I am so honoured that Jess reached out and wanted to write an article about her experience with her first Mama Mala that she received at Christmas. Nothing makes me more happy than having mamas say that using their mala beads are helping them  focus on being a more present mama. 
Check out Jess' blog and make sure to follow her on Instagram.

It has only been recently that I have been in a position to change my attitude and my lifestyle to truly become the mother I want to be for my daughter.  When I was pregnant with her a few years ago, I was running a fast paced content marketing agency and my life revolved around deadlines and doughnut runs for staff meetings.  Life was stressful, intense and chaotic.

I think having my daughter was just the awakening that I needed.  

Somebody completely dependent on me who was the hardest thing to manage in my world and yet simultaneously, the most wonderful thing I had ever experienced, she knew before I did that something had to change.  

When my business imploded I tried to keep all of the balls in the air – unhappy clients, an unhappy team and me, a sleep deprived mess of a milk-machine trying to navigate the pitfalls of business gone wrong combined with the shock that often accompanies new motherhood.  

Six months later and things already looked different as without the armour of my agency, the support of my team and a never-ending job list, I got to do things that I hadn’t done in a long time.

 I went for long walks, ran my dogs on the beach, sat and just watched the water.  I spent time drinking in every single detail of what my little girl looked like as she fixed her determined big brown eyes onto mine.  

I learnt not to fight to make things a certain way but to lean into to what is and during this time I can hand on my heart say that I found myself.  My imperfect self.

Agency Jess was so polished, so switched on, so stressed. Authentic Jess just didn’t have her shit together and that was OK.  

I rebranded myself exactly as I was, flaws and all and focused on what I’m best at: writing.  I reduced my hours, took on less clients and spent more time with my family and that’s been the best decision I ever made.

 Around this time I came across Mama Malas through a friend on Instagram and I fell in love with the brand – the ethos, the design, the concept – I knew I wanted a mala necklace to signify my new start and the journey I had been on.  

But there were so many to choose from and I couldn’t see them before I bought, I was indecisive and ended up not getting any.

As the year progressed I became more and more present, spending quality time with my daughter, putting down my phone and the constant interruptions and spending more time being actively with her in the moment.  

And I noticed I had more fun, I was more grateful, life felt better away from the constant technology.

 For Christmas my husband bought me a Mama Mala but as I couldn’t decide he chose by flicking through pictures.  

The one he chose feels like fate – the Present Mama Mala, exactly what I need in my life – centering Amethyst, energizing Green Fluorite, present-promoting Lepidolite and amplifying Clear Quartz.

Combined with a Daily Greatness Parenting Journal, I have religiously worn my mala beads, written in my journal and committed to my meditation practice every day since and I can honestly say it’s enriched my life in a way that I never could have imagined.  

Every morning before my daughter wakes I spend a bit of time just in silence, practicing meditation, running my finger across each of the beads and setting my daily intention.  

During this time I express my gratitude and ask myself who I want to be today for my daughter?  This process has made me calmer, more patient, more playful and undeniably more present.  

When my gorgeous girl gets upset she asks for cuddles and she sits on my lap and runs her hands across my necklace and I know that she finds comfort in it too, she’s her mothers daughter and is drawn to crystals already at two years old.

I’ll never be perfect, I still have so much to learn and with a second child on the way, I expect things are about to get a whole lot harder but this time around I have my priorities right, I no longer care about profit and I certainly don’t care about being perfect. I know that being present is a massive part of being a better mother.  

I have the famous quote on my wall from Mother Teresa that serves as much-loved reminder; “If you want to change the world… go home and love your family” and that is what I intend to continue doing.  And when the new baby arrives, I want them to receive the same level of love and joy that the mala necklace has brought to us so I’ve got myself the Larvikite kit containing some of my personal favourite crystals.

 For my baby shower this time, I’m intending a small personal gathering where each person makes a wish before helping to put together this beautiful Mama Mala necklace in preparation for the new arrival and I will know that when I go into labour, I have my mala for strength and as a reminder of what really matters.  

Thank you to Heather for your beautiful hand crafted pieces, they have helped this mama become a more present person and the best she can be for her children.