The subtleties of babywearing

Anyone who knows me well knows my love (verging on addiction) to babywearing - using soft carriers to carry babies and children for anyone not familiar with the term. I've been using baby carriers since Nick was a baby and my interest really took off once I entered the world of woven wraps.

I took some training and I now help parents learn how to use baby carriers as part of my business. I'm really drawn to combining my background in holistic health with babywearing. The workings of chakra systems and subtle energy are hugely important with babies and young children, in my opinion, and I spend chunks of time mulling over things like the implication of babywearing and a child's energy.

The following piece is one that I first jotted down back in March. I'm not sure if it's done yet, but it will eventually make its way over onto my business blog once I figure that out. There's a part of me that has this far-fetched dream that it could someday be a piece of something much bigger, but here's what it is for now:

We are more than our bodies, more than the steps of our feet or the smiles on our faces. We are ideas, dreams, thoughts, and feelings. We are the energy that swirls around inside of our minds, pours out of our mouthes, and reaches into the world around us.

As a baby begins his growth in this world, he is a tiny speck from a physical perspective. But from an energetic viewpoint he starts out with such a large energy that it takes many months to settle into his body and become separate from the world around him. While growing inside his mother, he lives within his mother's energy as well as within his own. At birth, the baby makes the transition out of her body but he still has an intense need for her. He needs the sound of her voice, the taste of her skin, the feel of her energy, the love from her heart. He depends on his mother's familiarity for comfort and reassurance, a safe and secure place from where he can meet the world.

Wearing her baby in a carrier allows the mother to keep her baby close during everyday life. On her chest, the baby rests in his mother's heart chakra, the center of love, where he can feel surrounded by the swirlings of maternal warmth. Looking out from a place of unconditional love, the world is an interesting and wonderful place. She sends him unspoken messages throughout their day: “This is our life, our world.”, “You are precious to me and I keep you close.”, “I invite you into this experience.”. The baby is too young yet to understand words, but her messages are sent clearly though her touch, her movements, and her energy.

The small baby has no barriers. He doesn't know where he begins and his mother ends. His cheek, her breast, his contentment, her unconditional love. They move and mingle without barriers or restriction. In much the same way, the baby has no sense of separation from the world around him. The sound of a car horn, the smell of freshly cut grass, the swell of emotion in a crowd listening to beautiful music. All of these sensations wash over the baby. On his own, these experiences can overwhelm and confuse him. Within his mother's energy, though, he is sheltered. Sensations are filtered, refuge is offered. He can sample and experience the snippets that are intriguing, leaning into the comfort of his mother's chest and drifting off into sleep when he is done.