< PreviousSMART HEALTHY WOMEN MAGAZINE - PAGE 49But so often, back in the room of that hypnobirthing class, there is a palpable sense of self-doubt in the women I see before me. That maybe they aren’t or can’t be strong enough, calm enough, resilient enough. I should know, I felt it myself. A niggling voice saying: ‘Who are you to think you deserve a positive birth? What if you’re setting yourself up for failure? What if you can’t do this?’.These limiting beliefs can inhibit labour if left unchecked. Being tense is not a good way to help your body give birth and things go more smoothly when you are calm and relaxed. These doubts can also filter into parenthood, bringing guilt, worry and even shame too.My job is not to empower women. It is to give them the tools to empower themselves. The magic happens when a woman starts to believe in herself and tunes into the innate resources she has inside.There is liberation in tuning into your instincts and trusting that you can do things your way. This is what I want to celebrate. That letting go of worries is something we can all learn to do. But that even despite the doubts, these women all get on, dig deep and do it. They give birth. Their partners may be there to support them, but the job is ultimately theirs and theirs alone. Time stands still, the world blurs, their body and their baby is all that matters. And then like some kind of magic, there is new life. Along with the discovery of an inner strength they never knew they had. Z Z ZSMART HEALTHY WOMEN MAGAZINE - PAGE 51EMBRACING YOURFEMININE ENERGYby Michelle CatanachAren’t men and women funny creatures? We spend so much of our lives arguing over who is the greater or stronger or most important sex. Who is right, who is wrong? We don’t understand them; they simply don’t get us, so they must be wrong….right? We fight for equality in the workplace, in the home, in law and society. Men are often branded “sexist” or misogynistic yet a woman who fights for women’s rights is typically labelled “feminist”. So – putting all the crap aside over who can or can’t give birth or who’s the better driver – how about I suggest this: men and women are equal.We are all universally equal, whatever your hierarchy in the workplace, your social status or gender. We can argue until we are blue in the face but it is an argument that neither sex will win because we can’t argue with the universe! - PAGE 52 - SMART HEALTHY WOMEN MAGAZINEI’m not saying that we are always treated equally or always viewed as equals within society but in the eyes of the universe – which is much bigger than society can ever be – we are. Our disputes lie in the fact that we are different.So what does it mean to be “masculine”? Think hard and forceful, intense and strong. Think scientific, logical and mathematically minded. Think linear and direct. The masculine is typically focused, motivated, good at problem solving, results driven and goal oriented. The masculine is about having a purpose and seeking clarity. Think systems. Think boundaries and rules. Think control, dominance, willpower and competition. Think war, combat and fight. These are all characteristic of the masculine archetype.The feminine is the polar opposite. SMART HEALTHY WOMEN MAGAZINE - PAGE 53The feminine is soft, yielding, open and receptive. It is emotional and unpredictable. It is creative, artistic and expressive. The feminine is chaotic, procreative, caring and loving. The feminine is all about the body – softness, curves, touch and pleasure. Women have an extra layer of fat than men for a reason: we are the nourishers, the nurturers; we grow and deliver life.If any of these attributes resonate with you, think about how much time you have spent in conflict with them. How many years have you been at war with your curves, trying to fight what is physiologically natural? How often have you been criticised for being too emotional, particularly by a partner? How many times have you judged another woman – or yourself – for losing control, for showing emotion or instability?Neither archetype is right or wrong and neither am I describing how a man or woman should be. - PAGE 54 - SMART HEALTHY WOMEN MAGAZINEIf you’re recognising some of your own traits from the masculine then don’t be alarmed because every human being has a masculine (left) and feminine (right) brain. Yes, it may sound strange but it’s true! If you think about it, we come from a sperm and an egg – the masculine and feminine – so it makes sense that our brain would be split between the two. The “average” woman will predominantly function from the right and the “average” male from the left.If you’re more left than right, there is absolutely nothing wrong with this either. Maybe you’re very left-brain at work and right-brain when in mum / wife / friend mode? ...these distinctions can help us to better understand behaviours...There are no rules as to how much of us should function from the masculine and how much should function from the feminine. The point is these distinctions can help us to better understand behaviours, our needs and how we interpret and deal with life and relationships; the more understanding we are, the more accepting we can be of ourselves and others.SMART HEALTHY WOMEN MAGAZINE - PAGE 55Perhaps of most significance is the relationship with our body and self. The field of nutrition is heavily masculinised. Counting calories, weighing ourselves, taking measurements and BMI i.e. numbers, numbers, numbers = masculine. The way we punish ourselves with rigorous exercise, pushing our bodies to the limit, trying to hit a goal, trying to “harden” our bodies with muscle = masculine. Comparing ourselves to and competing with other women = masculine. Controlling what we eat and having the willpower to resist our cravings = masculine. Food as a science = masculine. - PAGE 56 - SMART HEALTHY WOMEN MAGAZINEBut they are seldom long-term sustainable solutions for women because they heavily contradict the feminine right-brain.We need to reclaim the feminine and develop strategies that work for us on a deeper, richer and more emotional level. Strategies that teach us to love food and love our bodies, none of which can be achieved by following masculine principles and ideology. We need to choose exercise that embodies not punishes, and eat with pleasure and nourishment, not fear and guilt.THESE STRATEGIES ARE MORE LIKELY TO WORK FOR MEN BECAUSE THEY FIT WITH THE MASCULINE LEFT BRAIN FROM WHICH THE AVERAGE MAN WILL PREDOMINANTLY FUNCTION SMART HEALTHY WOMEN MAGAZINE - PAGE 5712 SIGNS OFFEMININEPOWERby Estelle WilliamsIf we consider the twelve signs of the Zodiac, we can see that each is designated as either a masculine or feminine sign. Now this doesn’t mean that a sign is manly or girly, depending on their assigned energy. It means that the masculine signs – Aries, Gemini, Leo, Libra, Sagittarius and Aquarius – tend to express their energy out into the world, while the feminine signs – Taurus, Cancer, Virgo, Scorpio, Capricorn and Pisces – tend to internalise the energies in their environment. It’s an indicator of how we best deal with challenges in our world.Each polarity has its place, and while many people underestimate the power of feminine energy, without it our world simply would not exist.Truth be told, we all have a balance of masculine and feminine energies in our personality and we all have the capacity to embrace our femininity, no matter what our Sun sign or our gender. Here’s some ways that each sign can best connect with her feminine energy. MAY 22-JUNE 20MUTABLE AIR ~ RULED BY MERCURY MARCH 21-APRIL 20CARDINAL FIRE ~ RULED BY MARSAPRIL 21-MAY 21FIXED EARTH ~ RULED BY VENUSAriesThe Ram has a definitive energy of purpose about her and is often judged as being bossy, competitive and outspoken, all traditionally masculine traits. To connect to her feminine energy, she needs to spend some time in nature, grounding that incredible energy she has. Grounding will have a calming effect on her vitality and provide her with added health benefits as well.TaurusThe Bull is ruled by the planet Venus, the Goddess of Love, and there is no more feminine influence than that. While she is practical and grounded, she also has very sensuous appetites and knows how to connect to her feminine power as easily as turning on a light switch. Her feminine presence can be either graceful or earthy.GeminiThis Gemini girl is at once feminine and masculine – she can be changeable, elusive or direct and outspoken. Her brand of femininity is independent, in thinking and in action, and she is a chameleon in most things. The key to connecting to the gifts of her feminine nature is to learn how to complement both masculine and feminine sides, and give equal value to both.Next >