Instructional &
Informational Posts
Those people in the yoga advertisements looking perfectly zen sitting in lotus position next to a lotus flower? Good for them, but that’s not your life, is it? You have a cell phone, you have kids, you have noise in your life. But you also (we swear) have time to meditate. Join us for a weekly meditation you can incorporate into your life, anytime, anywhere.
You might be a very yogic person who can meditate the sugar out of anyone. But then you have children. If you have buttons, those little bundles of joy sure know how to press them.
If you find your patience going down the potty, take a moment to meditate. You can even do this with small children, although the time may be shorter depending on the kind of day you’re having.
Start out by lowering your expectations and be okay with whatever happens, whether you get 30 seconds or 5 minutes of you time. Relish this time.
As you sit, address your well-being. Feel your breathing inside your body. Open your inner capacity for observation as you soften your belly.
Be with the breath so that you are defined by it, more than you are defined as your role as parent. Just for now.
Observe yourself so that you are more than a reaction. See yourself so that you can create more awareness of your habits and your challenges. Accept yourself as a parent for what you have done. Accept your humanity, which will allow you to be more fully present with your children.
When your children call you back from this focused place, fill yourself with gratitude for your little mirrors. Just as sitting in quiet can make you aware of your light and dark places, so too can your kids.
You will get frustrated again. You will become impatient. But you can continue to listen and sweetly accept yourself for the parent that you are in this moment.
Breathe through the overwhelming love. Do it when they nap. Do it when they settle. Connecting to yourself is a great gift that you can give your children.
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Courtney Sunday is a writer, yoga teacher, Pilates instructor, spinning instructor and Thai massage practitioner. She teaches corporations in Toronto the fine art of breathing deeply, and travels too much for her own good. She likes to cook meals from scratch using ingredients from her garden, and would mill her own flour and make her own butter if she had more hours in the day. Find out more about her at www.courtneysunday.com.
