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.
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enhance your ability to "be" with your children, and to experience
the bliss that awaits you.
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Today's Sip: Experience
Life as Your Child
Drawing from the proverb: You can't
really connect with your child until you walk a mile in your
child's shoes.
Today, stand a few minutes, or walk a few
feet, in your child's shoes. Whether your child is an infant
or an adult, you know your child well enough to open awareness
to "who they are inside."
Try to do this at least three
time today -- once when you are feeling good and the day is going
easy, once when you are feeling stressed, and once when you are
with your child (neither of the first two should involve your child).
Each episode can last as little as 15 seconds or as long as you like.
When
you are ready, breathe deeply to help ground yourself in the
moment. Relax your shoulders -- feel them drop. Soften
your gaze and relax the muscles in your face. Then, visualize
your child in front of you. Smile. Invite your child into
your body and watch as they walk toward you and then disappear into
you. Sense the transformation. Continue breathing deeply, drawing
your breath into your belly -- experience the feelings and
intuition of your child.
At this moment, you are connecting at
a deep level with your child. Perhaps you feel the desire to
react thoughtlessly. Maybe you feel a peaceful calm. Whatever
it is, let it be. Observe it as it passes through you.
Marvel over your child's wonderful complexity.
When you
are finished, express thanks to your child, ask him or her to return
to the world, and visualize your child leaving your body. You
may feel a sense of loss. That's okay. Observe it.
The sensation is a measure of your heart opening to your connection
to your child. It is love.
