Mindful Parenting is a contemplative practice through which we become more mindful of our children and, in doing so, experience a more joyful life.
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The Daily Sip: Washing Hands To
"Happy Birthday"
Sensing Child and Universe, Part 3
of 4
Today's Morning Cup is the third in a series on becoming
more mindful and connected to your child while engaged in the everyday
task of washing your hands. The previous two columns in
this series can be found here and here.
We
have explored how singing "Happy Birthday," to your child, aloud
or to yourself, each time you wash your hands can be a wonderful
and joyful mindful parenting exercise. This exercise slows
down what often is an automatic act and infuses it with deep meaning. It
also serves to direct awareness naturally to the body (hands)
and away from the distracted mind. Today, we'll learn how the
exercise can help open awareness to the extraordinary spaciousness
of the universe and cosmos, and our place in it.
Today, lather
your hands well. As before, breathe deeply and slowly as you
sing "Happy Birthday," to your child and feel the sensation of soap
and water on your hands. As the lather develops, look to the
bubbles that begin to emerge. Some are large and
others small. Notice how the bubbles evolve and disappear.
As
you observe the bubbles against your hand, imagine that they
are heavenly bodies -- planets, moons, and stars, from far away
galaxies. We often forget that these massive bodies are "out
there" as we rarely see them.
Stand quietly
as you explore the contrast of your fleshy hands surrounded by
the countless bubbles, representing the planets, moons and stars that
together comprise our vast cosmos. It is easy to forget just
how tiny we are.
As you consider your relationship
to the cosmos, breathe deeply and imagine your child's image appearing
in one or more of the bubbles. Your child's image
appears in your hands, in a heavenly body trillions of miles
away. Here and there at the same time -- in the same breath.
