What do you do to get present?
Walking, closing our eyes and following our breath, doing yoga, journaling, and making healthy food in a meditative way are all great ways to get out of our heads and into the moment.
For me, the busier, more distracted and overwhelmed I feel, the more I try to squeeze in my yoga and meditation.
Being present helps me be more of the Divine Ma I want to be, in so many ways:
1.) I am present and aware so I can notice when something big comes up.
Yesterday when we were driving, my daughter asked, “what if everybody in the whole world died at once?”
We talked about apocalyptic movies in which only a few people are left, and how someday even the sun will die but not ’til long after we are all gone.
We went over again how death is a part of life, and how when someone you love dies, they are still a part of you forever. A teachable moment that I was so glad not to have missed because of all my lists and phone calls and plans.
2.) I can think clearly to offer my daughter choices rather than react.
We started this when she was younger, when she started throwing her food on the ground and giggling. I watched her as she stared with curiosity at daddy’s frustrated expression, and realized she was so excited by how much power she had over us.
So, we decided to go with the “never let them see you sweat” concept. Instead of reacting and getting mad, we explained lovingly that if she was going to throw food she wouldn’t be able to sit at the table with us, because that’s not what we do at the table.
We still offer her choices, but mostly, she’s making pretty good choices for herself these days.
We’ve also tried to balance this as she gets older, revealing more and more that we are humans with emotions; but, in general, we try not to react but to just respond.
3.) I can be playful.
Our car rides, meal prep and other transitions can either be full of stress or joyful times we spend together. That’s a choice we can make as moms. Yoga helps me remember I always have a choice, too.
Divine Mama, life is too busy not to stop and clear our minds, invigorate our bodies, and listen to our heart’s deepest longings. I wish you the very best, in the present.
