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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through our collective experience, we can help each other develop
a deeper and more meaningful mindful parenting practice.
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The Daily Sip:
Pouring Your Child's Tears
Into Your Hands
The practice of mindful parenting helps us to
become more present in the here and now. The culprit
responsible for our seemingly constant retreat from the present moment
is our thinking, egoic mind. While this part of us can
serve many wonderful roles, its anxious grip on the past and future can
be relaxed.
When your child cries, screams, or complains,
a part of you does not respond to what is happening in the moment.
Instead, it is likely that a part of your reaction derives out
of the depths of your own psyche -- triggered memories and unsettled
experiences arise and take hold. A telltale sign is discomfort
with the situation, and the inability to respond in the
manner you would like. This can change if you nudge your
egoic, thinking mind out of the picture -- or at least calm it down.
Today,
if your child cries, screams, or complains, open bodily
awareness to the pain your child is feeling. To do
this, sense your child's pain flowing out of your child's body and
into yours, running up your arms and settling in your hands.
Breathe deeply as you focus attention on your hands. As
you do this, your hands will come alive. Feel your hands
tingle as the pain pours into your fingers and dissipates into the
cosmos.
This practice will ground you more deeply in the
present moment. Without thinking, you will find yourself more
available for your child (and yourself). Take it slow and
observe yourself responding to the needs of the moment.
With practice, an abiding sense of joy and calm will emerge even at
these challenging times.
