Posted: May 01, 2018
A parent is born when a child is born. In that moment when you hold your baby in your hands for the first time, they have already stolen you away from the rest of the world. Just their entrance into your life changes you totally, and before you know it, you start exhibiting the beautiful qualities of extreme patience, love and care.
From the fetal period to birth, from babyhood to the teenage years, their career, their married life, and beyond, a parent’s love remains deep and vast, like the ocean and the sky.
Parenting has its challenges, and parents find unique ways of overcoming them. However, there are ways for every parent to become more skillful, understanding, and intuitive in dealing with parenting challenges that face them. Meditating daily is one of these ways. It has the capacity to add more beauty to parenthood.
# 1 Just born - a new bud
It’s 2 am and your baby starts crying; your little one cannot communicate anything. So at this stage you have to use your intuitive skills to understand the needs of your baby. With daily practice of meditation, your intuitive ability blossoms and you find it easier to understand the little one. You can become a master of the language of the heart.
Babies are very sensitive to the parents’ states of mind. It reflects in their behavior, physical and mental health, and development. So it’s important for parents to find ways to rest and be fresh, happy, and peaceful. Meditation gives you deep rest and helps you maintain your energy level and inner happiness all day.
“Regular practice of meditation makes me feel relaxed and keeps me active enough to play with my baby even after a long and hectic day at work,” shares a father of a 1-year-old.
#2 Toddlers - the bud grows
Toddlers can really test your patience. They can be notoriously demanding and stubborn. They often also want to be independent (‘Me do it’) and insist they do things on their own, even when tasks are unsafe or out of reach. Dealing with their tantrums requires a lot of skill and patience. You need to be constantly creative in finding new ways to deal with them without getting angry or tired.
Meditation makes you calm and centered, and helps you manage their moods patiently. You are less likely to lose your temper, and can skillfully respond. When you are calm and fresh, creativity wells up in you, and dealing with your toddler will be more of a pleasure and less fatiguing.
Pooja Sharma, mother of a 3-year-old, shares, “With daily practice of meditation, I have discovered new skills of handling my baby boy. When he refuses to eat, I start making sounds like ‘yum yum,’ and ‘very tasty,’ rather than getting angry. Listening to this, he starts eating.”
#3 Pre-teens - the bud starts blossoming!
This is the time when the wheel turns. Your young children are growing up fast. This is the time when you need to build up trust in your children, become their confidants and sounding-boards - from school guidance to advice on boyfriends and girlfriends. This is the time when you need to be a friend to them and yet be assertive whenever required.
“My 10-year-boy tells everyone that I am his good friend. I can attribute this to meditation because it helps me strike an effective balance in being a father and a friend at the same time,” shares Jaideep.
A few minutes of meditation every day can strengthen your relationship with your young ones. It gives you the ability to trust. Meditation makes you centered and more open to understanding your children. It gives you the strength to sow the seeds of human values in them, and guide them to evolve as balanced human beings.
#4 Young adults - the bud becomes a flower
At this stage, youths want to spread their wings and the touch the sky with their dreams and ambitions. We need to be a pillar of support to them. We want them to be happy; they want to be happy. Yet often a communication gap develops. This is because there are times when we and they have different points of view. But when we meditate, we are able to communicate peacefully and skillfully. We are able to accept their perspective and give them the space to grow at their own pace, even while keeping a watchful eye to ensure they succeed.
Meditating together with your young adults will help you bond better and will make your relationship more special.
“My daughters and I meditate every day. It keeps us calm, helps us understand things from each other’s point of view, and develops a bonding based on acceptance and trust,” shared one mother.
Be one of the “most smiling” and “most approachable parents” in the world
With just 20 minutes of meditation, you can be one of the most smiling, peaceful, and approachable parents in the world. When they find you peaceful and balanced in every situation, they find you approachable in any situation.
Inspired by Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar's wisdom talks
