About the Mothersphere

Finding deeper ground ~ together

Maya Oppenlander and Laura Shaw, mothers from opposite sides of the world (Portugal and Canada), were drawn to meet and explore how the tools of mindfulness, self inquiry, the enneagram and simply being held in the presence of compassionate and aware witnessing could support their journeys as mothers.

These meetings have been healing, powerful and potent in shifting our experience of ourselves and of our experience as mothers. So we decided to open up these meetings and create this course and community as an offering to other mothers who might be struggling to find depth, joy and peace in their journey of parenting.

So often parenting brings us to our edges; it invites us to grow in ways we may resist at the time. In starting to see that each one of these situations actually is a clear signal to bring skillful attention to ourselves, we can re-frame these edges so transformative healing and a deepening of consciousness can take place. This is how we can nurture resilience, joy and authenticity in ourselves and in our children.

Both in the pre-recorded, self-paced online course and in our live meetings, Maya and Laura will be offering a space of compassionate presence where your unique challenges can be explored, and together we will support you with tools and skills to mindfully attend to them.

We are both passionate about raising children that are connected to their authenticity, their creativity and their joy and we love to offer our stories and insight on how we might approach specific circumstances that you may be encountering.

  • Personal Healing

    We use the challenging circumstances, reactivity and triggered states that arise in mothering as the basis of inquiry for personal healing. This includes compassionate and transformative resourcing for unresolved trauma.

  • Mindful Awareness and Self-Realization

    We look at the full internal and external landscape that is present in our lives and we powerfully re-frame all of it as a foundation for mindful inquiry and discovering our deep essence.

  • Children that Thrive

    An understanding of the different stages of brain development can allow us to deepen the communication and connection with our children. We also explore deliberate elements that support children of all ages to thrive.

  • Sacred Space

    The most cherished and invaluable element of the Mothersphere is the space of compassion, silence and skillful loving support that nourishes us all. Everything you bring and are is welcome here.

Watch this short video to get to know us a bit - and find out more about the Mothersphere Course and Community

"Deciding to become a mother is welcoming a personal transformation on every level. This bravery is not acknowledged enough." Tricia Rose Stone

The Mothersphere ~ Pre-Recorded Online Course

Raise your words, not your voice. It is rain that grows flowers, not thunder. ~Rumi

    1. Module 1 ~ Resourcing and Self Inquiry (40 min)

    2. Module 2 ~ Meeting our Edges (56 min)

    3. Module 3 ~ Becoming Conscious of Expectations (53 min)

    4. Module 4 ~ Rapport and Coregulation (43 min)

    5. Module 5 ~ Mindful Communication and Brain Development (34 min)

    6. Module 6 ~ Control vs. Presence (44 min)

    1. Welcome to the private on-line Mothersphere Community!

The Mothersphere Course

  • 4.5 hours of video content
  • Mothersphere Meetings ~ 4 Live on-line Q+A meetings with Maya, Laura or both of us throughout the year. This is a beautiful container where we simply meet and support each other as mamas. This is a time for you to ask questions or for guidance about the course content and your experience as you apply it to your day to day life.
  • Home Practices to enhance the teachings of each module
  • Video recordings of the lessons and meditations + written summaries and supporting home practices with each module

Laura Shaw

Living life in the small mountain town of Golden, British Columbia, Laura Shaw is a mother of three, mindfulness meditation and self inquiry teacher, leela therapist, enneagram coach and counselling hypnotherapist. Laura is passionate about supporting others in discovering their own capacity to live with mindful awareness so they can find healing, empowerment and fulfillment in their lives. Laura has a masters in environmental education and communication and has created and taught dozens of courses that focus on trauma-sensitive mindfulness, emotional regulation and cultivating a compassionate presence for parents, care-givers, early childhood educators and other groups. She has witnessed that when participants explore mindfulness and self inquiry with sincerity and lean into these skills when challenges arise, they are able to find a new depth of honesty, awareness and compassion in all relationships and circumstances. www.laurapshaw.com

Maya Oppenlander

For most of her life Maya Oppenländer has been researching the human potential with curiosity. The quality of a relationship is what makes the difference - and this starts with the quality of our relationship with ourselves. A mother of four she explored life's potential right at home with her children. Working in an active school gave her deep insights into the developmental stages and needs of human beings. It is in the family that our "normal" is taking shape. Working with couples and families brings her close to the vulnerability in each human being, as well as to the potential for deep, meaningful connection. She supports parents to live up to life's invitation for healing and maturing through raising children. Through clinical hypnotherapy, leela therapy, running couples and family courses to build stable foundations as well as offering private counseling she invites people into their full potential. Her experiences from living off-grid in Portugal in a self sustainable setting deepened her understanding of how we human beings are meant to live from a place of deep inner connectedness. Her trauma informed approach takes our basic needs into account and supports our true maturity through self-parenting, a kind practice to deepen and anchor your self-love and authenticity. She teaches the wisdom mirror of the enneagram in the tradition of the fourth way. Her life experience is merging with her professional tools to offer you transformational support. You find more about her offers and work on www.aminya.org

Your investment

We understand that finances can be tricky - so please choose the payment option that most suits your current situation. Your one-time purchase of the 6-module Mothersphere course also gives you access to 4 Mothersphere gatherings and instant membership to our private online community of wise and caring Mamas. (*prices are in Cdn Dollars)