Water Thank you.
Welcome to this mindfulness meditation practice for parents or caregivers.
This is a practice you can use to better cope with difficult situations that you experienced with your children or your child.
Or the children that you take care of regularly.
To begin with,
It might be a good idea to use this meditation after the situation has passed.
But with time,
With more practice,
You might be able to apply it in the situation itself.
To just take a pause and go through the different steps.
For now,
Settling into a comfortable posture.
A posture that allows you to be alert and awake.
And also to be comfortable and at ease.
Taking a moment to really arrive here in this posture.
Sensing the body,
Maybe sitting on a chair or a cushion.
Maybe feeling the feet on the ground,
Maybe the buttocks touching the chair or the cushion.
Just sensing how gravity pulls you down and connects you with the earth.
Becoming aware of the whole body.
Whatever is present in this body right now.
Maybe a sense of temperature,
Warmth or coolness.
Some areas of ease,
Maybe some areas of tension.
Just allowing everything to be the way it is right now.
Just getting in touch with the different body sensations.
And in the midst of these sensations,
Sensing the breath.
In and out flow of the air.
Wherever you can feel it most distinctly.
Maybe the abdomen or the chest or the nostrils.
Allowing the breath to be your anchor point,
Your friend,
Your home base.
Always bringing you back to the present moment,
Wherever the mind goes.
And then if it feels okay for you,
Bringing back the difficult situation that you experienced with the child or the child you take care of.
Bringing back the context,
Maybe the environment.
Maybe remembering sounds or words being spoken.
Getting an energetic sense of the situation.
Allowing the story to unfold again.
Getting in touch with your body.
Sensing what is present right now when you bring up the situation again.
Beginning by recognizing what is predominant for you.
Maybe there is anger.
Maybe there is frustration,
Worry.
Whatever might be around.
Just naming the strongest emotion without judging it if that is possible.
Just seeing it clearly.
Oh,
This is anger.
Or maybe there is fear,
There is rage,
There is sadness.
And allowing the emotion to be here.
Not avoiding it,
Not pushing it away.
Just breathing with this emotion.
And also sensing where it lives in the body.
How do you know that you are feeling this emotion?
Maybe there is a sense of tightness,
Contraction somewhere in the body.
Maybe a pulling or a sinking feeling.
Whatever you can experience in the body.
Just turning towards it.
Breathing with it.
Letting it be here for now.
And seeing if you can explore this emotion,
Seeing if it is possible to look a little closer.
Does the sensation in the body change while you observe it?
Maybe asking yourself,
What am I believing right now?
What is it that most hurts about this situation?
Not so much thinking about that but really getting in touch with the body,
Seeing where this vulnerability lives.
And maybe getting a sense of what lives underneath this emotion.
There is something else,
Something that wants attention.
Getting in touch with that yearning,
That part that wants to be seen and heard.
Just giving it some space.
Just being still and seeing if this vulnerable part wants to send you a message.
If there is something it needs,
Maybe acceptance or forgiveness.
And whatever it is,
Just opening up to receiving this.
Receiving acceptance or love or an embrace.
And it can come from the wisest part of yourself or maybe from an outside source.
Doesn't really matter.
Just opening up and allowing this nurturing energy,
This embrace,
This forgiveness to flow into this vulnerable place.
Opening up and allowing to receive this kind awareness,
This compassion.
Maybe receiving some words of reassurance.
Whatever might be helpful and healing for you.
Maybe this is really hard.
I am sorry that you are suffering in this way.
Or maybe it is okay my dear.
Or maybe I am here.
I am with you.
I am not leaving.
Just letting this sink in.
Just being here and sensing this hurt place,
This vulnerable place.
Being bathed in warmth and acceptance and kindness.
Just becoming aware what your sense of identity is right now.
Sensing the space,
The vastness that might be present right now.
From this space seeing the child,
Maybe your child in this situation.
And recognizing the struggle,
The pain.
Recognizing the emotion that is predominant.
What is it the child is struggling with right now?
And for now just allowing this emotion to be here as well.
Knowing that like all emotions it is present because it has a message to be delivered.
Wants to be heard.
Somewhere deep down there is a need that is not fulfilled.
And just allowing this for now.
Knowing that as a parent or a caregiver it is not necessarily your task to fulfill all the needs.
But recognizing that this is the place the emotion comes from.
It needs to be expressed.
Recognizing and allowing the emotion.
And also allowing the question where does it hurt?
What is the most difficult part of this for this child?
How might it be living inside their body?
This fear,
This anger,
This sadness,
This hurt.
And just breathing with these emotions.
Breathing with the hurting place.
Maybe seeing if there is some room to send some kindness,
To send some compassion.
And imagining how this is perceived.
Maybe sending some words of reassurance.
Perhaps this is really difficult.
It is hard to be feeling all these emotions.
I am here.
I am with you.
Just staying there in this field of loving presence.
Just sensing the space around these emotions.
The space that is created by turning towards them and holding them with compassion.
And maybe sensing if there is a gesture that would feel natural,
Appropriate for you.
Maybe a kiss on the brow of the child,
A gentle touch or an embrace.
And just allowing that to happen.
And just sensing the goodness of that.
Sensing the care,
The longing to belong.
The wish to be connected and loved.
And from this place of connection,
Slowly,
Gently coming back to sensing the body.
Maybe feeling the feet touching the ground.
Feeling the sensations of the breath in the body.
And in your own time,
Progressively bringing this practice to a close.
Starting to move the fingers and the toes.
Maybe giving yourself a gentle stretch.
And then taking a few more mindful breaths in your own rhythm before bringing this practice to a close.
T Heatherbull's.
