What An Amazing Day...

Yesterday, Saturday, was the 2nd Annual NeuroPsychoIdiology Life Coaching Conference I have been helping all year to organize it and the actual day was finally here. It was a bit of a bizarre feeling. I also presented a lecture. I was a tiny bit nervous, but only because the "getting up in front of people" thing I think would make anyone nervous. I was happy with how it all went, and I got some interesting questions after. The other presentations and workshops were very inspiring. So much so that I had several moments of realizations. As a Life Coach, I know the importance of self-reflection and self-awareness, but I found it so very interesting, and I will be the first to admit, that I have been having so much going on that I have become overwhelmed and not been taking care of myself as much as I should in this respect. Because of this, the presentations allowed me the space and the information to make many personal and emotional connections which I had been neglecting to make.

And I feel so much better now because I have a plan to make me feel better. Dr. Dena Churchill's lecture was the one that shone the light the brightest on the issues I had been neglecting. She spoke of how our emotions are simply a bodily chemical response with our own personal perception attached to it. These chemicals are released from the brain and other organs in the body and once they complete their initial purpose can then be stored for a long time in certain areas of the body. She told us many stories of how, during chiropractic adjustments, her patients often have vivid memories return or feel overwhelming emotions of events long passed because the chemicals are released back into the body. Body Memory. I believe this, for sure. I have experienced it first hand during yoga. In certain postures, on several occasions, I have had an emotional release and it is unnerving and sometimes makes you feel so vulnerable because it's as if you are reliving that specific moment from so long ago all over again. Very interesting and very deep stuff. I realized after her lecture that I need to take care of my self more. I need to take the few moments each day to ensure I am not neglecting important aspects of my physical, emotional, and spiritual needs. This is of course an age old adage....the mother who neglects herself...but it is so easy to fall into that habit, the one of putting your needs last, or even neglecting them altogether. So it was important for me to have a reminder, a very real and inspiring reminder to continue to nurture myself.

The rest of the lectures were all so interesting and I learned so much from them all. I am so lucky and feel blessed that I was able to attend the conference.

At home things went pretty smoothly. Ken took on Daddy duty full on. He is awesome and amazing. Elsa kind of refused to drink the pumped milk I had left. She had only about two ounces in an 8 hour period! I called home at around 4:30pm and found this out, so I rushed out of the conference (so I unfortunately missed one lecture) and while I was on route Ken was able to get her to drink a few more ounces, but when I got home she guzzled down the milk in both breasts. It was a relief for both her and I. I had pumped at lunch time but even so my breasts were so full! I found it impossible not to think about her all day. I even smelled her all day long, it was as if she was right in front of me. I definitely found it hard to be away from her. But I am relieved that she did relatively well without me, she even had a 2 hour nap!

At night I headed out again for the conference's community keynote event The Body Monologues. I had been invited to present a monologue and so I had agreed. I was way more nervous to get up there than for my lecture. I think the vulnerability of speaking about a very personal experience to a room full of strangers was the trigger!!! But, strangely enough as I got up on that stage and started talking, it all melted away and it was as if I was all alone speaking to a room full of no one. Except when I heard a few laughs about something I said, was I reminded I was in fact speaking to a large group! But I am so glad I did it. I feel very blessed to have shared and hopefully touched somebody to begin creating their body monologue and begin telling their story.

I got home just before 10pm (the latest in a long time!) and I was so happy to cuddle up with Ken and finally get some sleep after such an amazing day.