about the government and all the restrictions, but it’s never been more important to get out of our minds and into our hearts. We can move towards the mind and the virtual world, or move towards the heart and connection and grounding ourselves by being present, through breath, by rooting our feet in the sand, soil, grass, or whatever is available.
We don’t know how much of our current rhythm we’ll be able to sustain when the world opens up again, but for now, we’re holding onto our time together.
These sweet photos were captured by our neighbour and photographer @sunhilsippy as an initiative to raise money for Goonj. And they perfectly sum up the last three months. Close, messy, loving, hard, filled with ups and downs, colourful, noisy… and full of LIFE!
Eisha Maskara Sheth is the Founder & Creative Director, Masilo. @masilo.in