Mindfulness for Mums

Relaxation doesn’t come easily to me.  I’ve always enjoyed being busy but being a parent brings busy to a whole new level, so when it comes to switching off, I struggle. Coupled with a thyroid problem that causes bouts of insomnia (to be continued…), means that I sometimes, spend days exhausted and in desperate need of R&R. So in my late night, “please help me sleep” internet searches, it was only a matter of time before I encountered mindfulness and started to take steps to integrate it into my daily life.

Mindfulness might seem like the latest buzz word but it’s certainly not new.  Its roots can be found in Buddhist meditation, some 2,500 years ago.  In more recent times, mindfulness as a secular practice has found its way into mainstream society, largely due to Jon Kabat-Zinn and his work at the University of Massachusetts Medical School, where he began his Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) Program in 1979. Since then thousands of studies have been conducted into the physical and mental health benefits of mindfulness, and MBSR, in particular, making it a highly regarded technique for helping to combat anxiety and reduce stress.

Acceptance is a key component of mindfulness.  We not only bring our attention and awareness to our thoughts and our feelings, but we accept them, without judgement.  There is no right or wrong, good or bad way to feel at any given moment.  Rather, we focus our attention on our breath and our thoughts and tune into what we are experiencing in the present moment instead of focusing on the past or trying to imagine the future.

We don’t have to be sitting cross legged in the lotus position by the sea or half way up the side of a mountain to simply stop and take a moment to focus our attention, although both certainly do lend themselves beautifully to the experience!  It’s more about the everyday practice of coming out of our thoughts when we find ourselves lost in them.

Thinking, day dreaming and planning are all necessary activities and mindfulness does not try and change these things. What it does, is offer us opportunities to step out of negative self-talk and emotional reactions.  It releases us from rehashing painful memories and ruminating on the past and encourages us to focus on the now, instead of being anxious about the future. Awareness of our breath, the out breath in particular, is valuable because the out breath calms the nervous system.  It can also help to maintain presence of mind when we find ourselves in difficult situations.

In our Mindful Mums workshops we combine some gentle, stress releasing stretches, with mindful breathing techniques, a relaxing body scan, mediation and some positive affirmation work so that mums leave with some effective new tools to incorporate into our daily lives.

Our next Mindful Mums Workshop is on March 14th @ 7 in the tranquil setting of the Carlow Holistic Center.

See.www.TheBabyRoom.ie for more details and booking information.