My husband and I continue our Zen Parenting series at Elmhurst Yoga Shala this Sunday, June 27 from 6-8 p.m. We will discuss differing parenting styles, parenting as a team, and how to communicate effectively (with your significant other and children).
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In her “Deep River” women's groups and in her book, Finding the Deep River Within, mental health counselor Abby Seixas offers six core practices for bringing more sanity and soul to women's lives. Practice number four, discussed below, is about working with the inner voice of perfectionism to tame our self-expectations.
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My daughter walks in and says, “I know what the F word is”. OK, so here we are. She is going into 2nd grade, I knew this was inevitable, but it still feels soon. I ask her what it is and she is correct; she knows the F word. I ask her where she heard it and she says that it’s written on the slide at the park. I guess this is the only downside to being able to read.
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TiVo has made it possible for me to watch what I want, when I have the time. No more channel flipping or tuning into bad television just because it’s the “only thing on”. I am a little boring, not very adventurous with television, but there are a few shows (and characters) that I have fallen in love with. Sometimes it’s drama and sometimes it’s humor (or a mixture of both), but either way, this busy mom enjoys and appreciates the stolen moments of escapism.
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I literally can’t handle seeing the birds, the marine life, and the fisherman that are devastated by this man-made disaster. Last Monday I actually tore the cover off my Newsweek magazine so I didn’t have to look at the devastation. It literally gives me pain in my heart and a pit in my stomach.
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My husband has made “date night” a priority with each of our girls, and they anticipate their time together with great excitement. I attempt to make individual time with the girls a priority, too, but my husband was the first to put this into practice and I am simply following his lead…..
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On Sunday, May 30th from 6-8 p.m. my husband and I are continuing our series of Zen Parenting classes focusing on effective communication. Communication can be tough if you have toddlers, teens or somewhere in between, and we have thoughts and ideas to make the process easier. One of the keys to sane parenting is discovering how to speak to your kids in a way that they will hear, respect and understand (we will discuss effective listening, too!).
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Love and relationships are part of what we call primary food, or the parts of life that feed the hunger in the human soul. We all have a need to give and receive love because love is a basic primary food that nourishes, energizes and heals us.
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A friend stopped me yesterday and told me her husband had recently lost his job. When I asked what I could do to help, her only request was “pray for me”. There was a time that this would have left me feeling unsatisfied because it wouldn’t seem like enough, but over time I have come to understand the importance of these words, the importance of asking others to think about you and send thoughts of love, strength and healing.
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Last night I ran across an article in Yoga Journal about the practice of mudita. It’s a Sanskrit word that means “to take active delight in other’s good fortune or deeds”. Oh, how I needed this article….we have been trying to sell our house for, well, let’s just say a long time now, and I continue to hear stories about the “friend” that sold his house in 48 hours or the “relative” that sold her house quickly and for above market value. My response to these stories is usually grrrrrr…..
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