Mindfulness in Motherhood: Three Simple Practices
Mindfulness is a practice that teaches us to bring our focus back to the present moment; the here and the now. In Motherhood, we are often called to be everything to everyone else – sometimes leaving us feeling overwhelmed, exhausted, and unable to carve enough space to meet our own needs. Before the baby arrives, a lot of time and energy is spent towards setting up the nursery, and buying all of the things we supposedly need for our baby’s imminent arrival. But how much time do we actually spend on preparing our mind for this simple, yet valuable practice of being able to bring ourselves back into the moment?
Motherhood undeniably throws us into the throes of chaos, and our minds often wonder from the here and the now – to ruminate on the past, while simultaneously worrying about the ‘what if’s’ of the future. There can also be a constant mental noise, matched by baby screams, toddler tantrums, and pre-schooler ‘why’s’. So, how do we cultivate mindfulness in motherhood, while we’re being pulled in 100 different directions, and simultaneously trying to manage our daily demands?
We first need to acknowledge that mindfulness doesn’t have to be complicated. Here are 3 simple ways we can start our daily practice of mothering with mindfulness.
1. Mindful Breathing
The simple act of focusing on the sensation of our breath as it enters and exits our nose, is a practice of mindfulness. Connectedness to breath allows us to bring our awareness back to our bodies. The more aligned we are in body and mind; the more able we are to use our intuition to guide us through the day to day challenges of raising children. When you are feeling triggered, or stressed – pause. Inhale through the nose, notice with curiosity whether your breath is fast or slow, deep or shallow. You don’t have to do anything with it, just simply notice it. Now exhale. Be aware of the physical sensation of breathing out, if you feel your thoughts intrude – that’s ok; allow them to be, and gently bring your awareness back to your breath. Daily practice of mindful breathing teaches us to pause with awareness; and grounds us back in the present moment.
2. Bring awareness to your feelings
One of the most profound things about motherhood are the lessons that are mirrored back to us – particularly if we are open to receiving them. While this season of learning is a gift; it can also be quite confronting. Bringing awareness to our feelings is another simple way that we can bring mindfulness into our every-day lives. Being conscious of our emotions when we are triggered, gives us the space to reflect and thoughtfully respond, rather than react. But how do we achieve this? It is important to turn to your emotion with awareness; once you become aware of the emotion you are feeling, notice where it is in your body. Sit with this feeling – the key here is not to push this emotion away, but to feel it; and acknowledge it. The next step is acceptance. Through mindful acceptance you can embrace difficult feelings with awareness, compassion, and understanding towards yourself and your loved ones. You will soon come to realise that you are not controlled by your emotions; rather, opening your-self up to your feelings creates a space of awareness. From here, you notice that each one of your emotions is impermanent. Once you see and feel them arise, and reside within you for a time, you will soon begin to feel them evaporate. Bringing mindful awareness to our feelings each day, brings a sense of accountability and stability; and allows us to spend more time in the moment with our children, and at peace with our-self.
3. Daily rituals to set self-awareness intentions
Carving out space in our day, to create a daily ritual around setting self – awareness intentions is another simple way to bring mindfulness into our life. Setting parenting intentions provides a sense of direction – in an otherwise, somewhat chaotic environment. So how do we do this exactly? It can be as simple as finding five minutes of alone time per day to sit down and use a mindfulness tool such as Peaceful Mama Cards to prompt you, or a journal to jot down your thoughts around the intention you would like to set. From here, choose one to two virtues (such as patience, or balance) – that you would like to embody that day. Place the Peaceful Mama Cards, or your journal somewhere that you will see often. Whenever you see them, gently affirm their messages to yourself; and focus on the practice of their virtues. This simple exercise, repeated regularly, can have a profound positive effect. Setting regular, mindful intentions can help you step into your courage, seek guidance and clarity, or simply aid you to shift your perspective on a situation. With time, these rituals of intention can become part of one’s inner dialogue to assist in becoming more mindful, and calm in even the most challenging of times.
There are small shifts we can make each day that will contribute to our mindfulness practice. Over time we can trust that these regular practices are having a positive effect on a deeper level; allowing our subconscious to unravel, creating new pathways of growth. Motherhood can be a truly rewarding experience. Bringing mindfulness into your day not only allows us to be more present with our children; it also helps us to cultivate confidence and self-compassion – as we navigate the stressful, and savour the wonderful. Start simply, but simply start – remembering that both motherhood and mindfulness are a journey, not a destination.