Embracing my Inner-Hippy

Okay folks – for today’s post, I’m embracing my inner-hippy! No Patchouli needed!  And in the most unlikely topic related to hippiness, we are talking baby nursery today!  (trust me on this one!)

When Christian and I found out that we were pregnant, my brain instantly started designing the baby nursery.  I knew I didn’t want anything gender specific, so there is no need to wait until my 5 month ultrasound. One of the nights, shortly after Maute Moo was discovered, I was doing my evening meditation. I use the Blissology series to guide my evening meditations.  That evening the meditation focused on the 5 elements in the Body, Mind and Heart. I knew in that moment that I wanted a balance of the five elements for our baby.

What are the 5 elements? Space, Air, Fire, Water, and Earth.  These 5 elements are the building blocks for our world. Why not let them be the building blocks for our baby nursery?

Scientifically speaking,  every object (animate or inanimate) is made up of atoms.  The 5 elements are responsible for the structure. I found a helpful description on the Flowing Free website.

Every animate and inanimate being is made up of atoms, the 5 mahabutas (elements) can be explained with the example of an atom:

• Aakash (space component) is the space which the protons and neutron occupy as well as the space in which the electrons revolve
• Vayu (air component) represents the force of movement of the electrons around the nucleus.
• Agni (fire component) represents the latent energy in an atom as well as the released energy when an atom is broken down.
• Jala (water component) gives the force of cohesion that allow the protons, neutrons and electrons to remain attracted towards each other.
• Prithvi (earth component) contributes the solid portion of the atom (i.e. the electrons, protons and neutrons).

Not so scientifically speaking, our world is made up of the 5 elements. Earth is everything in nature that is solid.  Water is everything that is liquid.  Air is everything that is a gas.  Fire is the part of nature that transforms the solid state of water into a liquid water.  Space is the mother of the elements. The experience of space is luminous emptiness that is equated with a higher spiritual experience.

The 5 elements also make up our bodies.  Space exists in our hearing and our sound. Space forms physical attractions and repulsions.  Air exists in our movement and in our touch.  It can be felt with our hands.  Fire is our energy. Fire forms hunger, thirst, and sleep.  Water is our force of attraction.  It can be felt throughout our entire bodies.  Water forms saliva, urine, blood, sweat, and semen.  Earth is our solidity. Its formed from things such as our skin, teeth, bones, tissues, and hair.

Each of the elements are in a relationship with each other.  Some elements oppose each other.  Other elements embrace each other. Each of the elements must co-exist with each other so a balance is formed.  Yoga brings the five elements of our being into a harmonious relationship with each other. As a result, our bodies and our world are restored to health and wellness.

With all that said, I want Maute Moo’s nursery to be a balance of the 5 elements. I want earth, air, water, fire, and space to be represented throughout the nursery. I want the elements to coexist peacefully, so Maute Moo can come home to world full of balance.  I want the baby nursery to symbolize all my hopes for Maute Moo’s life (and Cole’s life too!). I want nothing more than to raise children who grow up knowing who they are as individuals, appreciate and embrace the ways of nature, live in harmony with the world around them, and are loving caring individuals. When the 5 elements are balanced throughout our body physically and mentally, we are able to have an awareness of our true self.

When my parents generously offered to purchase the bedding set for Maute Moo, I knew I wanted nature elements represented.  It was much easier to find than I expected.  I knew it the moment I saw it. I was daydreaming about Maute Moo’s nursery while looking at Land of Nod, and I found it.  The perfect baby nursery. It showed up on our door step last week. It was better than Christmas.  It’s called Oh, What a Beautiful Morning. I don’t think I could have designed it better myself.  The quilt is a whimsical tree. It reminds me so much of the grapefruit tree my grandparents had in their backyard.  My grandma used to mail me boxes of grapefruits.  I loved opening the box and smelling the grapefruits inside.  The smell still brings back so many memories of my grandma.  I love having a little piece of her and the love she had for her family in the baby room. The tree also represents earth and nature. Part of my own life mission is to be rooted.  I hope this tree and our love for our family roots Maute Moo. The bumper looks like a sunrise between to mountain peaks.The crib bedding embraces the earth element from the 5 elements.

Before I was even off of birth control, I knew I wanted pinwheels in the babies room.  My sister and I used to watch the pinwheel show on TV and would sing the song all the time.

Pinwheel, pinwheel, spinning around. Look at my Pinwheel and see what I’ve found.

Pinwheel, pinwheel, where have you been? Hello, how are you, and may I come in?

Pinwheel, pinwheel, spinning around. Look at my Pinwheel and see what I’ve found.

Pinwheel, pinwheel, breezy and bright.  Spin me good morning, spin me good night.

Don’t be surprise if you see the last line of the song on the baby wall somewhere!  As if it were meant to be, I also found someone who makes pinwheel mobiles on Etsy – Pickled Parlor. The night my mom ordered the nursery set, I got on her website and found my mobile.  Again, I couldn’t have designed it better.  It’s all the same colors as the bedding on one side and on the other side are tiny trees.  Written among the trees is Save the World for me. I AM IN LOVE. What a perfect representation of air for Maute Moo’s nursery.

Now we have bedding. And we have a mobile.  A crib and the rest will fall into place over the next few months.  I will also be looking for fun creative ways to incorporate the other elements into the nursery as well.  Thanks for embracing my inner-hippy with me in this post.  Sometimes the things that mean the most to us are the hardest to explain. I hope I did it justice, and I hope it makes sense.  Have fun ideas for Maute Moo’s 5 element baby nursery? Send them my way.  I would love some inspiration.