Author: Dr. Magdalena Battles / Source: Lifehack
Are you looking for ways to improve your parenting?
Of course; we all are! Anyone who is a parent is always looking to take their parenting skills to the next level and improve the balance in the household. Parenting styles don’t have to complicate our lives, but which style of parenting we choose does have a direct impact on how harmonious our lives with our children are.
Everyone has heard the terms “meditation” and “mindfulness”; but, were you aware that mindful meditation can bring about an amazing transformation in your parenting style?
It’s true! With just a few simple tips on meditation and being more present, your parenting style can see an amazing transformation in just a very short time.
Mindfulness Matters
Meditation is the practice of calming and centering the mind. Mindful meditation originated in India thousands of years ago as part of Hinduism.
Over the centuries, its amazing ability to transform our mind, body and soul have been taken on by Buddhism as well as many other cultures and religions.
Today, countless cultures around the world have embraced the physical, emotional and spiritual benefits that mindfulness can bring to our personal lives.
The Secret of Stress Free Parenting
Let’s face it, parenting can be hard and stressful!
It can also be quite amazing and rewarding to see the best aspects of ourselves standing in front of us in the form of our children.
To be the very best parents we can be, it’s crucial that we find productive ways to manage our stress. After all, our kids learn best by watching our behavior (this is called “modeling”) and if we don’t handle stress well, neither will they.
Adding a mindful meditation practice to your life, even if it’s just a few minutes a day, can transform your parenting style in several incredible ways:
- You will feel a greater sense of calm and peace
- You will be able to ebb and flow around daily challenges more easily
- You will naturally be more patient with your child and yourself
Science Backs Up The Benefits
Researchers at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, MD conducted a recent study on the effects of a mindful meditation practice and it’s impact on stress and well-being. Their research looked at over 3500 people, and what they found was astonishing! 1
They found that “the negative effect (of Anxiety, depression, and stress/distress) is improved in mindfulness programs”.
They also found that “mindfulness-based stress reduction reduces (physical) pain severity to a small degree” and that “Mindfulness meditation programs had moderate evidence of improved anxiety”.
Yet another study published by the National Institutes of Health found that a Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction program “may have a beneficial effect on anxiety symptoms in generalized anxiety disorder, and may also improve stress reactivity and coping”. 2
Clearly many experts recognize the ability of a mindful meditation practice to reduce stress and anxiety; and since parents seem to have an endless stream of stress and anxiety, this can certainly help make some positive changes.
Meditation Changes Our Brains
A recent study by the University of California in Los Angeles examined the links between aging, brain deterioration and meditation.
What they found was nothing short of amazing!
In their study, they reported that “meditation is brain-protective and associated with a reduced age-related tissue decline”. 3
They went on to say that there is “scientifically solid evidence that meditation has brain (and mind) altering capacities (which can help with) healthy aging, but also pathological aging, such as is evident in mild cognitive impairment or Alzheimer’s disease”.
In short, if we focus on adding just a few minutes of mindful meditation to our daily rituals we can literally transform our minds and positively impact how our brains age.
We can then apply this to all aspects of our lives, including how we parent.
The Effects on Kids May Surprise You
Children face enormous pressures today compared to when we were kids.
Social media and technology can affect the brain negatively to create anxiety and stress that simply didn’t exist in past decades. We also have epidemics of ADD & ADHD and out of control rates of adolescent depression.
The good news is finding ways to incorporate a mindful mediation practice into your child’s life can have a significant impact.
A recent study by Clinical Child Psychology and Psychiatry found that “using the techniques of Sahaja Yoga Meditation . . . showed improvements in children’s ADHD behavior, self-esteem and relationship quality.” 4
They went on to say that “Children described . . . better sleep patterns, less anxiety . . . and at school more able to concentrate, (and had) less conflict. Parents reported feeling happier, less stressed and more able to manage their child’s behavior”.
While kids may not have the patience for a daily or lengthy practice of seated meditation, just a few minutes several times a week can bring about a profound change in mood, attitude and stress-reduction!
The Magic Behind Mono-tasking
Mindfulness has come into fashion over the past decade.
Essentially it’s the practice of focusing our attention on what we are doing in the moment. With mindfulness, we focus on being 100% present to a person or…
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