In the words of Elizabeth Stone, “Making the decision to have a child – it is momentous. It is to decide forever to have your heart go walking around outside your body.”
It is also to forever have your emotions running riot inside of you! Because, let’s face it, motherhood is not easy.
An ordinary day in the life of a mum can make her go from laughter to tears, joy to anger, elation to disappointment, confidence to self-doubt, relaxation to exhaustion, feeling on top of the world to hitting rock bottom and back again like an erratic pendulum that’s never learnt to work to a rhythm.
Mums are at once, the most rock solid and yet the most vulnerable people in the world. Whilst a single word or smile from them can bring instant calm to their children, a single word or action of their child can shatter their peace within seconds! Not to mention the constant striving to be the best mother you can be often leads to burnout, both physical and emotional.
So, what can mums do to bring balance and escape that feeling of emotional and physical exhaustion?
Practice mindfulness of course!
Mindfulness is an approach to nurturing yourself, helping yourself to feeling better, to being more connected and calmer. With mindfulness you can spiral yourself into a positive cycle of self-care and kindness, a general feeling of well-being and a dispassionate connectedness with the here and now.
Take a Pause in the Busyness:
Practice the pause, as many times in a day as you can. According to Tara Brach, to pause in the midst of busyness is one of the greatest gifts we can give ourselves.
Pause. Inhale. Exhale. A few slow breaths are sometimes all it takes to release the tight hold your emotions may have taken over the moment and return to the busyness with a calmer, quieter you. A calmer you that is more present in the moment and able to choose how to respond rather than react to the chaos of the moment.
Dip into the moment
An ordinary day in the life of a mum can involve juggling range of activities – driving, cooking, working, school assignments, rushing to activities, spending time with the kids. All these and more! But there are also moments when you are not rushing, when all is well in your world. They are the happy moments, the restful moments. Be on the alert for such moments and take a conscious few minutes to dip into their warmth. Allow yourself to completely immerse yourself in the feel good moments and help yourself to heal and re-energise.
Mindful affirmations
Worries, anxieties, regrets, doubt – there’s not a mother in the world who isn’t carrying some or all of these with her wherever she goes. Affirmations are an effective way to minimise these emotions and allow yourself the ability of being a mother who is more present when she is with her family. Here are a few general affirmations for you to try.
- I am doing the best I can for my family
- I love deeply and am deeply loved by my family
- I will not second guess myself
- I will see the best in me and the best in my children
- I let go of trying to control every tiny detail
- Each day I soak myself in the love and smiles of my children
The beauty of affirmations is that you may create your own affirmations that speak to you and help you to stay positive.
So, to all you beautiful mums out there who are reading this, take a pause, a slow mindful breath and with gentleness and compassion permit yourself to just be, to feel the love that surrounds you and remind yourself that you are the best mum for your children.
There YouGO!
This Mother’s Day you have made mindfulness your mantra and given yourself the gift of the pause.
Yours mindfully,
Rajni
Follow Rajni on Facebook @YogaWithRajni
