Meet Kristi. She gave birth to her second child just as the world went into lockdown. Through acute isolation and debilitating pain, she sought and found support and strength within herself to reignite her inner light. Hers is a powerful story of resilience.

I learn so much from other mothers and I want to honor their stories. This is the inaugural piece of my Telling Her Story series. Meet Sara. She lost her mother within weeks of welcoming her daughter. Her story of grief, acceptance, and unconditional love will inspire you.

The words we say to ourselves and to each other are so important. As we all become more informed about mental illness, we can all learn to be a source of validation and comfort. It starts simply with listening and discarding harmful platitudes.

There is a shedding of your old self that necessarily happens when you go through an enormous life change such as becoming a mother. Some of the old layers are gone for good. Others call you back in due time. For me, my yoga practice is calling me home.

When I first became a mother I would never have believed what I do now, that parenting can potentially be a portal of healing. As I mother in ways that I was not mothered, I get to rewrite the script. While this doesn't erase the past, it brings opportunity for peace to sit alongside the sadness.