Women’s Circles; Creating a Unique Space for Women to Support One Another

by | Apr 18, 2019 | Parenting, Self-Care, Tips and Techniques, Truth-Telling

Megan Day, founder of Rooted & Vibrant is sharing with us her empowering journey of starting a women’s circle and what the community means to her. 

Keep reading to see how to join!

“A circle of women may be the most powerful force known to humanity. If you have one, embrace it. If you need one, seek it. If you find one, for the love of all that is good and holy, dive in…Let them see you. Let them hold you. Let your reluctant tears fall. Let yourself rise fierce and love gentle. You will be changed. The very fabric of your being will be altered.”
-Jeanette LeBlanc

In October 2018, I had the idea to start a women’s circle in my community.
A women’s circle is just what it sounds like, it’s a group of women sitting in a circle with a common intention. The whole idea of a women’s circle is to create a space that is free from distractions and that is supportive for women to come and learn about themselves. I announced on Facebook that my first women’s circle would take place on the next new moon, November 7th.

There are a number of reasons why I started a women’s circle. First off, I have a life coaching practice called Rooted & Vibrant that I run out of my home. I work with moms one-on-one to help them get back to their true selves after having kids. Many of the moms that I work with have a dream tugging at them but they are unsure how to make their dreams a reality. Their limitations are usually part mindset (what they think is actually possible for themselves) and part logistics (being the busy, devoted parents that they are). I wanted to create a community for these women to feel supported. I wanted them to know that there were other women going through similar challenges; that they were not alone.

I think it’s fair to say however, that the creation of this women’s circle was initially for myself. As a new entrepreneur, I had spent my first year in business going to many networking events. Although I did meet some amazing people, I was not feeling the support and connection that I longed for. There was something more that I was searching for. I wanted deeper connection. I wanted a platform to explore my own feelings. I wanted to meet other like-minded women who were also on a journey. As an introvert, it sometimes takes me multiple meetings to move past the small talk with new people. I wanted to be able to speak authentically, not in a calculated way that just made me look good. The other part for me was that I was at a stage in my coaching career that I was being challenged to take on more of a leadership role. Facilitating a women’s circle felt like just the nudge I needed to develop my own feminine leadership skills.

I was also feeling distraught and helpless about the #metoo movement. As a woman, and a mother of two girls, I was feeling afraid for the future. It was very disconcerting to learn that abuse against women exists on every level of society, that it is very pervasive across cultures. I was saddened by the fact that it took until 2018 for women’s voices to be heard and believed (this could be a whole other post about the unfortunate reality that it took women of privilege to speak up about their experiences for this to become a true, serious point of discussion. Trust me, this has not gone without notice). I wanted to empower women to step into their feminine power. I wanted to create a ripple effect of women who felt that they could make a difference. I wanted them to understand and own their stories, feel supported enough to share their stories, and motivate them to step up and make a change. Starting a women’s circle was a way for me to move past this feeling of helplessness and to move into action. Facilitating a women’s circle felt like my way of ‘walking my talk’.

When I started a monthly women’s sisterhood circle, I had never been to one myself. I’m not really sure where the idea to start one came from. It was a feeling, almost like a calling. I wasn’t sure where to start either. I did some research and found that women’s circles have been a part of history for hundreds of years in many different cultures. This was powerful to feel connected to generations of women who gathered before us.

I came across a group online called the Global Sisterhood. I signed up to become a facilitator through the Global Sisterhood immediately. I knew that I wanted to be a part of this bigger movement going on globally. The Global Sisterhood provided me with monthly themes and rituals that I could incorporate into my circles. The really cool part about the Global Sisterhood was that they coordinate the dates for the women’s circles so that women’s circles happen on the same evening, the new moon, at different locations around the world. We could sit together in circle, with thousands of other women at the same time!

I put myself out there. I was terrified but it was SO worth it. That first women’s circle I held was electric. It’s hard to explain, but the women that showed up were excited and eager to take part. Friends, neighbours, coaching clients and yoga colleagues showed up. There was meditation, music and journaling. We created intentions for ourselves and shared them out loud. We laughed and we cried together.

We continue to meet on a monthly basis, on the new moon because the new moon is a symbol for new beginnings. Each month there is an opportunity to reset and start fresh.

There are usually a few women that show up again and again but each month there is a different dynamic to the group, as new women join. I am of the thought that those women that need to be there will come.
It is an honor to facilitate these women’s circles. There is nothing better than being together, being real and feeling supported for being just who you are.

Megan Day, MSc, CLC, is a Certified Life Coach, Meditation Instructor and the founder of Rooted & Vibrant. Her mission is to empower women to find their life’s work and to help ambitious moms create fulfilling lives.

In 2017, Megan made the decision to resign from her 10 year career in healthcare to start her own business and explore her calling. She values family, community, connection and adult conversation. She has found her life purpose in helping other moms find theirs.

Connect with Megan at www.instagram.com/rooted_and_vibrant and www.facebook.com/rootedandvibrant/.  

Two Things I’m Giving Moms Permission to Do

by | Mar 21, 2019 | Affirmations, Grounding, Mental Health, Parenting

 Have you ever felt like your needs don’t matter as mom? 

Megan Day, founder of Rooted & Vibrant is here to tell you that that’s normal and that it is possible to take back some control over your life with 2 basic, but not easy, skills.
When you take back control of your day to day activities, you increase your personal power and THAT can feel very liberating. 

I often hear mom’s saying that they feel overwhelmed. That there is not enough time in the day. That their house is a mess. That they don’t have time to cook healthy meals.

All human beings have a basic need for attention and power. Once our needs for food, shelter, love and safely are met, these are the next things we are concerned with. This is based on Adlerian psychology.

Have you ever felt like your needs don’t matter as mom? Like you are worrying about everyone else except yourself? Well, I’m here to tell you that that’s normal. I’m also here to tell you that it is possible to take back some control over your life with 2 basic, but not easy, skills. When you take back control of your day to day activities, you increase your personal power and THAT can feel very liberating.

 

  • The art of the NO

Why is NO such a loaded word? For me, I am a recovering people pleaser. I want to be seen as agreeable. If I really drill down, I think this stems from being an overweight pre-teen and just wanting to be the “nice” girl. I didn’t want any undue, negative attention, so I stayed quiet and agreeable. As I have matured and my self-confidence has improved I have come to recognize that this is not serving me.

Maybe you have a little people pleaser inside of you? How is that working for you? It can create overwhelm and unbalance. It can also create resentment.

 

  • Also the Art of the ASK

Asking for help. My gosh, is this difficult! When it comes to my family, I am full of pride and a bit of control freak. I recently took a parenting personality assessment that proved this. My sister and I are working through a program called Positive Parenting Solutions (more about this amazing program another day because that’s a blog post on its own). This program highlights the fact that any discipline issues you may be experiencing with your kids have two sides. You, as the parent, are 50% of the issue!

Argh! Did this hit home! I kind of already knew this but when I took the parenting personality assessment my results were staggering. I am a triple threat. I had a 3-way tie between controlling, people pleasing and superiority complex. My poor kids!

My point here is that I am a controlling parent who thinks she does things better than anyone else. Sorry! (Not sorry) This makes it challenging to ask for help. To admit that I want to do something but will need the grandparents to come and help watch the kids is hard. 

Even harder, is asking friends for help. For some reason, this takes a certain amount of vulnerability. I have gotten better at this in the past year, now that my youngest is over 2 and I’m not nursing, but trust me, it is still challenging. 

As a coach who works with ambitious and heart-centered moms, I see this internal struggle all the time between wanting to succeed in your career or business BUT also deeply desiring to be a connected parent. Finding that balance between both can be challenging. I call it the elusive quest for balance.

Together we work on developing a definition of what “success” means to you. Success means different things to different women.  Then we work on ways that you can be more successful by your own definition. Sometimes it is a mindset, illuminating your worth and uncovering your confidence. Other times, it is peeling back the layers of unrealistic expectations you have put on yourself or that you have unconsciously picked up from society. Either way, what happens is a blossoming. You take back control of your life and you step into your power as a woman and a mother. It’s a beautiful thing.

To help you take that first step in your journey, I’ve created a free online quiz for mamas. This quiz highlights what a piece of your self you may be missing. Finding ways to express that part of yourself can bring you back to who you are and what you really need to feel whole. Find the quiz HERE.   

Megan Day, MSc, CLC, is a Certified Life Coach, Meditation Instructor and the founder of Rooted & Vibrant. Her mission is to empower women to find their life’s work and to help ambitious moms create fulfilling lives.

In 2017, Megan made the decision to resign from her 10 year career in healthcare to start her own business and explore her calling. She values family, community, connection and adult conversation. She has found her life purpose in helping other moms find theirs.

Connect with Megan at www.instagram.com/rooted_and_vibrant and www.facebook.com/rootedandvibrant/.  

5 Quick and Easy Ways to Simplify Your Life (and Feel Better Right Away)

by | Feb 21, 2019 | Mental Health, Parenting, Self-Care

Megan Day, MSc, CLC, and founder of Rooted & Vibrant, is back with us today to share her tips that to help simplify your life.

Some of them are mindset shifts that require inner work and others are quick action steps that you can implement right away (a great start to the new year!?).

When it comes to simplifying life, it’s not only about minimizing the amount physical stuff we own, it’s also about how we spend our time and the quality of the activities and relationships in our lives.

The more simple your life, the better. This is what I’m starting to think and I recognize that I’m not the first genius to think of this. Marie Kondo is an international sensation for a reason after all. As a mom, however, this can be easier said than done.

Life can be complicated and messy. Many of us are struggling with overwhelm or anxiety.  Many of us harken back to a time of greater simplicity. We tend to over-romanticize the 1950’s and 60’s as a simpler time. Heck, I have always thought I should have been born back then so that I could be a hippie. I am quite infatuated by the whole idea of being a hippie, minus the drugs and nudity of course.

 Instead, what if we could find the simplicity of those times but maintain the current democratic and egalitarian society we currently live in. Honestly, 2019 is not all that bad, we have come a long way especially as women. Let us find ways to reconnect to that carefree feeling that we had as children.

 Now, I have a confession to make. I am definitely not a minimalist. My house and my minivan are messy and full of stuff. In fact, I continually oscillate between the states of consumeristic overdrive and Zen Buddhist monk.

 Where would I like to be? Somewhere in the middle, “the middle way” as the Buddhists call it (see I told you I was a monk).  The middle way refers to moderation. Nothing too extreme. Not too tight, not too loose. This is the paradox of the universe, not just my problem.

 As a mom, I find the desire to provide my kids with the best of everything to be a strong motivator. On the other hand, I recognize that all of this stuff is oftentimes unfulfilling. So I bought a new necklace? I get the instant high of the purchase but if the item, a necklace in this particular example, doesn’t carry with it any particular meaning, then it gets forgotten quickly and any positive emotion I gained at the moment of purchase is long gone.

 The other drawback is that clutter in your physical space can manifest as clutter in your mind. I don’t know about you, but clarity of mind is something I could use more of. I work from home the majority of the time as well, so having a space that is clean is important to me. I’m sure my coaching clients who visit my home office appreciate coming to a place of clarity and calm. Not only is clarity good for your mental health, it’s also good for productivity and business.

 I don’t’ want to get too into this, but the environmental impact of consumerism cannot be forgotten. Our landfills are overflowing and we are using valuable resources to pump out piles and piles of plastic crap for the masses to buy. Adopting more moderate spending habits and creating ways in which we recycle and reuse our items will benefit good mother earth.

 So I have a few tips that I would like to share, to help simplify your life and mine, as I will be trying them too. Some of them are mindset shifts that require inner work and others are quick action steps that you can implement right away (a great start to the new year!?). When it comes to simplifying life, it’s not only about minimizing the amount physical stuff we own, it’s also about how we spend our time and the quality of the activities and relationships in our lives.

 Here it goes:

  1. Set Boundaries. Evaluate how you are spending your time and set some boundaries. Learn to say NO to low quality activities. Say NO to the stuff that is not serving you. You can write out a big long list of all of the things you do in a week. Then, one by one, evaluate whether these are necessary or if they can be cut out.
  2. Limit screen time. Limit you media consumption and your e-communication time. This includes limiting use of the cellphone, desktop computers, television, streaming TV, all of it. This is so hard for me, especially since so much of my work is online, however I notice that when I do cut back I feel greater connection to the people I am with.   
  3. Downsize your stuff. Go through an overhaul. This is where the Marie Kondo craze comes into play. More and more people are starting to understand that clutter weighs you down. Find a local organizer to get you started if it feels too overwhelming to tackle on your own. I know some people are even downsizing their house and moving into a tiny house. Cool, right?
  4. Fill Up on Quality Time. Spend time with people you love, doing things you love. This seems like a no brainer, but I think it needs to be said. Surround yourself with people who are supportive and loving. Stay around people who get you, and appreciate the best version of yourself.
  5. Build some predictability into your life. Auto-pilot is a real problem for many of us but we can use that to our advantage as well. Create a weekly meal plan with healthy meals, a workout schedule, a regular movie night or board game night, schedule a monthly or quarterly date night with your partner. When these important things are scheduled in it frees up mental space. It means that when you go on “auto-pilot” it will be a healthy routine rather than the easiest and most-convenient choices. Having a routine also gives you an excuse to say NO to things that don’t serve you. “Sorry, I would love to help you that night but that is workout time!” Or “Sorry, I can’t be there, that is date night!”

This is just a short list of the things you can implement today to start to simplify your life. To simplify means to fill up on the things that are important to you and nourish you and to pare down on the things that are draining and not in alignment with the person you are. I’d love to hear your tips and what has worked for you. If you are having trouble wading through the complexity of motherhood and modern life let’s set up a non-obligation consult call to see if I can help.  

Megan Day, MSc, CLC, is a Certified Life Coach, Meditation Instructor and the founder of Rooted & Vibrant. Her mission is to empower women to find their life’s work and become confident mothers and deeply fulfilled women. In 2017, Megan made the decision to resign from her 10 year career in healthcare to start her own business and explore her calling. She values family, community, connection and new ideas. She has found her life purpose in helping other moms find theirs.

Connect with Megan on Instagram and Facebook.  

The Catalyst Moment that Helped Me Quit my Job to Start Anew

by | Jan 24, 2019 | Mental Health, Parenting, Self-Care, Truth-Telling, working

 Megan Day, MSc, CLC, and founder of Rooted & Vibrant, shares her journey of how she made the decision to resign from her 10 year career in healthcare to start her own business and explore her calling.

The moment that I decided I would help people was when I realized I had finally learned to help myself.

My second daughter was a challenging baby, she had colic for the first 5 months and screamed every night until 11pm, at which time she crashed from exhaustion and slept beside me, nursing every few hours. I ended up going through a bout of postpartum depression a few months later.

I am typically a very sociable person. I took my first daughter to many, many mom and baby programs and I had made a few close mommy friends. With my second daughter, when I was going through postpartum depression, I found myself avoiding people. Some days I didn’t have the energy for small talk. I was burnt out from taking care of a baby and a toddler. I didn’t have much else to give. On top of that, I was hiding my pain and struggle from those close to me, other than my poor husband who took the brunt of my troubles. I didn’t want them to think I was weak or a bad mom. I can honestly say it was the toughest year of my life.

The end of my maternity leave was coming near and I had a decision to make about my career. I felt stuck and I felt ashamed for not being grateful for my career BUT that year had changed me and I knew that I had to do things differently going forward if I wanted to continue to stay well and live a happier life. I was terrified of going back to that dark place. I didn’t want to be a miserable person, wife or mom. I learned that I was the only one that could make those changes, no one else could do it for me.

I didn’t let the strong pull of my familiar job get in the way of me rising to my dreams. I had worked 10 years in healthcare as a genetic counselor. I was good at my job and at one time it had defined me. You see, people were always impressed by my job title. Genetic counselors are studious and smart, two traits that I really wanted people to think I had. On top of that, I was sure that my colleagues would think I was insane to quit. I wasn’t insane, but I had changed. I had had a wake up call, an awakening and I’m so grateful for it.

Postpartum depression had me crying in the kitchen while my husband and kids were laughing and playing in the next room. Feelings of overwhelm and sometimes outbursts of downright rage would take hold of me. I wasn’t risking going back to that.

I had gotten therapy but knew that this was my chance to set up my life differently and make my wellness a priority. So I worked with a coach myself and I quit my full time job.

I used savings to get my coaching certification, I learned meditation and I coached my own practice clients during my daughter’s naps and in the evenings. Slowly, slowly, I worked at it, all while trying to hold myself and my family as a priority. I’ve met a network of female entrepreneurs around me in my first year of business who are inspiring and authentic.

Not every day is perfect but I am stronger than ever. You might say, I rose out of the ashes like a Phoenix. (I love that visual!).

What I believe about my work above all is: that it is important. Let me elaborate. I believe that many moms are not living out their true potential because they are afraid to fail, afraid to look like a weirdo, afraid that they are not good enough, afraid that they are unworthy, don’t think they have any options, and on and on. I was one of these moms.

This coaching thing is important. It unlocks the potential in women who may have otherwise continued to play small. It supports women to make choices that honour their own values and needs. The world needs more of these women stepping up in a powerful way and running the show!

When people ask me what I do I say “I’m a coach who works with moms”. This does NOT do it justice. If you get to the heart of what I really do and why, you’ll find that much of what I do is draw out the genius in others. The moms that I work with are already “successful” by most traditional definitions of the word but they don’t feel it. They are stuck between their dedication to their kids and their ambition to accomplish the dream they have in their soul. I see them and I see their potential. I uncover that dream and lovingly nudge them to discover their power to execute it.

My journey to this place has been painful and challenging at times. My daughters, husband and close family and friends have supported me along the way and have dotted my path with moments of joy. Everyday I have to continue to make choices that will keep me strong and sane. I hold tightly to the person that I have become. I honor the person that I used to be and I keep pushing forward because I believe that a healthy mom supports a healthy family and healthy families are the cornerstone of a healthy community. This is how we heal the world ladies, one mom, one family, one community at a time.

Megan Day, MSc, CLC, is a Certified Life Coach, Meditation Instructor and the founder of Rooted & Vibrant. Her mission is to empower women to find their life’s work and to help ambitious moms create fulfilling lives.
In 2017, Megan made the decision to resign from her 10 year career in healthcare to start her own business and explore her calling. She values family, community, connection and adult conversation. She has found her life purpose in helping other moms find theirs.