DAY FOUR; The child within, mother connection, regression and rebirth

I thought yesterday's shoot was tough, little did I know what today's shoot would bring up, this one has really got me, a heart wrenching shoot, I have to say there was a part of me that wasn't going to publish this photo because it was so raw and exposing for me. It represents, the child within, the mother connection, regression and rebirth on one level and on a personal level my world as a child, a mother, my desire to retreat to a dark, warm cave, the desire to be nurtured and nourished and to nurture and nourish, as well as recognition of the rebirths we go through in life.

The foetal position is not only one a baby in the womb is in but also adults often go into this position when they sleep, I do this often. The inner picture of me in the foetal position is me not only totally raw and exposed, deep in thought but also of the desire to retreat, feel safe, warm, nurtured, nourished, to be in a dark cave away from the harshness of society. This is not a desire to run away from society rather it is a desire to retreat so that I can silently gather my strength, heal, be at one with nature and return with full mettle reborn from the old.

The foetal position also recognises the child within us all, the one we disconnect from as adults because society conditions us to 'grow up'. Children see things simply and plainly, the do things without fear, say exactly what they feel, the society moulds them, they learn to be silent, to not see things, to switch off from certain feelings and beliefs, they disconnect - they grow into the mould. Getting in touch with your inner child helps you break that disconnection. I love to do things I did as a child, painting with fingers, exploring soil with my fingers, making mud pies, making sand castles, splashing in puddles, being down right silly - it does the soul some good to be that inner child and reconnect with your true self, it heals in ways you cannot imagine and opens up your world to new possibilities.

It also recognise my role as a mother as does the larger picture of my stomach; a journey that has not been easy, fraught with difficulties and issues, some outside my control, others totally within my control, this has been the heart wrenching break of the shoot, for now I send out the love and live in hope.

Photographs by Andrea George, taken with a Nikon Coolpix P520