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:
Paper Towels,
Trees and Your Child
The practice of mindful parenting helps
awaken you to the beauty of the present moment. The
miracle of your child's presence in your life and your ever deepening
connection with your child facilitates this awakening.
Today's
tip applies when you find yourself using a paper towel.
Perhaps you will be cleaning up a spill, wiping your hands or a wet
object, or placing it under a drink. Whatever the
case, transform the moment by reciting the following verse:
This paper
Once
a tree
Standing
tall
Beside
its child
Look deeply into the the paper towel and feel
its texture. Once it was a tall tree, standing strong in a beautiful
forest. Imagine yourself in a beautiful wooded area, standing
tall and strong. Just as the tree was surrounded with its family
of trees, imagine your child standing alongside you. Breathe
deeply and fully as you sense this precious imagery.
While holding
onto the sensation of being a tree, firmly rooted into the Earth,
bring yourself into the here and now. Feel your legs and observe
that they too reach to the ground. Feel the bottoms of your
feet pressing against the ground. Feel the ground pressing into
the bottom of your shoes.
Continue to breathe deeply as you direct
your energy into your feet and feel yourself opening to the beauty
of the present moment.
