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.
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making this very compassionate contribution.
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devoted to working with you to enhance your ability to "be" with your
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The Daily Sip: Your
Timepiece And Your Child
If you carry a timepiece, you probably
look at it throughout the day. Your examination ranges
from casual glances (often for no good reason) to hard looks as you
wonder where the time went. Rarely is the act a mindful one,
where the present moment is deeply felt. If anything, it is
a time when thoughts either reflect on the past or focus on the future.
The
practice of mindful parenting helps to bring time into proper perspective.
Drawing on the tale of "The Three Bears," when one is mindful,
time passes neither too fast nor too slow, but just right. It
is a wonderful experience to have time flow just right -- the wonder
derives from living in the present moment.
Today, allow your
timepiece to help awaken you to the present moment. Change
the time so that when you look for it, you cannot help but remember
that you changed it to a different time. Don't set it so that
you are unable to quickly ascertain the correct time. The
aim is to allow your periodic reference to your timepiece to serve
as a wake up call to the present moment.
When you find yourself
"awakened" to the time, begin to slow your breathing, taking
full deep breaths. Feel the subtle pressure of the timepiece
against your body and feel your feet pressing against the ground (or
the tops of the soles of your shoes).
Then, open
awareness to your child -- wherever he or she may be. Each time
you look to your timepiece, turn your thoughts for a few seconds to
your beautiful child. Smile.
