Yin and Yang: How do you balance work and family?
I take days off (Sundays) where I place my phone somewhere out of sight. Then, I just breathe, live in the moment, enjoy the people I love the most and recharge. I also prioritise spending the days that Nova is not in nursery with him and for him. I plan outdoor activities, we cuddle, we dance, we sing, we make a mess, and my phone won’t be there. To be fair, he will put it away if it is. It is my family that I do this for, and I believe that this should be reflected in my hours. It’s that simple. Sometimes it happens that I have to prepare herbal blends, but in that case, Nova will be part of the process. I give him his own material to grind, a jar to pour it into and stickers and pens to accessorise the jar like I do for my clients.
The drive: What challenges have you overcome?
Letting go off perfectionism by leading with joy. I did not do this alone but worked with an amazing coach. (Her name is Jerico Mandybur, she’s Australian. I would absolutely recommend working with her if you have any creative roadblocks). The experimental side of my business is what makes me feel alive, and so I am moving more into my body and out of my head by replacing some digital parts of my process with physical alternatives. Brainstorming with pen and paper, working with colour, physical mood boards, getting my hands dirty by working with herbs and oil and massaging people (body work is an important part of what I do, but is sometimes hard to actualise as so much happens online), as this gives me so much energy in return. Ayurveda is very big on massaging yourself as well, so I try to do this at least 3 times a week (this used to be daily… I miss those days).
For better or worse: What are the pros and cons of running your own business?
I have always felt as though I wasn’t made to work for someone else’s vision. If I ever find someone with a vision that is exactly like mine, but in possession of more resources than I do, I would *love* to work for this person. Resources is a very exciting part of the job, but also the hardest part, in my opinion. I am not naturally good with finance and need ongoing guidance in this field. So, if working for someone else would take that responsibility away, I would be tempted to sign for it. However, now that I have gone past the struggle that came with the pandemic and survived it, I have gained some of these skills that I used to miss. One con is that being a one-woman show can feel lonely. It’s important for me to have accountability partners, just so that I feel more moved to do and finish things instead of changing them 100 times until perfection. Another con is that your work never really stops, and is never really finished, so you have to schedule your free time and honour it. The ultimate pro is that you can do what you love, without having to get permission for execution. I find running my own business to be fluid, dynamic and reactive. This aligns with who I am as a person.
Hopes and dreams: What next?
I am desperate to work with other Ayurvedic Doulas. In an ideal world, there would be a whole network of us across the UK so that I don’t have to turn any more clients away. I also want to grow the activities I am already carrying out to help more people than I can support in-person:
- Through ayurvedamamma.com, where I write about self-care for parents and their young. I am currently recording podcast episodes to transition from writing to audio.
- Through my virtual course “Birthing with Ayurveda“. This is a one-of-a-kind, tailored birth course that looks at the individual birther and their situation and adapts methods and techniques accordingly. The idea is that birth is the “peak” of pregnancy and the portal to what comes next. Therefore, this course starts in the 3rd trimester of pregnancy and ends on day 42 after birth. Content and support is released in personalised nuggets, appropriate to the trimester you’re in.
- I also believe that the Bengkung Belly Wrap offers a beautiful opportunity to raise awareness for the importance of honouring the 4th Trimester. After I used it on myself whilst being postpartum, I have received such an overwhelm of interest from others in the technique. It’s a lovely way into the otherwise not-much-talked-about topic of the 4th Trimester. I now work with the fabrics that are disposed of by designers (dead stock) and repurpose them as Bengkung Belly Wraps to bind people’s bellies in the 4th Trimester. The great thing is people can do this on themselves, so I don’t need to be there in-person!
To find out more about what she offers, check out Deborah’s Birthing with Ayurveda course. You can also follow Ayurveda Mamma on Instagram.
