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.
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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.
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The Daily Sip: The Eyes Have It
We are all connected to each other. During
times of tragedy and disaster, we naturally tap into this connection.
Still, much of the time, it is difficult to perceive this deep connection.
The hectic world in which we live, coupled with our "instincts"
for survival, overwhelm the grounded interconnectedness
that we would otherwise feel and would bring us comfort.
It
is said that a newborn's eyes are practically the same size as an
adult's and that as the child develops, the eyes remain roughly the
same size. If this is so, then when you look into another person's
eyes, you are seeing the eyes of a newborn.
In your eyes
I see the eyes of a child
My child
Today, when you are speaking with someone or looking
at a person, look into their eyes and recite the above verse. Whether
you are having a fun loving easy time, or a difficult time with the
person, remember that, not long ago, they were a child. Do they
still laugh with the carefree joy of a child or have they become
reserved, perhaps sullen?
Allow the cue of a child's eyes to
open awareness to your child, wherever he or she may be. As
you look into the eyes, breathe deeply and slowly. Relax and
drop your shoulders. Smile as you bring to mind your
child's beautiful eyes. The eyes you remember from your child's early
childhood -- the eyes you know today.
