We were lucky to catch up with Miriam Cruz recently and have shared our conversation below.

Miriam, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Can you tell us the backstory behind how you came up with the idea?

I offer mothers the support that I most treasure receiving myself.

Before starting mindful mentorship, I had a business supporting mothers nutritionally with delicious cookies and teas. Hearing from these mothers, before I was a mother myself, revealed to me how many mothers felt an overwhelming sense of isolation, anxiety, depression, and overall struggle despite also feeling a love and fulfillment infinitely rich and deep. My own transition to motherhood left me feeling all these things and more: a deep sense of guilt for not just feeling joyful about motherhood all the time. I often struggled to stay in the moment as I battled with my drooping eyelids and anxious mind, and guilt crept in when people told me to soak up every moment. I turned to practices and mentors in this world that helped me re-discover a sense of groundedness and community. My work with mothers is grounded in my own lived experience, as well as in my formal training in mindfulness and meditation practices.
​
I sincerely believe in our innate ability as humans to (re)connect with joy, and this is woven throughout my mentoring sessions. Motherhood is messy, and I want to honor that, so I always offer tools to help my clients feel and honor their pain and discomfort without getting stuck in it.

I think there’s infinite space for more mindful mentorship in the world, because we can all relate to these moments of feeling like we’re stuck or just not connecting with our best or most fulfilled selves. Building mindful community — whether it’s having a formal mentor, a friend to call on, or a virtual community — can serve as a powerful refuge for us as we navigate all the ups and downs of life.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

I’m a Mindfulness Meditation Teacher and Mentor who specializes in supporting mothers from pregnancy through postpartum and the years beyond. The model I use is Present Parenting and it’s a gift that I love to share with others.

My first venture was a nourishing food & beverage brand for mothers. While reaching thousands of mothers, I quickly realized how valuable it felt to belong to a mindful motherhood community that deeply supported my own motherhood journey.

I received my certification as a Mindfulness and Meditation Teacher from Jack Kornfield and Tara Brach’s 2-year Mindfulness Meditation Teacher Certification Program, and then received my Awakening Joy Teacher certification from my mentor and teacher, James Baraz. I also went on to receive my Mindfulness Mentor certification via Cloud Sangha.

The root of my mindfulness work focuses on Present Parenting — a mindful approach to life that leads to increased connection with little one(s), partners, and self. All sessions are unique to my clients and led by their needs. I meet my clients exactly where they are and find practices and tools to support them through life’s unique circumstances.

Is there a particular goal or mission driving your creative journey?

My goal is to support loving connection for all of us — with ourselves, our families, our communities, and our planet. While Mindfulness & Meditation Mentorship is often branded as “coaching” or approached with a more businesslike lens, it ultimately feels like such a rich creative endeavor to me because it reconnects us with our innate, unique gifts and talents as human beings. I love helping others discover their gold within, and to be a part of that journey of unfolding that so often leads to new skills, new hobbies, increased confidence, and so much more.

We often hear about learning lessons – but just as important is unlearning lessons. Have you ever had to unlearn a lesson?

The lesson I’m constantly unlearning is that I have to be hard on myself to succeed in life. Self-compassion has been my biggest challenge and the most fulfilling lesson to learn. My baby being born fast-tracked this lesson for me, because I noticed him imitating my facial expressions from only a few weeks old. Having this mirror in front of me showed me that I pretty much live my life with a furrowed brow — a reflection of the constant stream of worry, judgment, and stress in my mind. Becoming aware of this has helped me pause and take a moment to more mindfully engage with my thoughts. When I have a little space like this, I get to realize that not all of them are true, and that I actually feel much more joyful when I’m not always being so hard on myself and believing all the negative self-talk in my head!

Contact Info:

• Website: https://miriamcruz.substack.com/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/miriamcruz1027/