"Mindful parenting is not about being a yogi or
practicing Buddhism; it’s about being human and
realizing that we have more options than we may
think in any moment, no matter what is happening."
- Jon Kabat-Zinn
Welcome to mindful family life,
Today my son gave me a hug and said: “Thank you for creating me, mama.” I love that he used the word “create” and I know he was not just referring to birthing. Psychologically, Jung viewed integrating experiences of person's life over time into a well-functioning whole as individuation. In a spiritual sense, Hillman said that the potential for soulmaking is revealed through integration of images that shape our lives. Ancient yoga practices are deeply rooted in the conscious activation of this process, which modern day researchers have come to call mindfulness or mind body science.
As children we live and think creatively, but as we grow into adulthood we seem to undergo what I call a “calcification process”. Oftentimes, it can happen not only physiologically, but psychologically and emotionally as well. Somewhere along the way, we seem to forget that we do have options. This is especially hard to remember when things don't go the way we expect or would like. Over the years, I came to know most of the families I worked with after a considerable damage to their family life has already happened. Something all of these families had in common was absence of trust and support, lack of respect for each others' personal and physical space, and disconnect from one another. As a result, my work focused on reparation and reunification. This work was needed not only for the family unit, but for parents to reconnect with each other and with themselves. Many a times I wished if only we could travel back in time and do something differently.
As a parent I don’t want my children to lose their creative spark. In fact, I want this spark to infuse their future with countless moments of gratitude, forgiveness, and unconditional love. A place without options can be extremely lonely, but it’s never too late. I am here so that you don’t have to do it alone. Now, the question is – are you ready?