There is one thing I noticed very quickly when I started practicing mindfulness meditation. And I come back to this a lot.
In many ways, this is the heart of my practice.
It’s about relationships. Especially with my six-year-old daughter. He is smart and witty and a real jokester.
Having a little girl gives me so many gifts. For example, he taught me how to play again. How to get down to earth and relate at a child’s level. It’s a whole different world!
Avoiding relationships, avoiding ourselves
But it made me see the many ways I was avoiding my relationships. Of course, I don’t think of myself that way, because I’m generally an extrovert.
That’s what I’m talking about.
Through my experience, I began to feel disconnected from my little person at times. Usually, it’s because I have too much.
At times like this, it is easier to respond gracefully and stop being intimate with him, like a small person with very big feelings.
I go on autopilot and become a two-dimensional rule follower. The point is that children really feel this kind of connection.
Breathe, stop running, wonder
Not only did mindfulness meditation help me identify this pattern, it’s already a win.
But it also gives me the tools to stop checking when I feel overwhelmed and when the demands of parenting push me out of my comfort zone.
How?
Basically, it’s about reconnecting to my breath and remembering that I live in the now and the moment. And instead of running away from that feeling of overwhelm, I turn to it and wonder.
From there I was hooked again. To myself and my daughter.
And what I find there is always amazing. There are resources available to us in these moments when we return to our own being. Creativity, flexibility, flexibility.
The dignity of facing myself openly…with compassion.
Meditation for life
This move is simple, yes. But it is not always easy. That’s why we train!
Practicing mindfulness meditation is as much about what happens on the pillow as it is about it. Maybe more.
As I hope it is clear from this example, we practice on the meditation cushion to remember not to run away from our experience in moments when we are stressed, overwhelmed, anxious, fearful, or angry.
We will learn how to develop these skills Homecoming: A 5-Week Mindfulness Meditation Course.
