For one hour, we asked moms to let go of the pressure of holding everything together, and just be.
Hi, Bagong Nanay!
Long time no write! Since September, I’ve been busy with a lot of things – we had our Bagong Nanay Milktea Meetup in Manila, I went on TikTok Live for the first time and shared my lived experience with postpartum depression in time for World Mental Health Day, and of course, I became busy organizing Lipad, Bagong Nanay, our first event this year in collaboration with Elite Aerial Arts and The Fitness Advocate. Pasabog!
Before my birth month ends, I just wanted to share three things I realized while I was in a studio with 12 Bagong Nanays. Grabe, nagtugma ang mga schedule namin, and they showed up for an Introduction to Aerial Arts class with Teach Nesh Zamora and Ms. Jo Valle. Also, my documentary photographer friend Martin San Diego was there too, to capture this important event for our community of moms.
3 Things Aerial Arts Taught Me As a Mother
I can do hard things outside of motherhood, together with other moms.
Honestly, as someone who isn’t into dancing and hasn’t been into any physical activity or sport recently, trying Aerial Arts was definitely not in my BINGO card or bucket list. It’s something that’s clearly out of my league.
I first appreciated Aerial Arts when I went to Ms. Jo’s recital in UP Diliman. I was there only to support her, and in my head I was like, “Wow! Ang galing. Pero never ko gagawin yan.”
But I guess, never say never! So when I finally arrived at the Elite Aerial Arts Studio in Maginhawa, there’s no turning back. All the moms in the Bagong Nanay group who signed up arrived, and it’s game time.
I asked them if they’ve been doing any workout or sport lately, and most of us said the same thing: motherhood was our only workout. And so we did some warm-up exercises and stretching, and I realized my husband’s right all along to keep bugging me to start moving. He plays basketball kasi. Ako naman, breastfeeding. Lol
We were introduced to hammocks as our apparatus for the class. Despite not being with my children, I couldn’t fully focus on Teach Nesh’s instructions just because there were still a lot of tabs open in my head. Not tasks, but thoughts. Limiting beliefs that maybe I couldn’t do it, why am I even here, or that I was just going to hurt myself so there’s no point in trying.
But Teach Nesh was very patient with us, giving us one-on-one guidance until all of us were able to try. To be in a room with moms wearing sportswear and playing with the hammocks made me so emotional. We were doing this hard thing together, and no one’s judging us.
When I heard one mom said, “Ayun, nakalipad na rin!” That’s when I knew every effort to make this class happen was all worth it.
That feeling of being upside down, supported by a hammock is soooo good.
The moment Teach Nesh helped me to do an inverted pose, it felt like floating. Everything was quiet, except for her voice. Even the doubts in my head were silenced. I was holding on for dear life, but also, my heart was so happy. For a mom to experience a few minutes, upside down, like Spiderman, I swear it was therapeutic!
And when you listen to Teach Nesh and be able to do some of the poses, like Arabesque, the feeling of achieving something with your own body, is just so good. Even if it’s scary at first, it makes you want do it again.
She would remind us many times that it’s okay to let go, the hammock’s got your back, and it’s like she’s talking to our inner selves, asking us to trust our village, even the Lord, that we don’t have to carry all the weight of motherhood on our own. Nuks!
This is your sign to do something that makes you come alive. Kahit na mahirap, madaming maaabala, okay lang. Take up space. And what I love about Elite Aerial Arts is that, you can bring your child with you sa studio! They have a space and toys prepared for the kids! Wala ka nang excuse.
If there’s something fun you are afraid to try, bring the moms with you.
The bravest, strongest people I know are mothers. Fight me.
That’s why I realized after our Aerial Arts class, that if I have any fantasy or want to try something I’ve been putting off because nanay na ako, I just need to ask the moms at the Bagong Nanay Community who wants to join. These moms have survived childbirth and face struggles daily, there’s nothing they couldn’t do. We just proved na kahit na sobrang haggard, sobrang busy, ang daming iniisip, kayang lumipad ng mga Bagong Nanay.
All you need is to secure their schedules because they don’t have all the time in the world! If you are a mom and you don’t have a community yet, you are welcome to join us. I want to work hard so we can have more side quests for Bagong Nanays next year!
My next fantasy is to try the Vixen Sexy Flow class at Elite Aerial Arts. I told my husband about it and he’s 100% supportive. Hahaha! Parang G na G din naman ang mga Bagong Nanays when I asked them who wants to join me!
To all the Bagong Nanays who joined me in this class, you are forever in my heart. This is such a memorable experience that I will remember for a long time.
So, see you at the next class, Bagong Nanay? Comment below or send me a message on @bagongnanay to join our Viber group!
Special thanks to Teach Nesh Zamora of Elite Aerial Arts Studio and Ms. Jo Valle of the Fitness Advocate for this unforgettable experience for the Bagong Nanays!
Watch my highlights reel on TikTok here.
Elite Aerial Arts is located at 3rd Floor, 143 Maginhawa Street, Sikatuna Village, Diliman, Quezon City, Philippines. Follow Elite on Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube.
Follow The Fitness Advocate on Facebook and Instagram. Subscribe to its email newsletter here.
Follow Martin San Diego on Instagram and see his works here.
