MAMAPALOOZA COLUMBUS

Here is a blog written by my alter-ego... Alterna-Mom. I am really excited about being a part of this movement...

MAMAPALOOZA COLUMBUS IS BECOMING THE BUZZ OF THE CITY

Mamapalooza Columbus is a branch of Mamapalooza Inc., a mom-owned and operated mother advocacy organization founded by Joy Rose of New York City. Mamapalooza Columbus is connecting local women, mothers and families through music, expressive arts, activism and education for cultural, economic and social awareness. This past May marks the fourth anniversary of Mamapalooza Columbus which has not only created a buzz, but inspired a Mamapalooza Committee of Coordinators, a Back to School Event and even one of the Mamas being showcased on Mamapalooza TV and the Museum of Motherhood.

Columbus, Ohio September, 2010 – Mamapalooza Inc.'s ongoing mission is to create authentic, inspirational, large-scale experiences that will reach millions.Mamapalooza Columbus is energetically helping this mission come to fruition.

It was Mamapalooza Columbus 2010 that inspired four Mothers to unite for the empowerment of the women, mothers and families of Columbus, Ohio. Eileen Clary (HandyGirl!) is leading this committee and is credited with starting the action in Columbus as the Regional Coordinator since 2006. Vanessa Abel (Earth Flutter), Joanie Calem (Sing Along and Dance Along) and Susan Richardson (Exceptional Beyond Labels) have joined Eileen as a Committee of Coordinators and have already begun the planning stages for a Back to School event this fall.

This Committee of Coordinators is hoping more mothers in the city of Columbus will join in the fun with innovative activities that impact the women, mothers and families of Columbus. If you have a product or service that focuses on creativity, fun, health, wellness, financial education, expressive arts or if you’re a Mom-preneur,Mamapalooza Columbus wants you to buzz in too!

Some of the other folks involved with Mamapalooza Columbus 2010 were Randi Mockensturm, Tenara & Candice, 7th House Moon, Majestic Belly Dancing, Elliot 12Trees, Leslie Zak, Nancy Miller/Scentsy, Cynthia Minnich/Clearartview, On The Spot Mobile Massage & Bodywork, Columbus Acupuncture & Wellness Center, and Global Gallery. Thank YOU for making Mamapalooza Columbus 2010 the buzz of the city!

Alexis Chapman, Independent Contractor for M.O.M. (Museum of Motherhood), came out to personally supportMamapalooza Columbus 2010. M.O.M. is a sister organization to Mamapalooza Inc., devoted to educating the world about the contributions of mothers both historically and in contemporary culture. Alexis connected with the Columbus mothers and stayed to enjoy some of the Moms that were rocking the stage! Later she connected with one of the committee coordinators, Susan Richardson, and asked her to be a guest blogger on M.O.M. and to be interviewed on Mamapalooza TV.

Mamapalooza Columbus looks forward to showcasing more mothers and connecting them with Mamapalooza Inc., Museum of Motherhood,Mamapalooza TV and other venues to bring the much needed awareness about the impact of mothers on our community. As Mamapalooza Columbus gains momentum and builds a buzz in the city, they will be looking for reciprocal sponsors to become involved as well as the perfect spot to hold Mamapalooza Columbus 2011 in May. For additional information on Mamapalooza Columbus, contact Eileen Clary at e_motok@yahoo.com. You can also get more information on Mamapalooza Inc. atwww.Mamapalooza.com.ooza-columbus-is-becoming-buzz.html

Reiki and Sleep Issues: A Testimonial

A friend connected me with a Mom [L] who has a 7 year old son diagnosed with Autism. She thought we could support each other. As [L] and I got to know each other better, I asked her if she knew anything about Reiki. She initially said, “No”, but then decided to search the web. Intrigued she came back asking me for more information.

I offered to gift her son [N] 6 sessions. She accepted my offer and I came to her home on a couple of occasions to do Reiki with [N]. She saw almost immediate changes and agreed to let me send Reiki from a distance. I told her that we would set intentions and since Reiki is energy, the energy could travel through time and space. After the series of sessions, she decided to learn how to do Reiki herself.

[L] attended my Level 1 training for Exceptional Parents On April 24, 2010. She reported that things were going well soon after the class. On May 27, 2010 I received an email stating,

“I have to tell you about this. Last night, [N] was wired after I put him to bed. He was rocking back and forth really hard, slamming his head into the pillow, and talking/singing. I kept telling him to lay down, it was time for night night, and he would lay down for 2 seconds before starting up again. So I got the Reiki energy flowing - I could feel that burning sensation in my hands - and then I had [N] lay beside me, and I put a hand gently on either side of his head. I thought he might wriggle away, but within 30 seconds, he babbled a couple more things and then got very calm. Within 2 minutes, he was snoring! I kept my hands on him for a little while longer, and then I put them on myself for a few and rolled over and fell right to sleep.”

This morning (the next day!) I checked my email and found another message in my inbox from [L],

“Wait, there's more! Tonight we were experiencing the same rocking, etc. as last night. I was doing something, but he pulled my hand over to his head. Apparently, it didn't feel right, so he pulled it away again. I stopped what I was doing to invite the Reiki energy in and again put my hands on either side of his head. He almost immediately calmed down. It took a little longer tonight before he was snoring, but I'd say it was within 5 minutes!”

How empowering for [L] to have Reiki available to her and her son. Thank you [L] for giving me permission to share your Reiki success story!

Sleep issues are common among exceptional children. Our daughter had irregular sleep patterns since infancy. She stayed awake until 2 or 5 in the morning. And if she did fall asleep at a descent time, she would wake up at 5 am making her tired earlier. It was a vicious cycle… Not only would she stay awake, but she would vocally stem, kick, cry, scream, pace for hours at a time. I dreaded bedtime; a grueling experience for the entire family that only seemed to contribute to our on-going exhaustion.

In March 2010, something shifted when I started to use brushing and deep compression in combination with the Reiki. Miraculously our bedtime woes almost ceased immediately. We now go to sleep within minutes of laying down and sleep peacefully all night.

If you are interested in Distant Reiki please learn more here.

Welcome and Be Still

Welcome to Exceptional Beyond Labels!

I feel called to chronicle my journey, both personally and professionally; A journey that has deepened the meaning of the unconditional love, spirituality, and self-empowerment in my life.

As a mother who has dabbled in many natural modalities to address my daughter’s symptoms of autism, I have undoubtedly seen an improvement in her quality of life. Within one year of actively pursuing these natural approaches, we were witness to huge accomplishments and joyful milestones; catatonia to an expression of life, non-verbal to the beginning of expression speech including pronouns and conjunctions, no eye contact to eye contact without ABA protocols, isolated play to parallel play then interactive play, and so much more.

I yearned to connect with other mothers and families doing the same, thus Exceptional Beyond Labels was birthed. As I ventured forward with my search to connect with others on this parallel journey, I soon discovered not many in my corner of the world where doing what I was doing. This would prompt me to offer natural approaches like mediation, reiki, shaman and soul healing through the Exceptional Beyond Labels advocacy group.

This wild adventure as brought me to a place where I no longer want to cure my child, for today I now see her as a precious gift and accept she will always see life through different colored glasses. However, don’t get me wrong, I do continue to offer her tools to make her journey through this lifetime more productive and meaningful; tools that will increase her ability to increase socialization, communication, and functionality.

Beyond supporting my child, my goal is simple to offer hope and to inspire others… mothers, fathers, siblings, educators, neighbors and anyone else whose life is touched by autism.

I, also, want to share with others about my views of how autism and spirituality are closely tied. This journey has strengthened my relationship with God and has deepened my overall spirituality. One of the things I have found to nurture this spirituality is the act of being still.

Be still... How many parents find this statement challenging to embrace?

Let’s face it; on any given day the last thing we are thinking about is being still. We have a laundry list of things to do longer than the Dead Sea Scrolls with lunches to pack, socks to sort, special dinners to prepare, extracurricular activities to organize, arguments to mediate, therapies to orchestrate....

However, I suggest that if we just took 10 - 30 minutes a day to “be still” and quiet our minds that we would be better equipped to face the day and the struggles that come along with raising a child diagnosed with a disability or who has a special need.

I recently asked a friend for some recommended tools for meditation. She suggested that I needed rest more than to meditate. As I explored my options, I found that resting WAS my meditation. It was in the act of resting and quieting my mind that I was able to Be Still.

In the act of Being Still, I was able to recharge my drained batteries and then return to the life of mindful parenting. In the act of Being Still, you too can turn off the some 65,000 thoughts we have each day and be with yourself in a space that heals, regenerates, and creates so that you can better meet the needs of your children. It is in the act of Being Still, that I discovered that my child IS exceptional beyond any label and has unlimited potential and possibilities within her!

I hope you join me on this journey and support our children who are EXCEPTIONAL BEYOND LABELS!!