The Morning Cup, December 29, 2004: Listening To Music

Mindful Parenting is a contemplative practice through which we become more mindful of our children and, in doing so, experience a more joyful life.

Your mindful parenting practice tip of the day. Be sure to sip slowly

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Experiencing the Joy of Connecting With Our Children

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.

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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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Wednesday December 29, 2004

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The Daily Sip:

Listening to Music

We all have music that we love. Music lifts and moves our spirits. Its production may involve a great many instruments or but a few. When more than one instrument is involved, the interaction between or among instruments requires organization and coordination -- working together.

Today, when you listen to music, take a moment and consider the different instruments. Even if you cannot distinguish them with precision, sense them generally. Observe the different sounds arising from the various instruments and then mingling together. Identify one sound that you find especially compelling and open awareness to your child. Breathe deeply and allow the music to soak in. Visualize your child.

If your child is young, then imagine him or her playing with other children, just as the sound you identified plays with other sounds to create the beautiful music. If your child is older, then imagine your child interacting with others at work, school, or on a project, working together in harmony.

In this music

I sense my child

Interacting with others

Full of life

The practice of mindful parenting deepens our connection with our children by opening our awareness to their presence in our lives. By associating music (especially music that moves us) with our children, we connect more deeply with our children and with the cosmos, from which the music flows.

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