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
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.
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The Daily Sip:
Eat With The Eyes
Of Your Child
Eating is often an automatic act where we
pay little attention to what is actually taking place in the moment.
Today, learn from your child and the wonder he or she expressed with
each new experience -- eyes open wide and a big smile.
Regardless
of whether your child is a newborn or an adult, open awareness to
the magic surrounding new experiences. Remember or reflect on
the awe with which your child examined the world for the
first time -- every new sight a delightful experience.
Today,
when you eat a fruit or vegetable (it is easiest when eating a raw
food, one closest to its natural state) soften your gaze and look
upon it with the eyes of a newborn.
Don't be in such a hurry
to take a bite. Slow down the eating process and examine
the beauty of the food. Feel its texture and smell its skin.
Breathe deeply. Bite slowly and savor the taste in your mouth.
Then, sense your body as it ingests the food. Try to continue
this process as you eat the entire apple, banana, orange, or whatever
the food.
The practice of mindful parenting is engaged by opening
awareness to your child and by experiencing the act of eating anew
-- from your child's perspective.
This exercise can create
a spacious moment in your otherwise busy day.
