23. How My Logo Symbolizes a Framework for Moms to Flourish

Happy Suzday, Everyone! 🌸

At the time of this recording, I’m finishing the last course of a Master’s degree in Integral Health with a concentration in Yoga Therapy at CIHS in Encinitas, California. When I first began this journey, I was a stay-at-home mom with a one-year-old son, juggling some contract work and trying to figure out how to get movement and self-care into my routine. But, as you can maybe relate—sticking to a daily routine as a mom wasn’t feasible for long.

The unpredictability of family life—like sleepless nights due to teething—meant that some things, like getting adequate rest, took priority over everything else. Navigating early motherhood while also being a student was a lot, but it has led to some awesome discoveries while integrating my personal experiences into my academic research.

Talking with friends who are also moms gave me ideas for term paper topics, like time pressure, sleep deprivation and aging, gender expectations, invisible labor, and how pregnancy and postpartum affect the brain.

What I quickly realized, as one does, is that becoming a mother—what we call matrescence, a term I learned from author Lucy Jones (2023) —is an incredibly complex process that touches every area of our lives. And I needed a framework to understand it all, both personally and academically.

If you’ve worked with me in the past, you’ve heard me talk about frameworks before, and today, I want to share how my new logo symbolizes a framework that helps us make sense of the overwhelming complexity of motherhood, and ensure that we’re not leaving out anything vital.

Welcome to Yoga for Mom-Life. I’m Susana Jones and I help Moms who are struggling to factor their needs into raising a family. With on-demand yoga vignettes that relieve tension and build your vitality, the daily grind looks and feels more like thriving. Start today with a free download at yogaformomlife.com.

So, in my first year of the Master’s program, I found myself burned out after our household got rocked by an intense case of COVID, which disrupted a lot of things, including my son’s weaning at 22 months. Later, I’d realize that I had postpartum depression, and took academic leave to recover. 

Once my healthy baseline was re-established, our son started DayCare, and I got back to work with a newfound humility and appreciation for what Moms endure, even after the one year mark, when OB/GYNS consider the postpartum period over.

Now, I knew I wanted to offer a yoga-based solution for the kinds of early motherhood struggles that don’t require a doctor’s visit. But first, I needed a framework to help me make sense of it all - one that embraces the complexity of the maternal experience without reducing it to just one dimension. 

If I’ve learned one thing from being a mother and talking with other Moms, solving an issue requires considering so many interrelated parts. I notice that Moms check out a little when someone tries to give them a simple piece of advice to a complex problem. 

Because every shift—whether it’s getting used to being extra vigilant over an infant’s safety, or the shift from being a working professional to a stay-at-home Mom— is big on it’s own - and feeds into a much bigger picture. 

How these changes in early motherhood ripples through a woman’s physiology, mind emotions, relationships, society, and the systems we rely upon is like looking through a kaleidoscope: you can’t focus on just one thing, cause it’s so dynamic and ever-changing.

There’s beauty, there’s fun, there’s body horror, there’s rage against tiny machines, there’s peace, there’s work, there’s loss, there’s fulfillment. It’s a real trip, as you know. And yoga is a fitting practice that helps us be the one holding the kaleidoscope, rather than being one of the beads getting tumbled around in it. 

Ah, I love a metaphor.

 So that’s where a conceptual framework can really help us Moms stay centered and engaged where it really counts. 

This one comes from Integral Theory, developed by philosopher Ken Wilber. His four-quadrant model helps us examine the internal, external, individual and collective dimensions of any experience (Wilber et al., 2008, pp. 28-37), including motherhood. 

And I think this framework comes naturally to moms.

For example, when you plan a family trip—you think about all the travel logistics, what everyone needs in terms of food and sleeping arrangements, what family dynamics are in play. You try to balance everyone’s needs and make sure the experience works for the whole family, right? 

This is a four-quadrant approach, and I’m sure you’ve used it in some way before, because you’re a Mom, and it’s what we do so things don’t fall apart. And we might even get annoyed when the people we rely upon don’t consider “all the things.”

My Logo Symbolism

Now, when designing my new logo for this podcast and my online yoga studio, I wanted it to reflect this approach. With the help of brand designer Katie Morone, we created a four-petaled design representing those four quadrants, each one being devoted to what is vital for the inside and outside of both an individual, and the collective. 

• The upper-left petal represents your inner-world, of thoughts, emotions, and mental health.

• The upper-right petal represents the body, and what it needs to be healthy, like sleep, nutrition, and movement.

• The lower-right petal represents social structures and systems that impact your well-being.

• The lower-left petal represents cultural norms and expectations around motherhood.

You don’t need to memorize this. That’s my job; but let the idea splash around in your mind a bit. I find that contemplating these quadrants is a little psychoactive, which is fun for your brain.

The gentle curves of the four petals symbolize the learning curves we find ourselves on in these four domains of a well-integrated life.

And the space in the center invites you to “come as you are”, unwind, and experience your wholeness. 

Because there’s nothing missing about you, and there’s always more that’s right about you than not. If that weren’t the case, you would already be dead! Think about it :)

Something I especially love about Katie’s design is that it doesn’t all fit into a perfect circle. The outer edges aren’t perfectly smooth, which gives me a sense that this is an honest and accessible approach to living a balanced life as a Mom.

Yoga offers wisdom and time-honored practices to support us in each of these quadrants. 

• For the Inner-Self,

• the Yamas & Niyamas cultivate self-compassion and mindfulness. Turning our senses inward, as in Pratyahara, helps us manage sensory overload and reset when we feel overstimulated

• For the Outer-self

• Physical postures, Asana releases tension and strengthens the body beyond while 

• Vital breathwork, Pranayama, regulates the stress response and restores energy.

• For the Systems we rely on, 

• Ahimsa (non-violence) extends beyond the self to social change, calling for better maternal support systems

• While the service-mindset of Karma Yoga can help us align our actions with the changes we wish to see in the world.

• For the Collective, whether that’s your family unit our our broader culture,

• Santosha can bring us a higher degree of life satisfaction within our child’s current developmental phase

• Self-study, known as Svadhyaya, encourages reflection on cultural expectations and our personal roles within them.

• Meditation, Dhyana is the culmination of these practices, which ties everything together—bringing a deep sense of peaceful presence that ripples outward into every aspect of our lives.

As you can probably tell, these quadrants aren’t mutually exclusive. They’re interrelated, and there are so many practical aspects of yoga philosophy that fit into these four domains of life,which work together in the form of a more balanced life as a Mom.

Practice makes progress, and we know that growth is not linear.

A Bigger Picture of Motherhood

In becoming mothers, our sense of self undergoes a huge transformation. For the first months and years of our child’s life, we often put their needs above our own. And then, as they become more independent, we can re-enage with our physical health, community, causes that resonate, and planting seeds for the future.

This isn’t about drastically changing things overnight, although the potential for a major course correction is always available to us. Ultimately, it’s about finding balance in a way that makes sense for you. Whether you’re using it for personal well-being or as an organization addressing larger systemic issues in maternal health, which is important in the U.S. (Nguyen, 2021), this approach provides a roadmap for sustainable growth and integration.

If you’ve ever felt fragmented or lost in motherhood, I hope this framework helps you see that if one area of your life becomes too much to handle, you can lean into the others for support. You’re not alone, and there is room for you to evolve and contribute in all aspects of your life.

If this episode resonated with you, I’d love it if you would rate this show, so other moms can find these insights when they need them most. 

To experience a month of unlimited yoga in my online studio, plus a gorgeous collection of self-care products made by women-owned companies, head on over to Caring for Mama. Their curated care packages are designed with you in mind. Our collaboration is one of so many things happening in our world these days to support maternal well-being. Join the movement at CaringforMama.co.

Thanks for tuning in, and sharing this show with the Moms you love. It’s Yoga for Mom-Life, and it’s about time.

References

Arora, I. (2019). Yoga: Ancient heritage tomorrow’s vision. YogSadhna Inc.

Jones, L. (2023) Matrescence: On pregnancy, childbirth, and motherhood. Pantheon.

Nguyen, D. (2021). Pills, teas, & songs: Stories of medicine around the world. New Degree Press.

Wilber, K., Patten, T., Leonard, A., Morelli, M. (2008). Integral life practice: A 21st-century blueprint for physical health, emotional balance, mental claity, and spiritual awakening. Integral Books.