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
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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.
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The Daily Sip:
Waking
Up To 2005
With the new year here, the mechanized
act of writing "2004" on checks, and other documents lingers.
In a few short weeks, the automatic (shall we say mindless)
act of writing 2004 will be effectively replaced with the automatic
act of writing 2005.
But today, and until that time comes, every
time you etch "2004," you give yourself a wonderful gift -- a wonderful
wakeup call.
Today, if you catch yourself writing "2004," recite
the following verse"
2004 changes to 2005
As my child changes
With every passing day
As you recite this verse, bring your child's
image to mind. Regardless of whether your child is in a
stroller at your feet or on an airplane returning to college,
you can feel his or her presence even more deeply.
Breathe deeply
and visualize your child the first time your eyes met. Then,
imagine your child many years in the future. Return to and rest
for a few moments on your child today. Time is an elusive animal.
By becoming more mindful of your child's presence in your life, and
of the present moment, you minimize time's frenetic energy
and its elusive presence.
By opening awareness to your child's
presence, you deepen your connection to your child at its most basic
level. This awareness is a source of great joy.
