Begin by focusing on the breath.
Follow the rise and fall of your chest and belly with each in-breath and out-breath.
Up and down.
Cool air in,
Warm air out.
Notice the rhythm of your breath in this moment.
Now bring to mind a situation that you are struggling with.
It may be a difficult or stressful parenting interaction that you feel like did not go well.
Call to mind all you can about the situation.
Where you were,
Who said what,
Who did what.
Now bring your attention to this moment.
Checking in.
How am I right now?
What comes up for me?
Gently turning toward these feelings,
Thoughts,
Sensations,
To be with the pain,
Frustration,
Anger,
Guilt,
Anxiety,
Or suffering.
You may even put a hand over the part of the body where you feel the most energy and sensation.
Now see if you can find some words to acknowledge the feelings of suffering within yourself.
To bring an attitude of kindness and compassion for yourself,
The way you would toward a dear friend or loved one.
Recognizing that this is a moment of suffering for you.
Perhaps it's something like,
This is really hard for me.
Or that was really scary.
Or my beloved,
You work so hard to be a good parent and sometimes it is still so hard.
Bring total honesty to yourself and acknowledging what this situation caused you to feel.
Reminding yourself that suffering is part of life.
We all suffer from time to time.
I am a parent who suffers,
Who struggles.
Now take a moment to remind yourself that all parents struggle.
All parents make mistakes.
All parents feel like they've failed their children,
Their child,
At times.
Making mistakes and struggling is just part of being human.
It's what connects us with other parents who struggle to do their best and yet make mistakes along the way.
Finally,
Take a few moments to send yourself some love and kindness.
Place both hands over your heart and feel the warmth of your hand on your chest.
Then hug yourself by placing your arms around your shoulders for a few moments.
Allow love and care to flow through your fingers towards yourself and say the following phrases to yourself in a loving and kind manner.
May I be happy.
May I be healthy and safe.
May I be kind to myself.
May I love and accept myself just the way I am.
May I find freedom from suffering.
May I be an example of peace.
You can end this practice by finding a few words of love and compassion to say to yourself.
Then returning to the breath,
Notice how your body feels.
Then close by asking yourself the question,
What do I now know?
