The Happy Mama Movement with Amy Taylor-Kabbaz

Everyone's experience of this intense time in history is unique - but there are, of course, some common themes, especially when it comes to mamahood. The intensity of everyone at home; The pressure to entertain and teach; The lack of personal space, and the reminder, again, of how difficult it can be to even pee in peace. But there's also a lot of different issues and challenges coming up for so m...

In this special CALMCAST episode, I interview Eve Rodsky, author of Fair Play , a worldwide phenomenon (and Reese Whitherspoon's book club pick) that teaches a revolutionary way of redefining the invisible work so many women do, and rebalance who does what in the home. And as we all hunker down in our homes, trying to balance work with school on top of everything else we usually do, I knew there w...

For today's special CalmCast episode, I want to share with you a very special meditation I created for a group of mamas recently. As we all try to navigate our way through this time, we gathered together, on a live call, to support each other... and as part of that call, I shared a meditation I have been doing in my own daily practice. This meditation has helped me immensely to know: I am not doin...

These are uncertain times... but there are answers for us, mamas. There may not be answers for when this will be over, and what the greater effect will be, but there are answers that can bring peace, hope, and resilience. For the coming weeks, and as long as we all need it, I am going to be increasing the Happy Mama Movement Podcast to two times a week, bringing you content that will inspire you,...

These are challenging times. As mamas, as women, as daughters, and as citizens, we are the Space Holders. And in the world right now, that means there's a lot on our shoulders. But how do we be a container of calm when there's so much chaos and fear around us? As so many of us return home, how do we create a sanctuary in our homes, in our minds and in our bodies? In response to the coronavirus, I...

Sure, you're superwoman. You can juggle kids and a home and a deadline and the in-laws visiting and a last minute trip to Spotlight to buy a costume for the dress up party this weekend. You're a mama - superwoman is part of the job description. But what happens when being Superwoman becomes your default? You start saying yes to everything, without asking if this is really the right thing for you,...

Your body is always talking to you. Always. Whether its PMS, or anxiety, or your hair is falling out, there are so many clues and signs your divinely designed body is giving you. But most of us do not listen or take note. We're taught to whisper about a woman's body; We're taught to be embarrassed by what our body does, and ignore the natural cycles of our hormones. And in turn, we grow up out of...

One of the books that changed my life, and continues to transform it every time I pick it up, is 'Circle of Stones' by Judith Duerk. When I found it, it was the first time I'd ever felt invited into another way of viewing being a woman: a way that felt so ancient yet so familiar. A way which I realised I was craving. And it hasn't changed. The Circle of Stones reminds us, as mamas and as woman, th...

In this episode, I invite you into a conversation with one of my closest friends, and greatest supporters: Lisa Corduff. But it's a podcast episode with a twist - this time, I am being interviewed by Lisa on her phenomenal new podcast Conversations with Lisa . I've been talking about matrescence and the new story we need to tell about motherhood for a while now, but something very powerful happens...

We've all heard that we have a choice. In every moment, we have a choice in what we think and what we put our attention on. Sounds easy enough, right? Except when life throws you heartbreak, right when you welcome your second child into the world. This podcast is not about heartbreak though - it's about trust, and intuition, and the grace you will need to be able to choose differently. It's an emp...

Something has shifted. This new year has already brought so many changes and challenges, and it's calling us as mamas to do it differently. WE are the change-makers, mamas. In this episode, Amy shares her 2020 VISION, and how she sees us all coming together: as a mama, and as an elder. Here's her invitation: As a mama: You start to redefine motherhood, womanhood, and your true self; you work on yo...

The final podcast for 2019 to honour all that has unfolded this year, and the past decade. This episode is a reminder that we are all transforming, constantly evolving and shedding who we were to become who we are meant to be. It is a message of strength to every mama out there who's in the messy middle, and holding on to the hope that she too will emerge stronger. May we all remember that this is...

Acceptance is a beautiful thing. It's that time in your life when you stop fighting, you let go of the stories and the expectations and the grief, and you accept. You see that it is what it is. You even begin to find the joy in it all. And acceptance is often what we want - and are told we should get. But you can't rush acceptance. You can't hurry through your feelings and your grief, no matter wh...

I want you to know something, mama... Matrescence is about more than just being a mother - this is about being a woman. A woman who knows herself, who listens to herself, and who values herself. If we deny this understanding, we deny her a chance to learn about herself. We force her to go back to proving herself again, looking outside of herself for validation and success. I remember when the begi...

Not too long ago, most of the transition of motherhood was invisible. We were so focused on childbirth, and the perfect birth plan, and then beyond that? All about the baby. But that is beginning to change: post-partum doulas, acknowledgement of a fourth trimester, even post-natal depletion. It’s the beginning of a change. But what about the invisible messy middle of motherhood? That time when the...

This is an exciting time. We’re having conversations about what it means to be a woman, a mother, an equal, all over the world. New barriers are being broken. It’s revolutionary. But as we change the conversation around motherhood, I am often asked ‘what about the dads?’ And my answer is usually - yes, there are big changes for men when they become Dads, but that’s not my passion. Someone else can...

There's something you need to know, mama. It's the secret to what you've been feeling since starting this motherhood journey. It's the missing link, the forgotten transition of womanhood. Understanding this ancient yet thoroughly modern insight into motherhood will change everything. It will explain that pull to be there for your child's every moment, yet also crave your independence. It will stop...

Motherhood comes with a lot of expectations, both spoken and unspoken. Passed down from generation to generation, we inherent so many unconscious beliefs around what it means to be a good mother and woman. Matrescence, if honoured correctly, can change that. Matrescence is an invitation to examine not only who you used to be, but who you are becoming. It's a chance to look at your lineage, and dec...

Early motherhood brings a total shift of focus - from you as a woman and a partner, to Mother. We get that. We know that’s part of the process. But after a while, you begin to realise that maybe, just maybe, you need to start shifting that focus back onto yourself a little - and your relationship. How do you reunite again, after being so focused on being a mama? How does the massive shift inside y...

Matrescence forces us to redefine who we are. It asks us to look at what’s working, who we think we are, what we’re attached to, and how we value ourselves - and not just in the first weeks and months of motherhood, but over and over again. (In fact, it’s kind of never ending. But don’t let that put you off!) But as we peel back those layers of identity and attachment, what does that leave? As my...

It’s so easy to decide that now is not the right time. Motherhood, household chores, school holidays, deadlines, illnesses… there’s always something. Always. But we have two choices - We can choose to keep putting ourselves on hold, waiting for that perfect moment when everything lines up and the heavens open for us to GET A MINUTE TO OURSELVES… Or we can choose to do it anyway. We can decide that...

Most mothers have experienced exhaustion, pain, forgetfulness, indecision, low energy levels, moodiness, or some form of baby brain. And it's no wonder: the process of growing a baby depletes a mother's body in substantial ways - on average, a mother's brain shrinks 5% during pregnancy, and the placenta saps her of essential nutrients that she needs to be healthy and contented. But with postnatal...

Where have they gone? Where have those milestones, those celebrations, those INITIATIONS of womanhood gone? They have become invisible. Forgotten and pushed-aside for a faster paced life. A life where we are all meant to be the same, all of the time. To honour motherhood differently, we need to honour womanhood differently. They go hand in hand. To change the way women feel about being a mother, w...

How would knowing you're a sacred woman change things for you? How would you treat yourself, how would you honour yourself, how would you love, and parent, and live if you KNEW you were a sacred woman? This is the question that sparked a divine journey into discovering and uncovering what it means to honour yourself as a whole woman. Megan Dalla-Camina, in her new book 'Simple, Soulful, Sacred' ex...

We think we're the only ones who find it hard. We look at Instragram and see only the best bits - the yoga in the morning, the smoothie for breakfast, the happy family moment on the beach. And we judge. I don't want to do this anymore. I don't want you to think that I never have those days where it's all too hard, that I'm at capacity, and I want to hide. Because I do - I really do. So in this ver...