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
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 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. Please
contact us with your
questions about mindful parenting or to share a mindful parenting
experience. The Mindful Parent conducts mindful parenting
workshops and seminars. We are devoted to working with
you to enhance your ability to "be" with your children, and to experience
the bliss that awaits you.
The Daily Sip:
Your Child's Body Temperature
And The Sun
Our day to day experience takes us in many directions,
often without notice. While we try to plan, there is much in
this world that cannot be anticpated. Sometimes we are pleasantly
surprised with what materializes. And, at other times we
are disappointed.
The art of mindful living is to embrace all
that crosses our path for what it is -- an expression of the
present moment. When things become uncomfortable, we know
deep inside that there is nothing to be gained by resisting. We
intuit that our energy is better directed at responding to the
situation at hand. And, of course, when things are proceeding
smoothly, we do not want to risk disrupting them.
The practice
of mindful parenting can help open awareness to the heart of the present
moment. Awareness of the presence of our child, when felt
deeply, guides us into the here and now. Awareness of our
child's body temperature is one such pathway.
Deep inside my child's body
There
is an energy
As powerful as the sun
Our child's body is its own vast cosmos,
with its own sun. While, from time to time there are unprectable
and perhaps undesirable fluctuations in our child's body temperature,
just as the Earth is warmed by the sun, so to our child's
body is warmed by an internal sun. This is a beautiful
reminder that while life bounces us around, there is a stabilizing
force that transcends the moment.
Today, look to the sun
and really "feel" the termperature. When you do, recite
today's verse and open to the extraordinary beauty of your child's
presence on this Earth. Sense the sun, inside your child's body,
regulating so many functions and sustaining your child.
