Mama Bear Lodge

MAMA BEAR LODGE

The Lodge is in a large yurt, shaded by beautiful trees, centrally located to the main gathering grounds and the hearth fire. Inside you will find a safe haven with blankets, pillows, safe toys, and other amenities for mamas, caregivers, and babes under the age of 3. We honor the process and needs of mothers with young children and the lodge is a safe container to ground, find care, someone to exchange stories with, or a moment’s rest. This space is available outside of class times. Classes held in this space are in the realms of Mothering and Birthing; babe-friendly for them to attend with you. When a class is held in the Lodge there is an alternate communal Tent space available in the Mama Bear Camp.

MAMA BEAR CAMP

Camp is located closest to the main gathering grounds. These grounds are reserved for expecting mamas, mamas and caregivers with babe(s). There is a central communal tent to host mamas, caregivers, and babes at any time of the day and night. This space was created with the intention of communal gathering where mamas and caregivers can wind down in the company of others. With questionable weather conditions, this space also offers shelter from the storm in community. No classes are held here, mamas and caregivers have full access at all times. This tent will also offer blankets, pillows, toys, and other amenities for mamas, caregivers, and babes under the age of 3.

LIVING ON THE LAND

We are blessed to hold this gathering under the cedars among the Illinois River shores where we are living in tune with mother nature. Camping is the primary source of shelter during the gathering. There are options for renting tents or yurts individually or shared, which provides ease for mamas traveling solo. These spaces are limited and we encourage you to book these accommodations after purchasing your ticket. We acknowledge the diverse challenges of traveling with a babe to camp in the forest. We are here to support you while navigating this experience. If you are traveling far with a young baby, or this is your first time camping, it may be optimal for your self-care to coordinate camping with another attendee or by inviting a family member along to share in the experience. Breakfast and Dinner are lovingly prepared with local and organic ingredients. All meals are served and eaten outside. Lunch is not provided. Lunch can be purchased from the food vendor at the gathering. You can bring your own food or collaborate on meals as well.

NOTEWORTHY

Everyone’s journey is unique. The facilities available at the gathering may go above and beyond what you are accustomed to. They may, on the other hand, feel primitive to some. In light of this, we would encourage you to familiarize yourself with the facilities available at Cedar Bloom. The SWG Village

We are always learning and transforming to enhance the way we support our mamas and caregivers. Every year we receive the question of whether or not you should bring your little babe(s) to the gathering. This question must be answered individually. We hold you in our hearts and understand the need or desire to bring your children to the gathering. Our hope is to offer a clear picture of what to expect and what we offer to mamas and caregivers. So you are empowered in making the decision of whether or not to bring your babe(s).

As a mama you know the amount of care and attention you provide your babe(s) and more often than not we tend to lose our self-care practice and other connections to ourselves. If you are receiving the call to ground and reconnect with yourself, voice, body, spirit, and soul then we suggest that you attend without your babe(s) to indulge in complete presence allowing true transformation to manifest. If you do not have circumstances that make it possible for you to come without your babe(s), the Mama Bear Lodge is here to hold space for you all along your journey through the gathering. 

Ali McWeeny

Ali is a babe wearing, breastfeeding, mouth-to-breast self-expressing, adaptive athlete, powerlifter, coach, creator, artist, reusing, minimalist, sexually fluid, feral, barefoot, aware and present being. Passion for natural movement and holistic health has diverted Ali from the formal education platform to organic, raw, radical and wild discovery. Conscious and feral m(other)/mentor to Dakota Emerson (3) and River Run Wild (1). Traveling from Central Washington to serve as a co-facilitator, they hold space for all caregivers and beings in the Mama Bear Lodge and Camp. Ali is passionate in providing an inclusive, open, safe space for all beings to ground, connect, weave, nourish and sprout new ideas through and beyond each other.

Heather Musser

Heather lives with her partner Alex and littles in western Washington near the Olympic Peninsula. Together they reside on the land of the Twana Skokomish people. They inhabit the land with reverence and gratitude for the past and future generations of Skokomish people who lead the way in stewardship. Heather is a full-time at-home guide and mama to Joaquin 10 and EverFree 5. After leaving an isolating extremist religion Heather has been on a path of awakening and self-discovery, unwinding and unlearning biased conditioning, weaving and living her individual truth. Heather is queer, non-monogamous, creative, passionate about wellness, and cannabis and psilocybin friendly.  

As co-facilitator of Mama Bear Lodge and Camp, Heather is looking forward to connecting with, supporting, and sharing inspiration with mothers from all walks of life. Recognizing that the act of mothering spans a broad spectrum of identity, her intention for Mama Bear Lodge and Camp is to nurture an inclusive and safe environment for all the Mamas and caregivers at the Gathering.