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 Morning
Sip: All of You and Your Child
The practice of mindful parenting
opens awareness to your full presence. Often times, when you
interact with your child, it is but a tiny part of you that is
engaged in the physical and emotional minutiae of that circumstance.
There is larger part of you that is also present but generally
hangs back and is easily forgotten.
This larger part (call it
spirit, soul, mindful awareness, being, the divine, the infinite,
grace) is wisdom, joy, and love. It is who you really are --
it is all of you. It is the you that transcends circumstance.
Through the practice of mindful parenting, this more full aspect of
your being, emerges. When it does, you feel more alive,
act with greater clarity, and become the loving and wise human being
that you are.
Today, when you are with or interact with your
child, open awareness to this grander part of yourself.
Regardless of whether you are having a great time or a miserable time,
by opening awareness you will experience your child in a very
different way, one which your child will feel deeply.
Open awareness
by letting go of thoughts. Breathe deeply and slowly. With
intention, relax your shoulders, your stomach, and
soften your gaze. Smile from a place deep in your heart -- from
the core of your being. Slow down. Listen. Listen
with your whole being and allow there to be silence. Don't
be afraid of the silence.
In the silence
My heart opens wide
And I slip inside
As you enter a state of greater awareness, you will feel a deep
sense of compassion. It is a warm feeling that will slow you
down if you let it. Resist the temptation to speed things
up.
You are now truly present with your child. Your
words are unimportant -- you float above sound.
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.
