At last… we arrive at the Expand piece of the R.I.S.E model!
This is the magical one that begins to unfold as you come into your Soul-Aligned Motherhood. Expand is all about going out into the world and sharing your gifts with an open heart.
For me, as with most new mothers, you feel contracted from where you were before becoming a mother in the early months of motherhood. This is natural and we kind of expect it.
What isn’t talked about much is how the expansion beyond showing up as mother day in and day out can be a heck of a lot slower than you ever expected. I’m still in my period of expansion beyond motherhood. It ebbs and flows with the weeks and months. But when I look back over the years, that’s where I see the shifts and progress toward clarity and returning to the most expanded version of myself.
This process is also known at matrescence or the becoming of a mother. It is the rollercoaster of suddenly acquiring this new life role, mother. What comes with this can all but stop you in your tracks in terms of what you had in mind for your life. Suddenly you are knocked off course by motherhood and you begin to question everything about yourself and your place in the world. It can take years and years to settle this tidal wave and all its repercussions.
As you work through the phases of becoming a mother you slowly, but rarely linearly, go from cocoon to matriarch. The Cocoon phase is the epitome of the earliest phases of motherhood where you are just figuring it out day by day, seeking support, feeling unsure every step of the way and feel best within your tiny new-mama bubble.
Slowly over time, a long time, you progress into your fullest expression of expansion within yourself and into the world. (Note… there are many phases between these 2 phases)…
This is the Matriarch phase. This is where you are a woman who is wise, clear, unconditionally loving to all, gracious and fully within your power. It’s not only your own family but anyone who comes into contact with you that feels your loving, open hearted, giving nature. You now exist and function purely from a place of sharing and expanding outside of yourself so that those that come after you may benefit.
Curious about what your path from
cocoon to matriarch
could look like?
So am I!!
Expand is all about exploring your gifts, how you show up in the world, it’s about adopting a growth mindset and stepping out of comfort to expand into your world further…
Whether that be into your family, friends, community, or the world it doesn’t matter how “big” it may be perceived…
It’s stepping beyond yourself to share, connect, receive, and EXPAND who you are, what you’re capable of and living the life you dream of …
While I too am still on this path toward final Matriarch phase, I can tell you that when I go out and share my gifts with the world, it is in those moments I feel most Soul-Aligned!
Now I love supporting women in exploring their expansive edge, no matter what phase you are in!
Ready to explore this path? … JOIN Soul-Aligned Motherhood!
Warmly,
Hilary
PS: If you are interested in learning more about Soul-Aligned Motherhood, please reach out anytime. It is a private coaching container with rolling enrollment, so I welcome new clients all the time! You can find all the details HERE!
