Sign up for The Mindful Parent newsletter and receive
information and tips on mindful parenting. It's easy, free, and
fulfilling.
The
Morning Sip: Wake Up and Awaken
Each morning when you wake up,
a new day awaits. Your body has rested and much of the world
has rested. The sun is against the horizon and rising.
Birds wing their way across the sky in search of food.
Businesses open and traffic begin to swell. It is a time filled
with natural awakening and with the routine of society.
When
you open your eyes in the morning, awaken to the presence of your
child in your life. Perhaps your child sleeps with you, has
climbed in bed with you, or rests in his or her own bed. There
is a routine to morning time that can overwhelm the natural awakening
of this moment, even if your beautiful child is cradled against you,
or is smiling broadly at you as you open your eyes. It is a
routine that overwhelms especially when the morning is rushed.
Today
(or tomorrow, if this morning's morning has already passed) when you
open your eyes, really wake up.
A new day has arrived
Let me look deeply
Into my child's eyes
And see the sun
Recite this verse when you become aware that
you have woken up (it is probably not too late to do so today). An
alarm can be a good reminder. So can the sunlight filling your bedroom. Or
post the verse by your bed or on a mirror in your bathroom.
The
verse reminds you that all of the cosmos can be found within your
child. A previous column discussed the ways in which your
child embodies all of the wonders and mysteries of nature.
Look
in your child's eyes and see the vastness of the cosmos. Let
your child's beautiful eyes represent the sun, moon, or earth.
Breathe deeply and open awareness to your child's extraordinary
presence.
It's so easy to forget.
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.
