mindfulness and yoga and parenting

Mindfulness: “the awareness that arises from paying attention, on purpose, in the present moment and non-judgmentally”. ~john Kabat-Zinn

As the yoga educator at the Temple Emanu-El, ECEC I feel it's important that everyone in our community have some knowledge of mindfulness. Mindfulness is something we have the opportunity to try everyday. We can start simply with a moment of gratitude. Can you stop now and name three for which you are grateful, right now? Just stop, breathe, and think of a person, place, and thing for which you are grateful today.

Mindfulness is something we can do for ourselves as parents and educators while encouraging the same in our children. Mindfulness is a practice that has been scientifically proven to help people's attitudes towards life. This is done by drawing our attention inwards and towards our lives by focusing on the present moment. Mindfulness can help us get to that place where we can stop, think, and respond rather than REACT.

As a parent myself, this has been one of my most humbling experiences. Mindfulness is not hard, but you have to commit to it over and over again. When your brain wants to scream, you learn to choose to say, “No thank you, brain.” It just takes practice.

Ways to practice mindfulness with your yogees

• Landing Practice: When they pop in the car, everyone take a deep breath

• Bubble blowing: If you blow too fast, the bubbles will not come out

One must slow the breath to have control of the bubble

• Stop, Drop, Breathe: When your children get flustered, have them stop, feel their feet on the ground, and take deep breaths with them: in, two, three/out, two, three/ repeat

• Triangle breath: Watch me teach this practice here Mindful Bite: Triangle Breathing

• Hug someone: A real hug. Two arms and embrace. Research has shown that long hugs are calming and soothing and can generate feelings of warmth and love.

• Connect with nature. Take time for a walk outside. When you walk, see what you can notice. What do you see? What can you feel? What can you hear? What can you smell? What can you taste?

"If you concentrate on finding whatever is good in every situation, you will discover that your life will suddenly be filled with gratitude, a feeling that nurtures the soul.” ~ Rabbi Harold Kushner

I would love to hear how any of our ECEC family members are practicing mindfulness.

Namaste

Taylor