Tip 1: Simple Meditation for Mom
Tip 1: Simple Meditation for Mom
When you hear the word "meditation", then for surefirst of all, imagine yogis, Buddhist monks, strange people, enthusiastic esoteric. And maybe there are scenes from the movie "Eat Pray Love" with Julia Roberts. In any case, we usually do not associate meditation with everyday life. And even more so, it is not clear how to sit in the lotus pose, light incense, close your eyes and contemplate when the children are running around and do not give a moment's rest. And just sit down, come running and wonder what it is you're here, Mom, do?
However, I have good news! If you do not pursue an exotic entourage, at the disposal of each mother there are at least three (and in fact, much more) options for meditation. You do not need a Buddha statue, a special place or music. All you need is to find something that suits you personally and is "compatible" with your children.
Let's start with the definition. What is meditation? This word has a meaning "mentally contemplate", "meditate". It is also a way to clear your head, bring your thoughts in order, reduce stress, excitement, and calm emotions. These are conscious actions aimed at sensing peace or concentrating on something and solving the problem. In general, meditation can have different goals. For me, as for my mother, meditation is a way to find peace, to feel that life flows smoothly, like a river.
And here are six of the simplest ways to meditate with children.
Method 1. A large cup of tea
Breastfeeding mothers will understand me - a cup of tea oranother drink should be large. First, to get drunk. Secondly, as I found out, tea drinking with a leisurely stirring of sugar with a spoon, sipping of another hot drink, a thoughtful glance through the window is one of socially approved (that is, not considered strange) ways to keep silent in the company, to be alone with your thoughts or about than not to think at all.
Another socially approved method associated withkitchen and food - seeds. Yes Yes! Seeds are a routine and calming process, during which you often catch yourself that there is not a single thought in your head!
And you know that children know how to meditatespontaneously? You, perhaps, remember this yourself: when in childhood you suddenly "hang" during dressing and gathering in the kindergarten or during dinner at the table. All thoughts were gone and you literally were not here. But this condition is usually interrupted by adults - the time you chose is not the most suitable.
The state of "nothing about not thinking" - one of the mostdifficult for those who constantly make many decisions and experience stress. But it is these moments that temporarily turn off your thoughts and worries, allowing you to rest.
Method 2: Meditative Painting
Even if you do not draw at all, this viewdrawing is available to everyone. Take a notebook and a pen and start drawing patterns. Neither symmetry nor even lines are important. Just draw a vegetative or geometric, or an abstract ornament. Flowers, hearts, spirals and waves. Use the entire sheet space. Your head will be busy trying to figure out what else to put on the sheet, and this concentration on paper and patterns will drag you out of everyday thoughts.
Method 3: Knitting
Start knitting a simple thing that does not requirecounting loops, high accuracy and patterns. And not very big. Scarf or cap on knitting needles or crochet - the optimal size. Not all mothers give children a knit, but if you give a minute - try. Experienced knitters do not pull away from knitting - they themselves say that it is soothing. It's all about the routine easy work of the hands, which unloads the brain. And the more important the process itself, the better for you. You knit yourself and you knit.
Method 4: Modeling
Molding is a meditative process that will be appreciated andmothers, and children, because the mother remains close and does not go deep into herself. From plasticine, dough or can sand (sand in the sandbox - in the summer, popular today kinetic sand - in the winter) - select materials that are pleasant to you and begin to sculpt with the child. Roll balls, sausages, mold hearts, circles, squares, simple creatures. Focus on the process, not on the result: you spend time with the child, do not waste time in vain, and show him an example, sculpt for him, communicate. And at the same time, the nerve endings of your hands are stimulated, and thoughts are released. When the material is chosen correctly, you will feel the pleasure of tactile sensations, and the process for the sake of the process, legal "doing nothing" is something that we, the adults, do not have enough!
Method 5. A contemplative walk
The way to meditate on a walk is related torespiratory techniques and contemplation. When kids sleep in a stroller or play enthusiastically in a sandbox, in general, they are safe, you can use this time not for the phone and the Internet, but to bring your thoughts in order. Focus on the nature around you: trees, grass, sky ..., breathe smoothly and smoothly. Breathe in. Exhalation. Breathe in. Exhalation. Slowly and carefully consider the world around you. Look for interesting details, immerse yourself in looking at them, find beauty, harmony and regularity in shapes and colors. Such concentration on details helps to see the world in a new way and takes a very conscious mind, giving birth to new ideas and thoughts.
Method 6: Zen stones
If you have a hill of flat seastones-naked, try together with your child to put a Zen pyramid out of them. This occupation requires concentration, so it can not be unequivocally attributed to the relaxing. But this is a change of activity, and a good joint activity, which trains in you and in the child patience, sleight of hand.
The ability to relax and change the course of theirthoughts do not come at once with effort of will. Always something distracts and obsessive thoughts and strive to prevent you. But over time, you will find it easier and faster to disconnect yourself from everyday life, to find pleasure in simple routine matters. I recommend that all mothers often pay attention to their thoughts, their level of stress and from time to time resort to simple techniques of relaxation and meditation, accessible to all.
Julia Syrykh.Dizayner. Writer. Mama. The author of the book "Positive motherhood or how to easily and effectively grow children"
Tip 2: 7 psychological stress management practices for a young mother
I know from my own experience that with the advent of the childthe life of the family is changing radically: new worries emerge, responsibility sharply increases. Lack of sleep becomes the norm, and not an exception, fatigue accumulates. These and other factors often lead to extreme stress or even depression. Before the young mother there is an important task: to get rid of "pressure".
I will share the psychological techniques that mehelp to remove fatigue, switch, get rid of unnecessary stress and feel more harmonious. The peculiarity of these practices is that they are all designed for a minimum execution time (5-10 minutes) and are aimed at a high result. Despite the fact that the amount of free time with the advent of the child is reduced catastrophically, I am convinced that you can always find 5 minutes a day for personal self-development (for example, while walking on the street or when the baby is sleeping).
1. The technique "Five minutes I just breathe." Take a comfortable position, mark the time (5minutes or less) and just watch your breathing. Feel the breath and exhale. Feel what is now the breath: deep or shallow, calm or intermittent. Concentrate on breathing. After completing the exercise, mark the changes in your condition. This seemingly very simple exercise has a strong effect. It brings us back to the present moment (present), and when we are in the present moment, we feel peace, because we are not worried about the future (the future) and not regretting the past (the past).
2. Mantra "Mom is happy - everyone is happy" ("Mom is happy - everyone is happy"). This mantra offered young mothers Narushevich RA. It needs to be spoken - aloud or to myself. It is convenient for me to repeat this phrase mentally, when I walk with a stroller - she well lays down a step.
3. Meditation "Getting rid of negative - filling with positive." This practice is convenient for walking, but canto be carried out and in any other conditions, the main thing - to stand or walk on the ground (or on the floor). So, imagine how each exhalation from your body takes away everything that you want to get rid of. Feel what you would like to let go: fatigue, irritation, anger, etc. Listen to the sensations in the body that are bothering you: tension, stiffness, stoop, etc. With each exhalation, imagine how this negative (say mentally what it is) goes through the earth and leaves you. A few breaths - exhalations. Then think about how you would like to feel now: to feel relaxation, calmness, confidence, strength, energy, etc. Imagine how with each breath you fill with a positive (say mentally, than exactly). A few breaths - exhalations. This meditation is one of my favorites, I practice it while walking with a stroller. The condition before this practice and after - two completely different states, although they share only a few minutes.
4. Mandala therapy (mandala - drawing in a circle). Now the coloring of mandalas is very popular - it harmonizes. It is possible how to paint ready-made mandalas (download images from the Internet), and create your own masterpieces. If you want to go along the second path, you will need a square sheet with a circle drawn on it (attach a plate to sheet A4, circle, cut the sheet to a square), materials (optional - pastels, paints, pencils) and some free time. The task is simple: draw in the circle what you want. I really like to draw my mandalas, and color ready - after this practice I feel pacification, as if everything is "decayed into shelves," and emotional uplift. It may seem that this practice takes a long time - this is not always the case, because you can act step by step: there is time - prepared materials, there was another five minutes - started drawing, if you are forced to interrupt - do not worry, finish then.
5. Exercise "Scanning" is aimed at relaxation, relaxation. Take a comfortable pose and concentrate on the sensations of your body. Like a ray of light, enlighten your body completely and reveal what is strained - areas of stress. Observe what happens to the tension after you find it. Then deliberately try to relax. From my own experience, I can say that, along with stress, anxieties, anxieties, and other experiences leave as well.
6. Meditation "Stop the mind." A fairly well-known meditation, the meaning of which inThat you need to try not to think thoughts, but to watch them. Sit back, relax, close your eyes and imagine a blue sky or a clean white screen before you, and floating clouds are your thoughts (thoughts, sounds, images) that come and go. Start practicing with 2-3 minutes, gradually increasing the time to 8-10 minutes. For me, the optimal time is 5 minutes. After doing this practice, I get a feeling of a "fresh head", fatigue disappears, obsessive thoughts go away.
7. Practice of "Morning Pages" fully reveals Julia Cameron in the book "The Wayartist ". The point is simply to write what comes to mind, to catch the "flow", that is, not to reflect, but simply write what comes now. I will give an example. "I can hear birds chirping outside the window. I remembered yesterday when I went to the store and saw a beautiful dress there. I want to sleep ... "That is, we fix the stream of consciousness. "Morning Pages" is an excellent practice that allows you to "drain" the excess negative and get through this discharge. Ideally, they should be written in the morning - this will take at least 15 minutes, but young moms are unlikely to have at this time, so it would be great to practice in a convenient mode and volume. For those who like written practices, except for "Morning Pages" is excellent suited to keeping a diary.
And finally - a few general tips:
- if you are a believer, turn to God in prayer for support;
- do not hesitate to seek help from relatives;
- communicate with close people, do not suppress difficulties, discuss topical issues and jointly look for solutions;
- find at least 5 minutes per day for sports (for example, charging, stretching, exercises on fitball, etc.);
- find at least 5 minutes a day to care for yourself (for example, self-massage of hands and face, application of cream, face mask, etc.)
- find at least 2 hours a week for hobbies and hobbies, that is, for those activities that fill, give strength and energy;
- do not worry about the mess in the house - witha small child of the ideal order does not happen, try to organize all household affairs in the best possible way (for example, every day allocate 5-10 minutes for cleaning, and not try to do everything at once);
- if you feel that you can not cope with stress yourself - contact a specialist;
- Every day, please yourself with something (even trifles, especially trifles!), make yourself a gift;
- find at least five occasions for gratitude daily: thank God, the Universe, relatives for something concrete (it is better to do this in writing - to keep a "Diary of Gratitude").
Blessed you motherhood!
