It’s Women’s History Month. I’m grateful for being a woman and being able to connect with and help women everyday.
A little pandemic story…
Shortly before the pandemic began in the U.S., I left my corporate day job to focus on my business supporting women with yoga and reiki. I was forging a partnership in an existing yoga studio where the focus was on helping women through childbirth and beyond. What a perfect place for me to set up shop to support women through the various hardships that life presents to them. This was my focus because yoga and mindfulness had helped me deal with my own history of trauma. However, during the final week at my corporate job, stay at home orders were announced and I realized that my new path was going to be different than what I imagined.
“At the end of the day, we can endure much more than we think we can.”
– Friday Kahlo
And it was. In addition to teaching and coaching on Zoom, I also became full time everything to my son. I rarely saw my partner, even though we were in the same house. I found the truth in the quote above by Friday Kahlo. I could definitely endure more than I thought I could. Finding balance was hard, but I leaned into my yoga and mindfulness practice to find my way through.
My situation was not unique.
“Gender disparities may be accentuated, particularly for employed women or single parents, as women are disproportionately responsible for the bulk of domestic tasks, including childcare and eldercare…. Women are more negatively impacted mentally by the pandemic due to the extra burden they take on due to gender disparities. Women may be dealing with being pregnant, having children, parenting while remotely working, loss of support and social connections due to isolation, and an increase in intimate partner violence. These impacts are felt world-wide by women of varying classes and income levels.”
– Almeida, M., Shrestha, A., Stojanac, D. et al. The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on women’s mental health. Arch Womens Ment Health (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00737-020-01092-2.
And so, over two years since the pandemic hit the US, here we are. Enduring. Getting through each day, together.
These last couple of years have taught me the importance of staying true to myself and putting myself first. I learned that by first taking care of myself, I can take care of those who depend on me better.
This time has also taught me how powerful women are in community. How when we release the societal ideal that women need to compete with each other, we can support and love each other and create change.
The last two years have taught me to love myself and my gender even more. I am grateful that I help take care of the women that are taking care of the world.
So, during this month of March, Women’s History Month. I urge you to look at how far you’ve come over the last two years. Look at how much you have endured and the strength that you’ve shown. Be proud of who you are and every moment that you took a breath and forged ahead. Be proud of all the times that you’ve taken care of yourself.
You are beautiful, you are strong, you shine brightly.
“You have such a beautiful soul
Let your energy radiate”
– excerpt from Darling by Beautiful Chorus
May you have peace within,
Julia
