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.
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We believe that through our collective experience, we can help
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The Daily Sip:
Doodling and Your
Cosmic Child Part II
Yesterday's Morning Cup offered the
mindful parenting practice of doodling your child's image against the
background of an aspect of nature. If you missed yesterday's
column, "Doodling And Your Cosmic Child," and would like to read it, click
here.
Today we'll enhance the power of yesterday's
exercise in two ways. These can be done on separate days or
at separate times. Or they can be done at the same time.
Whereas
yesterday is was suggested that you doodle your child's image and
then surround it with an aspect of nature -- for example, "Draw
a circle around your child and then rays emanating from the circle.
Your child is the sun," today fill an entire sheet of paper with doodled
images of your child within all of nature. Draw a sun, the moon,
a cloud, a tree, a flower, an ocean or lake and a wave, rain
drops, and what ever else may come to mind. Then,
soften your gaze, breathe deeply, and doodle your child's face
into each image. Your artistic skills are not important here.
As
an even more powerful exercise, ask your child to do the same.
Find crayons (if your child is older, buy crayons or mail them
to him or her) and a piece of paper and ask your child to draw
a scene containing each of these images and then to place their
smiling face within each aspect of nature. Encourage your
child to use vibrant colors and to take their time.
Regardless
of which scene you have before you, look deeply into the imagery.
As your eyes pass over the sun and your child's dear face, contemplate
the sun overhead and your child's connection to the sun. The
sun feeds your child with warmth, sustains your child's life.
So it is with every other item. And so too, each of these items
also feeds and sustains you.
The practice of mindful parenting
expands our connection to our child, and in doing so, helps us to
touch the present moment. All of these wonderful facets of nature
(our child and ourselves included) are present in the here and now.
