Australian Yoga Journal - May June 2017

MOTHERHOODis an exhilarating

spiritual journey of epic proportions

where each day we are faced with the

privilege of witnessing our most creative

project flourish. That’s on a good day.

On a bad day, it’s an exhausting,

frustrating ride where we are tested

beyond our limits through sleep

deprivation, stress, mastitis,

relationship tension, and self-doubt.

Mindfulness has been a crucial part

of my motherhood survival tool kit, not

only in managing the emotional dips

but also in enabling me to appreciate

the daily magic. Although motherhood

brings significant challenges to a

regular mindfulness meditation

practice, it can be integrated into daily

life in a way that supports greater

wisdom, presence and ease.

Here are four ways mindfulness can

help you better manage the rollercoaster

ride of motherhood. PHOTO: SASIISTOCK/ISTOCKPH

OTO.COM

Accepting what is out

of your control

A friend once likened motherhood to

backpacking around India: “As long as

you accept that fact that most of the

time nothing is going to go to plan,

you’ll be right.” If you’re someone

who fancies a plan or a schedule, new

motherhood can be a rude shock. That’s

where mindfulness, the practice of

coming into the present moment and

meeting it with acceptance and

compassion, is a great support. When

things aren’t going the way you’d like

and you feel frustration or impatience,

building mindfulness can bring you back

into your body, and help you release the

physical tension to regain your cool.

Developing greater

self-compassion

A fundamental aspect of practicing

mindfulness is to meet your moment-

to-moment experience with kindness

and compassion. When dealing with the

many challenges that come with

motherhood, self-compassion is a

powerful antidote to any feelings of

inadequacy that can arise. Rather than

being bullied by your inner self critic,

learn how to be your own best friend.

The next time you feel like you’ve fallen

short of how you’d like to be mothering,

put your hand on your heart and silently

whisper to yourself, “This is tough but

I’m doing the best I can and, just like

everyone else, I’m not perfect.”

Communicating more

effectively in relationships

Having children puts stress on

relationships and, under stress,

communication can become seriously

impaired. There are actually

neurobiological reasons for this. The

fight-or-flight response, driven by our

Manage the emotional rollercoaster

of parenting with meditation

techniques and skills to encourage

self-appreciation, compassion and

wise communication skills.

magical

mothering

By Dr Elise Bialylew

MINDFUL,

48

may/june 2017

yogajournal.com.au