At 30 weeks along in my pregnancy, I’m not only feeling big…I AM big! This is my 3rd baby, so I’m even bigger at this point than I was with either of my other 2 children. People definitely notice…comment…touch…all of the above is really ok with me. It’s hard to resist a bulbous, ripe belly…it sticks out so far it almost invites a pair of hands to touch it. (Note: Not all women appreciate this, and that is OK ~ so if you feel the urge to rub someones adorable belly, it’s usually a good idea to ask first. Mamas at this point are tired, hormonally challenged, and may feel really sensitive about being handled…beware! I’m just a touchy-feely gal by nature, so I don’t mind a bit.)
So, this morning I was performing a Thai yoga massage on a ‘regular’ client (this is one of the many things I do for work.) I do this massage on this particular client 5 days a week in the mornings, but he’s been out-of-town for almost 3 weeks and during that little break my body really shifted and this baby grew…a lot! When my client first saw me his eyes popped open a little wider ~ he kindly asked if I was still up for this and I honestly answered that I have cut my schedule back a ton, but I was still definitely up for our morning sessions for now.
Anyhoo ~ I was standing there with one leg on the ground and the other leg was rhythmically pushing my foot into the large muscle groups of my client (who is laying in his warm sweat suit comfortably cushioned on the ground.) I was breathing my yogic breath and gently swaying when it occurred to me how surprisingly good my balance is in this moment. I began to think of the Elephant ~ its large and heavy body really does sway gracefully when it moves. I thought of how I’ve seen these majestically huge creatures balance at the circus and even how their body weight shifts back and forth as they walk. I am the elephant, I thought to myself as I moved slowly yet confidently. The extra weight on my body works to my advantage in this particular situation, and so I have to work with less effort as my client gets the full benefit of a deep massage. Back and forth….swaying side to side…shifting my heavy weight in a way that benefits not only my client but my body as well. I breathe in and out and channel the spirit of the elephant. It’s one of the rare moments of my day when my large body (in which the center of gravity has greatly shifted) feels able to balance and surprisingly graceful. It’s good to feel beautiful during this time that my body has morphed into something so outside of it’s ‘normal’ shape. The movement and effort of performing this massage is good for my body (much less taxing and far more enjoyable to do than the table massages that usually fill my days) ~ it’s like doing my own little yoga session while bringing benefit to someone else.
One day soon (in the next 10 weeks or so) my body will go into labor, and I will birth my third (and final) child into this world, and I’ll of course take time off from work to be at home nursing, nurturing, and enjoying that sweet little bundle of life. I won’t be doing Thai massage for a couple of months ~ but I will continue to channel the slow, graceful, and strong energy of the elephant…in labor and beyond.
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