Adoption is an integrated part of our family life and home. Although it is familiar territory to us, I am often surprised at how abnormal it is to most people. The “Bango” sign on our bathroom door in Italian (in honor of the ethnicities of one of my kids) or the “Adoption is Love” apron I wear in the kitchen seem to always spark conversations with any new guests in our home.
And if you don’t notice it on our walls and clothes, you will notice it come up daily in our conversations. Sometimes it is in the questions my kids ask, like “Mom, why is that baby eating her mommy’s boob?” or “Why didn’t I grow in your belly?” Sometimes it comes up in conversations, like how excited they are to tell their friends how they just got to see their birth mother at the park. Or having dear friends call and tell me they just got word they are adopting a baby! Adoption is all around me and my family! For those within our adoption community, this may not sounds unique, but it still sounds crazy to most of the world.
Another unique aspect to my family, however, is how we have chosen to support our children and their individual needs. Children are like snowflakes: every one is uniquely designed (yet made of the same elements). Although my children’s DNA and tendencies are different, some of the same issues and challenges look a lot alike. These challenges introduced our family to energy work . . . which is the source of some of the craziest things you may see me and my children doing if you were to spend a day in our house.
Let me explain what this looks like in my house. Every day before school my boys do Brain Gym exercises. Brain Gym is a set of postures (modified from ancient eastern practices like Tai Chi, Yoga, Karate, and more) used to change the chemical reactions and ultimately functionality of one’s brain. Cross Crawl and Hook-Up are things my kids did by the time they are old enough to do downward facing dog in yoga, which most of my kids have done since they were babies (I was a yoga instructor for over ten years). They are particularly drawn to the meditation/relaxation part at the end of class. These exercises are particularly effective in helping my kids calm down and focus. Although everybody can benefit from meditation and brain exercises, it has been life changing for my kids with ADHD and Anxiety.
At this point you may be wondering if there is a connection between adoption and energy work. The answer (for us personally) is how one led to the other. On a regular basis, we are talking one of my kids down from a proverbial ledge. Whether the emotion creating the crisis is from life experiences, negative self talk, anxiety, attachment issues, primal wounds, trauma and/or any other label you want to give it . . . my kids have some extra “stuff” they deal with. Their needs have sent me on a path of education and learning.
It would not be out of the ordinary to see me or one of my kids “tapping.” Tapping (or EFT) is a form of acupuncture therapy and talk therapy. In our house muscle testing (a form of kinesiology) and positive affirmations are every day practices like prayer and kisses. It clears our minds from negative beliefs about ourselves and life, and allows us to create love and joy instead. I love having these CRAZY tools in my tool belt. They come in handy when my kids do unexpected (or maybe not-so-unexpected) things like locking me out of the house, making holes in my walls with their fists, or running away!
You may now be thinking . . . we really are crazy! And we may be crazy, but energy work has saved my kids from self-destruction. We are still a work in progress, but along the way my kids have learned skills and tools empowering them to create more positivity, peace, and reassurance in themselves and the world around them. We believe our kids were sent to us for specific reasons, and to teach us about the crazy world of energy is one of them!
