What My Baby Has Taught Me About Health and Happiness

Courtney Townley

Being a first-time mom to a 5 month old, there is no denying that my life is dramatically different than it was just a few short months ago.  Before my son was born I could string sentences together that actually made sense, leave the house dressed in clean clothes, and on a good day, I could even accessorize my ensemble with a cute pair of earrings.  Now that Liam has arrived my life is blissfully chaotic.  Things come out of my mouth in no particular order; I never leave the house without a touch of spit-up somewhere on my outfit, and trying to even think about accessorizing feels like climbing Mount Everest.    My priorities have changed a lot and I love who my son is helping me become.  Every day my heart sings as I watch Liam do what we all came into the world to do….grow and flourish.   As I sat down to write an article for this month’s newsletter, I knew immediately that I wanted to share just a little of my new parent insight with you because right now it is what inspires me and I am certain  it will for a long time to come!
The human body is intelligent and capable beyond measure.   I didn’t “try” to grow my son in my womb for 9 months, rather the cells of my body knew just how to communicate and organize to create another human being.   Even though I had never given birth before, my body knew exactly what to do in labor and how to return to my pre-pregnancy form (minus a little muscle tone around my mid-section that a little strength training has helped remedy).   Genesis Transformation taught me how to take care of my body, which has contributed greatly to my health and the health of my son.  Becoming a mother has given me even more reason to believe without a shred of doubt that, provided with clean food, ample amounts of exercise and rest, the potential of the human body is brilliant and masterful.
Baby fat is cute….on a baby.  .   A copious amount of fat on a baby is adorable and even healthy.  On a 40 year old … not so cute and definitely not healthy.   Babies aren’t very mobile for the first year and they do gain a lot of fat in a very short amount of time.  As they age and become more active, they gain muscle and lose fat.  We have heard it a million times over, how important exercise is to maintaining a healthy weight.  The proof is in the pudding, just watch a baby grow.  The less they move the more fat they maintain.  The more active they become the more fat they shed.
A quiet mind = a happy heart. Seriously, is there anything better than getting a baby out of bed in the morning?  The smile and warmth with which they greet the day is priceless.  Shouldn’t we all be waking up like that?   I have to believe that my son’s brain is less chaotic than mine because he has experienced less of the world, and his happiness meter is through the roof.  Clearly there is a connection between a quiet mind and a happy heart, and what a joy it is to witness in my little man.  What a better world this would be if we all took a few minutes every day to nourish our hearts by quieting our minds.  I do believe Samantha’s next yoga workshop is April 10th
Eat, Sleep, Play Babies are the perfect model for living the balanced life that Genesis Transformation promotes.  If babies had to prioritize their day, I am pretty sure they would put eating and sleeping at the top of their list.  With healthy metabolisms at work, babies demand to be fed every 2-3 hours, and they eat ALL day long… sound familiar?  They grow at such a fast pace, they need lots of rest for their bodies to thrive and grow, just as adults needs lots of sleep to repair, rejuvenate and distress the body.   Furthermore, babies don’t have to unclutter their lives to fit in the fun; it is an integral part of their day.  Since learning to laugh, I don’t think Liam has let a day go by without testing out his new found skill many times over.  And the best part….I get to laugh right along with him, and, boy, it literally makes me feel lighter and more capable of taking on whatever the day delivers.
Babies are messy and clumsy, but we love them anyway.  Liam always needs to be cleaned up.  He has either got buggers coming out his nose, spit flying out of his mouth or, you know what, in his pants (and up his back for that matter!).  Babies are clearly VERY messy, but it’s cute and even funny.   Yet, when I mess up in my own life… I often berate and beat myself up for days about it.  Shouldn’t I be treating my own messes with the same lightheartedness as my son’s?  Shouldn’t we all?
As Liam gets more mobile and starts to explore with bigger movements like crawling and walking, I know at first he will fall over, stumble and even fail with his first few attempts, maybe even his first hundred attempts.  But I also know that I will be his greatest supporter, cheering him on and helping him to stand up to try and try again.  Babies don’t just give up when they fail; they keep trying, somehow knowing that eventually they will succeed.   Shouldn’t we be cheering ourselves along when we stumble on our path, and try again until we get it right?
In the few short months that he has been here my son has reminded me how important it is to live a balanced life, to be more loving and forgiving with myself, to persevere in the face of challenges and, best of all, he has reminded me that laughter is the best medicine….not bad for someone who can’t even talk yet.  Now, if he could just remind me how to sleep though the night…