Core

Ten years ago, the word “core” signified to me the area of the body targeted by Pilates exercises. At the time, I had completed training to become a certified Pilates mat instructor and was teaching semi-private classes. Fast forward a decade later to today—where when I use the word core it likely refers to one’s truest, most inner self.

My journey began in nutrition and fitness, and while maintaining this as its foundation, has evolved into a wider web of wellness, encompassing emotional well-being and mental health. So when I speak of the core in today’s blog post, I am referring to the word in the emotional, soul-searching sense.

Today I want to posit an idea regarding being a working mother (full- or part-time).

Being both a career woman and a mom can feel quite bifurcating. It’s like being pulled in two different directions at the same time. In this way, it can be exhausting and full of angst. But there is one unifying factor, one constant through it all—YOU!

Who you bring to each role is the same. Your personality, your skill set, your mode of thinking, how you get things done. As I discuss in my post Caring for My Career AND My Daughter, your career can be part of your raising your child—the values you want to impart to them, the life you want to model for them. And as I describe in Mean Green Boobie Machine, you can apply the same troubleshooting strategies to breastfeeding as you would to a challenge you’d have at work.

Feeling this interconnectedness and continuity between these seemingly disparate realms offers a greater sense of calm—one feels more grounded, more at peace with one’s surroundings. You—your core essence, as well as the lessons you have learned in life and the growth you have achieved—are with you wherever you go, in whatever circumstance. “Move from your core” is not just a verbal cue in Pilates, but a mission statement for life.