Abundance is Your Birthright

You are worthy of the good health, peace, wealth that you desire.

Abundance is my birthright ✨
Comment “Yes” is you’re claiming this over your life.

I remember when I first began adopting this new mindset. It slowly started happening in 2017. At least that's when I can recall BOLDLY accepting the assignment. I had been slowly stepping into my sense of self-discovery and leaping heart wide open into the wellness realm. Becoming certified as Integrative Nutrition Coach, I had already been making my own changes and supporting women since 2015 but in 2018 while taking a shower I heard a voice say you have to go to California. It wasn’t subtle either. I immediately hit my girls up and started planning to go for my birthday in February.

But as the universe would have it I wouldn’t go in February as I planned but would go as it was designed in May 2018. In LaJolla I had my breakthrough. I got the answers, the tools, the excitement, the confirmation. I feel like that trip was the anointing oil my spirit needed.

I had just left my corporate job of 11yrs a few months prior in March and I just kept stepping out on faith ever since.

When did you realize that abundance was your birthright?

It’s okay if you were today years old. Now that you know, manifest accordingly 💫

Click on *Coach with Cathy coaching sessions are now OPEN for Fall! Offering you solutions to effectively implement the 4M’𝐬 into their lifestyle through 𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐝𝐟𝐮𝐥 𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠, having an empowered 𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐝𝐬𝐞𝐭, ways to stay committed by honoring your body through 𝐦𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 & nourishing your soul through 𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐩. ❤︎

Moms need a break y’all. After this pandemic, (that’s still happening btw) quarantining, distance / virtual learning with their kids for a year, endless emails from their kids’ schools about every single thing that happens in a day to keep everyone fully informed and present as if it was a normal school year. We are all exhausted. 

I thank God for the partner, best friend, a husband that I have. When it comes to our kids there are no gender rules. It’s all hand on deck. 100/100. 

My husband pretty much packed my bags for me when I told him about a quick girls trip I was invited to. Grateful for that. I was so weary leaving my 21 months old but daddy got it. He’s so good y’all. 

I couldn’t stop hugging hun when I got home. It hasn’t always been like this. That’s a whole mother blog for another day. Marriage is hard but a lot of us make things more difficult than they need to be. 

Here are some simple tips you can start doing today that will have you feeling amazing and conquering your day.

Stretch before you go to bed. 

Stretching before bed relaxes you. You get all the kinks out from your day. It increases flexibility. Helps you get a good night’s restful sleep. Stretching relieves your body of tightness. And it feels so so good. 

Drink your favorite cup of tea before bed. 

This is also a way to relax. A hot cup of tea always relaxes me and makes me go slower. Can’t gulp down a cup of tea. It’s just you, your thoughts, and a cup of tea. Best time to grab a notebook or journal to capture those million-dollar ideas. 

Wake up early when the house is quiet to pray, journal, and meditate. 

We all need more time. If we make the effort to wake up earlier each morning we already giving ourselves a leg up from the rest of the world. I love it when it’s dark and I rise before the sun. It’s hard in the beginning especially for new moms, nursing moms, etc but the benefits are endless. I feel like I get so much done when I wake up before my husband and children. 

Drink more water during the day. 

Keeping yourself hydrated helps with weight management. Water keeps you hydrated and keeps your skin looking supple and beautiful. Your body needs more water. Did you know by the time your thirsty you’re already dehydrated? Drink up, Sis. 

*Tip to get more water in throughout the day is to start from the moment you wake up. 

Eat nutritious foods. 

You can’t outwork bad eating habits. Eating nutritious foods manages your weight, keeps you energized. If you’re feeling, bloated, keep like your brain is fuzzy, feeling irritable all the time. It’s time you start changing up your eating. Whether it’s portion control, IF, or whatever your choice eat according to your goals. Most importantly eat real food. Here’s my favorite on to go healthy superfoods protein shake

Exercise 4-5+ days a week. 

Staying active is the best medicine for your mind body and spirit. It’s the healthiest pick-me-up our bodies could ask for. Don’t know where to start? Time to get yourself a coach/accountability partner. Here are great tools that I set up my fit sisters and clients with, tools that will keep you strong healthy, and learning how to eat according to your goals in no time.  Click to enroll and join my Fit Fam

Plan ahead for your day/week. 

Planning ahead allows you to keep on track. It helps you see what’s working and what isn’t. We all have more than enough hurdles and surprises that come our way during the week. If we could plan a day/week we can properly pivot and shift when needed without all the stress and energy it would take us if we didn’t plan. Also, mom-brain is a real thing. If it’s not in my notes/calendar it’s not happening. It’s just an idea. Here’s a dope empowering journal to get the juices going.

Check-in with yourself nightly. 

checking in with yourself keeps you honest and accountable about your tasks, assignments, projects, and goals. It brings the awareness back to self and allows you to pinpoint areas that need more time and work. 

Queens put you back on your to-do list. Join my Virtual Feel Good BootCamp

Your sistar in wellness,

XO Cathy

“I’m here to challenge processes by doing the work. Leaning into my spiritual beliefs, my culture, ready to share some beautiful traditions for the first 40 days and beyond. Because postpartum is forever. ”

— Cathleen Benjamin

Oct 2020 I declared that in 2021 I would become a doula. In January, I registered for a scholarship, which I ended up not getting. Then I saw a chance to win another scholarship for a virtual doula training which I really wanted to take and a cohort I thought I really wanted to be a part of. Again I didn’t get the scholarship. I thanked God for giving the scholarships to those who really needed them.  Perhaps they were more “ready” for this work than I.

End of February, another opportunity came up to register for yet another scholarship with another cohort. This time I heard back and the email read congratulations!! I would start 12 weeks of training only a few days later for a full-spectrum doula training. After completing the training in early June I registered and received another scholarship but this time for level 2 an Intensive Postpartum Doula Training. I’m so dang happy and excited about this. 

I told my husband he can now refer to me as a scholarship baddie. 😂 

In Sept 2020, I said to a friend that I was considering becoming an IBCLC providing lactation support. But after that day the doula idea weighed heavily on me.  It kept ringing in my ear. “You should do this.” I resisted it at first. I didn’t understand why I would be called to do this. But then I remembered why not? Why not Be what you needed or wish you had for someone else?

“So I fasted and called on my ancestors.”

So I fasted and I called on my ancestors.

FWD to 2019 I became fascinated with birth. I would watch births all day long. In total awe. Some made me shout and give God immediate praise. Others made me cry. 

I found myself watching them over and over. Holding my breath. Feeling all the feels while carrying Baby Moon 🌙 completely fascinated by it. I credited it to be pregnant. But this was not something I was able to do in the past or ever.

The first time I almost assisted birth was in 2006 with my godson. I walked in just to greet my cousin but I was asked to stay. Before I knew it I was holding the mother of his child’s legs apart and telling her to push. I didn’t get to see the entire birth as I only stopped in to say hello so btw contractions I made my way out to let other families go in to greet the soon-to-be parents.

With all my births I felt like I was alone. No one who looked like me, in my corner to advocate for me, who I could talk to about my fears, my excitement, my regrets without judgment. 

No one to help equip me with the knowledge that would make me feel empowered to give birth wherever I decided to give birth whether in a hospital, at home, or birthing center. I turned to mom groups but some of the things were toxic, very judgy, mean even and packed with stories of trauma so I chose to disengage for my own mental health.

When I had my first child I had a bout with postpartum depression and just went through the motions. I learned about how serious it could get watching The Oprah Winfrey Show back in 2005. 

With Baby Moon 🌙  at almost 25 wks, I changed my OBGYN. It was very clear that I wanted a black doctor because even if you lived under a rock you by now read a story about the soaring rates of black maternity mortality rates and those ideas began to surface for me. The explicit and implicit biases when treating black women. So I did what I knew I had to do. Also, I desired to have more options that the hospital would not give me. So we thought about home births, we settled on a beautiful birthing facility over 45mins out of town to get the birth we desired. Hubby wanted a lotus birth. I wanted a water birth. Dreamed of it we got all the things but at 36weeks 5 days found out Baby Moon 🌙 was breech transverse and that our plans may be derailed. 

This time I felt safe and cared for and felt like they listened to me and my concerns. Even when I scheduled my c-section there was so much compassion on the other end of the line when the office manager called me to schedule my cesarean birth. 

Before the office manager, my Dr called while on vacation with her family, on a Saturday morning and her voice was so soothing I broke down. I sobbed so hard and loud and she just listened when I got quiet she affirmed me and spoke life over me. I don’t know that many have stories that play out like this. 

I want to make my future clients feel SEEN, understood, supported, and empowered.

This is the most beautiful and most sacred work that I am walking ever so empowered into. 

Now also a full spectrum doula in training I will be specializing in the sacredness and forgotten part of birth which is postpartum healing. I’m here to be part of the change I wish to see. 

I’m here to challenge processes by doing the work. Interpersonal work. Leaning into my spiritual beliefs, my culture, and ready to share some beautiful traditions for the first 40 days and beyond. Because postpartum is forever.

Leaning on my ancestors HEAVILY for this world I’m entering.

My healing, transformative journey has unleashed a wellness warrior and advocate and I’m here to help empower support love on some birthing families. 

Allow me to continuously re-introduce myself as your wellness advocate, holistic wellness accountability coach, and now full spectrum doula (in training). 

ONWARD!!! Let’s Grow

I’ve had quite a few mommas reach out to me about their struggles with postpartum. Mommas complaining about their mommy pouch, and more recently those who have #diastasisrecti as I do. This is a separation in your abdomen that can happen while growing a baby, which can be frustrating because it may seem like no matter what you do your stomach just doesn’t get flat. The #4thtrimester can be rough. It’s not just 6wks, 3mths, or 42wks. 🗣Postpartum is forever. 

Mommas, there is hope. This all requires healing. Healing sometimes takes time. Keep in mind there are some workouts you simply shouldn’t be doing and a trained expert can tell you that. There are many workouts I don’t do because I know it will only make things worse or prolong the healing process. 

I have dedicated my time to learning how to heal my gut, my diastasis recti, and today’s 2nd workout was dedicated solely to postpartum healing, breathing exercises, and healing and strengthening my core muscles (front and back). 

We carried beautiful life into this world. It took 10mths to do so. Take the same time and dedication to healing.