Experiencing
the Joy of Connecting With Our Children
Beautiful scene
Many parents
Many children
Mindful Parenting is a contemplative practice through which we become more mindful of our children and, in doing so, experience a more joyful life.
The
Mindful Parent is an organization devoted to sharing with parents
and other child caregivers ways in which to enhance the many joys
of parenting. By mindfully attending to our children, both when
we are physically present with them and when we are physically separated
from them, we can enhance our sense of connection to them and, in
turn, our connection to the cosmos. This makes us a better parent,
a happier person, and a more vital human being.
To facilitate
a more mindful approach to parenting, The Mindful Parent publishes
on its website, and in its bi-weekly
newsletter, mindful parenting
verses
and commentaries. The Mindful Parent website also serves as
a community forum that encourages and supports a mindful parenting
dialogue and the sharing of mindful parenting experiences.
In
the spirit of developing a mindful parenting community, we encourage
you to
submit a mindful parenting experience through verse,
commentary, and imagery to share with others. We believe that
through our collective experience, we can help each other develop
a deeper and more meaningful mindful parenting practice.
Click here to learn more about making a submssion. We thank
everyone who has contributed or is considering making this very compassionate
contribution.
Click
here to learn what recent events are taking place
and of changes to The Mindful Parent website. Please
contact
us with your questions about mindful parenting or to share a mindful
parenting experience. We are devoted to working with you to
enhance your ability to "be" with your children, and to experience
the bliss that awaits you.
Your
mindful parenting practice tip
of the day.
Be sure to
sip slowly
(c) 2003-2004 Zen Health. All rights reserved.
The
Mindful Parent is a servicemark of Zen Health.
The
Mindful Parent
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Wednesday September 1, 2004
The Morning Sip:
Your Child In Every Leaf
Much of our time is spent identifying
with the internal chatter in our mind. We can become so absorbed
in our thoughts that we detach from what is actually taking place
in the present moment. The practice of mindful parenting brings
us back into the here and now.
Regardless of where you live,
you probably have trees and plant life growing around you. Whether this
life is in abundance or sprouting out of and around cement sidewalks
and roads, it can serve as a wonderful cue to the practice of
mindful parenting.
In
every leaf
I
see my beautiful child
This verse reminds us of the extraordinary
presence of our child in our life. Today, as you pass trees
and plants (whether you are speeding past in your car or casually
strolling alongside) visualize or sense your child's face in every
leaf. This exercise should be an easy one that naturally happens.
It reorients you to the present moment.
As you spot the
flora, breathe deeply and relax your shoulders. Soften your
gaze and allow the imagery to fill the scenery. Sense your child's
smiling face everywhere there is green.
Smile as you absorb your
child's ever presence. Your child, like the trees and plants,
is a part of nature.
