Mindful parenting requires daily meditation
From my post to my support group on August 12, 2019:
Today's Daily Calm (I use the Calm App) was about effort... To be a "mindful parent" we practice mindfulness which also requires a daily meditation practice even if just 5 or 10 minutes a day. Our effort in both a meditation itself and in learning about mindfulness is not "too loose" or "too tight," but just our best but in a "relaxing yet alert" way. As a friend taught me, "you relax into it."
It is a daily transformation process, not overnight, but slowly over time you will notice you react differently. And I believe Benjamin Schoeffler talked about this in a podcast that things that used to bother you won't bother you anymore. This morning I went to do my "morning pages" pre-meditation journaling and my journal was sitting in a puddle of sticky goop... So was my pen... Instead of cursing or muttering under my breath, I actually laughed inside as I cleaned up a mess one of my kids had apparently made...
On the flip-side, if we stop our meditation practice, if we no longer study and apply mindfulness, if we avoid or block out our emotions, if we stop pausing, etc., then we will eventually see the bad fruit of that as well. We'll be reacting more, yelling more, have less self-compassion, etc., and it will come out more on our kids.
We model for them. We teach them by our example, actions, etc. I don't force my kids to meditate, I worry about myself first and my interactions with them, what they hear me saying, my tone, what they see me do, how I handle stress, my own mistakes, etc. It all starts with us. We set the pace. We set the example.
We put forth the effort. Not striving, not napping, just the right pace. But it is a daily effort. I can't do it for you. We all walk our own paths but are here to support each other.
If you are under great overwhelm, take a breath and meditate for a moment. Repeat a mantra like, "May I be safe, may I be happy, may I be loved, may I be worthy," or, "I am enough." Dig deep and find that source within you.
What is your current practice? What are you learning about mindfulness? What are you learning in meditation? Do you have a favorite one? Do you prefer an app? What's your mantra today?
Today's Daily Calm (I use the Calm App) was about effort... To be a "mindful parent" we practice mindfulness which also requires a daily meditation practice even if just 5 or 10 minutes a day. Our effort in both a meditation itself and in learning about mindfulness is not "too loose" or "too tight," but just our best but in a "relaxing yet alert" way. As a friend taught me, "you relax into it."
It is a daily transformation process, not overnight, but slowly over time you will notice you react differently. And I believe Benjamin Schoeffler talked about this in a podcast that things that used to bother you won't bother you anymore. This morning I went to do my "morning pages" pre-meditation journaling and my journal was sitting in a puddle of sticky goop... So was my pen... Instead of cursing or muttering under my breath, I actually laughed inside as I cleaned up a mess one of my kids had apparently made...
On the flip-side, if we stop our meditation practice, if we no longer study and apply mindfulness, if we avoid or block out our emotions, if we stop pausing, etc., then we will eventually see the bad fruit of that as well. We'll be reacting more, yelling more, have less self-compassion, etc., and it will come out more on our kids.
We model for them. We teach them by our example, actions, etc. I don't force my kids to meditate, I worry about myself first and my interactions with them, what they hear me saying, my tone, what they see me do, how I handle stress, my own mistakes, etc. It all starts with us. We set the pace. We set the example.
We put forth the effort. Not striving, not napping, just the right pace. But it is a daily effort. I can't do it for you. We all walk our own paths but are here to support each other.
If you are under great overwhelm, take a breath and meditate for a moment. Repeat a mantra like, "May I be safe, may I be happy, may I be loved, may I be worthy," or, "I am enough." Dig deep and find that source within you.
What is your current practice? What are you learning about mindfulness? What are you learning in meditation? Do you have a favorite one? Do you prefer an app? What's your mantra today?
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