Mindful Parenting is a contemplative practice through which we become more mindful of our children and, in doing so, experience a more joyful life.
Your mindful parenting practice tip of
the day. Be sure to sip slowly
Experiencing the Joy of Connecting With Our Children
The
Mindful Parent
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.
(c) 2003-2004 Zen Health.
All rights reserved.
The Mindful Parent is a servicemark of Zen
Health.
Wednesday October 20, 2004
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The Daily Sip: Eating
Sweets and Sweet Reflections
The practice of mindful parenting
opens awareness to the deep connection that exists between you
and your child and between you and the cosmos. When these
connections are opened and flow easily, the sweet things in
life taste all the more sweet.
When we eat desserts, there
are often layers of complications involved. Questions and
concerns regarding calories and healthfulness emerge. And,
even without these concerns, the tasty treat is often eaten quickly
and without much mindful attention. Before you know it, it's
gone.
Today, when you eat a sweet, open awareness to the
presence of all that is sweet in your life -- begin with your child.
As I taste this sweet
I chew slowly
And remember eating my child's
First birthday cake
Smile as you bring to mind your child's first
birthday cake (or create an image of it if your child is not yet one).
In between swallows, breathe deeply and soften your belly.
Let the sweetness of your dessert and reflection on your child's first
birthday conjure present moment thoughts on the sweetness in your
life today.
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