Mei Mei (little sister), after you give birth, it is extremely important for me to come and live with you for a month. I’ll take care of you so that you can experience the proper Zuo Yue Zi.” – A mother to her daughter in Sitting Moon
“Where once, in recent history and ancient practices, families of women surrounded women at this hour, now so many of us have so few.” – Momma Zen
Zuo Yue Zi literally translates as “sitting month,” or “moon.” Ancient cultures cared for new mothers with the same attention devoted to newborns, swaddling them in a cocoon of nourishment, rest and reverence lasting a full lunar cycle after giving birth. During a time when we might think of a month with relatives as less than optimal – and most of us have little or no help at all – Sitting Moon outlines the modern equivalent of postpartum wisdom drawn from the ancient feminine.
With plainspoken simplicity, the authors (both professionals in the field of Chinese medicine) air the litany of unthinkables that greet us in the long and isolating months after giving birth, as we otherwise stumble toward some fractured “normal” of emotional and physical health. The book seasons its common sense with clear diagnostics, helpful tips, recommended foods and Chinese herbs, acupressure directions and a full four-week meal plan with recipes – for someone else to cook for you! – geared to the natural sequence of rejuvenation.
In the view of Oriental medicine, a lifetime of chronic ills can be traced to the postpartum period – that mysterious and irrevocable transition when life changes in every way forever. Sitting Moon is what I would have given myself, if I’d had the means to ask. So now I’ll give it to you.
Enter my giveaway for a copy of Sitting Moon: A Guide to Natural Rejuvenation After Pregnancy by leaving a comment on this post. I’ll pair the prize with a signed copy of Momma Zen – two must-haves that give a new mama all the light of the mother moon.
Give yourself an extra chance by tweeting the following (make sure you get the URL):
RT @kmaezenmiller Double Giveaway: Sitting Moon & Momma Zen http://bit.ly/dvg8Rs
Note to readers: Amazon supplies are running low; Sitting Moon is also available directly from the Tao of Wellness.
This is the grand finale in my week of book giveaways, but there’s still time to enter Monday’s giveaway and Wednesday’s giveaway (as many times as you like) before the contest closes at midnight this Sunday, Sept. 12. Thank you for sharing this fortune with me!
When I first heard that Lori Deschene of the hugely popular inspirational site 
I read Brad Warner’s new book and panted over it. It’s called 
When I was at 
There was a little article in the paper about a week ago that broke my heart. My heart breaks a lot, and you might be surprised what will do it. This was a piece that topped the news for less than a day.
We were side by side in the spinning class this morning when she turned to me and spoke over the pounding pulse of the imaginary road beneath us. We got into it last night. I nodded, and knew. After I made my plans and sent out the invitations, he won’t take the kids that weekend. The lonely long stretch of it, the gaping ache of betrayal. You just can’t do that! At every turn, the shock and sudden crumble. I know what he’s doing. He’s taking her and her kids on vacation. Another raging tremble. It’s more than we ever think we can bear. And I thought to myself “she should read my book.”
Whenever Roso saw a monk coming, he immediately sat facing the wall. Hearing of this, Nansen said, “I usually tell my people to realize what has existed before the kalpa of emptiness, or to understand what has been before Buddhas appeared in the world. Still, I haven’t acknowledged one disciple or even a half. If he continues that way, he will go on endlessly.” – 
You are not nearly this or half of that. You are not almost or over. You are not in the middle of up, or on the way out.
