Podcast Version
Below is the podcast version of this article. There are a lot more details (and laughs) in the podcast version. I hope you enjoy it! If you’d like to subscribe to the podcast, go to your favorite podcast app and type “Balanced Working Moms” in the search.
Meditation is Powerful
I’ve been meditating regularly for a long time, about 9 years. This is before it was hip and trendy. I started because my husband was meditating! If he could do it, so could I!
When I began, I set a simple goal: To meditate daily for five minutes. Just five minutes.
Meditating only five minutes a day, I couldn’t believe the changes it was making in my life!
I was SO MUCH calmer! I almost didn’t recognize myself.
Crazy stuff would happen (I do have kids, after all), and I would often handle the situation without getting swept up by my emotions. Who was this person?
After a few months, I realized that meditation wasn’t just making me happier and more relaxed, it was making me a better Mom.
The More You Do, The Better
Over time, the longer I practiced, the easier it was for me to stay calmer and see the other benefits.
I’m not perfect. I still get upset sometimes, of course. But I get upset SO MUCH less than I used to.
Meditation I’ve learned, is cumulative, like exercise. The more you do, the more positive effects you’ll have.
Meditation is Magical
It was so funny because when I started, I thought I’d be less anxious. But I wasn’t expecting a total brain transformation.
It actually took me a while to notice the changes.
When I did, I realized that meditation was magical.
I still don’t understand how doing something so simple can be so powerful. How can sitting in silence and focusing on your breathing literally change your brain?
But it does.
I was a different person. Calm. Zen. More present with my family. More joyful. More patient. More compassionate.
Every “good” attribute I wanted as a Mom was slowly being bequeathed to me.
Free Meditation
I have a very special free meditation for you. This guided meditation also has affirmations. It’ll help you feel calm and also more confident. I put a lot of work into creating it (a LOT of work!!) and I hope you enjoy it 🙂
To access the meditation, sign up below for the password:
How Meditation Makes You A Better Mom
1. Meditation Can Make you feel calmer
Meditation gives me a sense of calm, which is the biggest benefit for me as a Mom! When people meet me, in the first five minutes, I’ve had many people tell me “Wow, you have such a calmness about you.” This always makes me laugh since I didn’t use to be this way. It’s the gift of meditation.
As a Mom, you already know that being calm is probably the most important skill you can have. Anything that creates this within you will help you manage your life better. You’ll be more patient with your kids. Able to handle tough situations better. Everything will be easier if you’re calmer!
2. Meditation can Make you more present with your family.
Thich Nhat Hanh says “The Most Precious Gift We Can Offer Others is Our Presence.”
Meditation trains your brain to be present. So when you’re with your family, you’re more likely to be listening to them. Really listening. Really present.
There’s no greater gift you can give someone. To really hear them and be there for them. Especially if you’re also calm while you’re doing it! Wow! What a gift.
3. Meditation May help You have more compassion.
Meditation can help you have more compassion. This is especially important because it’s common for us busy parents to quickly lose our sense of compassion. We’re busy, we’re tired, we’re worried, and compassion may be the last thing on our minds.
When parenting without compassion, there’s usually a lot of fighting going on, which doesn’t make for a pleasant household.
However, you can still enforce rules WHILE also being compassionate.
When kids know you hear them, really hear them, and feel their pain, it changes everything. You can still have limits (and you should!) but having a sense of compassion changes your relationship.
I find with mediation, my compassion continues to expand and improve relationships with my children and husband.
How to Meditate
There are so many ways to meditate! Below are some of my favorites, especially for busy Moms.
Do a guided meditation
- Doing a guided meditation is especially nice if you’re new to meditating. Let someone walk you through it! You’ll feel relaxed and ready to face the day.
I like to use Insight timer. It’s free (though there’s also a paid version) and the quality is amazing. You’ll love it. Give it a download.
***I also created a guided meditation for you as part of my library. If you’d like to download it, please click the link the show notes***
Focus On Your Breathing.
There are so many methods to meditate. The one I use is very simple.
- Focus on my Breathing
- When I notice my mind has strayed, bring it back to my breathing.
- Rinse and repeat. That’s it. So simple. So effective.
Create A Momtra
Meditating doesn’t just have to be about sitting in silence. I like to have what I call “Momtras” to help guide me when things are tense.
A Momtra is is a phrase you can repeat when things feel out of control.
My favorite is “Everything’s okay.” As soon as I say it, I instantly calm down. It reminds me that the panic I feel about something isn’t real. For example, let’s say I’m worried since the evening is running an hour late and the kids and I will both be getting much less sleep than usual. This is one of my triggers, where I could panic, start yelling, etc.
Instead, I’ll say “Everything’s okay.” and it reminds me that everything really is okay. So we’ll be tired. It’s okay. It’s instant calm and takes me out of “fight or flight” or worse, becoming a Momster!!
The Simplest Way to Mediate
If you’re looking to meditate and don’t have any extra time, just breathing mindfully works. You’re breathing anyway, may as well add some mindfulness to the party!
To breathe mindfully:
- Count your breaths. Example. Count in for 4, count out for 4. Or Count in for 4 and count out for 6 or 8. When you have a longer out-breath than in-breath, it calms you down.
- I like to breathe in through my nose and out through my nose. There are different opinions on this – don’t overcomplicate it. Just breathe!
Breathing mindfully is helpful when you’re triggered. No one knows what you’re doing, but when you breathe mindfully, you’re triggering your parasympathetic nervous system and calming down.
Just noticing your breathing changes everything.
Wishing you so much success on your meditation journey!
With Love,
Rina
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