Mindfulness and Yoga, to me, are almost synonymous.
Mindfulness and Yoga, to me, are almost synonymous. And, to be totally honest about the topic of mindfulness, this summer has often stretched my ability to practice it!
My husband jokes sometimes, “If your yoga people could see you now!” And he doesn’t mean it in a good way!
Pregnant, hot, a toddler, and a high needs five year old are all ingredients for a good test on being in the moment, practicing my yoga. It’s hard! So hard that I signed my five-year-old up for a children’s mindfulness class. I figure if she can be more mindful, surely I can. She teaches me so many new ideas each week and it’s promising that children today are getting opportunities like this. We, the adults, the parents, the busy folks, need the reminders.
One fun, daily practice we like to implement is at meal time. We love to practice using our five senses. First, we take a moment and express our gratitude for the healthy food and our healthy bodies, then we have the fun! First, we look at the food. We smell the food, yumm! We listen to the food – this sense gets the most laughs! We touch the food – usually I’m reminded no one washed their hands, so sometimes we pause for some good ‘ol handwashing. Finally, we taste the food! This is one of many ways to practice mindfulness throughout your day.
So no matter how hot, or exhausted or happy you may be, like the Goddess of Compassion, Kwan Yin, we must take a breath and connect to that same compassion within us and nurture each moment, good or not, each breath, short or long, like a newborn baby.