Do you laugh aloud at the thought of having a few minutes to meditate during busy days with your children? What if I told you that you could be meditating THE ENTIRE DAY, even in the midst of chaotic, everyday moments with your little minions?
Dr. Leah Weiss–an author, a mindfulness expert who studied with the Dali Lama, a professor at the Stanford Graduate School of Business, and a mother of three little children–teaches that this is possible. It just requires that we redefine (or rather, correctly define) the word “meditation.”
The word “meditation” is a translation from the Tibetan word “gom.” Dr. Weiss points out that a more literal definition of this word is simply “familiarization” or “getting to know your mind and heart.”
When explained this way, busy moms can let go of visions of silent meditation rooms and burning incense (though those things are great too!) and instead embrace every moment with their children as an opportunity to “familiarize” themselves with their own hearts and minds. In fact, motherhood itself can become meditation.
Join me for this fascinating conversation with a renowned mindfulness expert who teaches us the Tibetan process of “dampa sum,” meaning “good in the beginning, good in the middle, and good in the end.”
Meditation for Moms
Three Takeaways
Follow the three-part Tibetan practice of Dampa Sum in order to achieve Gom, which means “getting to know our minds and hearts.” (Dom is often translated as “meditation.”)
1) Set an intention for a specific and short amount of time (not for the entire day!).
2) Do the activity with your intention in mind. Recalibrate when needed.
3) Reflect on how it went. Practice self-compassion if you made mistakes, and set a new
intention (or restart the same one) for the next activity.
Show Notes
How We Work: Live Your Purpose, Reclaim Your Sanity, and Embrace the Daily Grind by Dr. Leah Weiss
“Motherhood Matters: Are You Willing to Suffer?” by Laura Fanucci
Many thanks to this month’s sponsor!
Revolution Math, which is a weekly online class for 2nd-5th graders, aligned with Common Core standards and taught by a live teacher. Class sizes are small, with no more than four students per group, and they always have the same teacher guiding them through an immersive, story-based curriculum.
If you would like to try out Revolution Math, you can use the code 3IN30 to get a month-long trial for only $1. This includes four one-hour math classes and a complimentary learning kit mailed to your home. For that price, what’s there to lose?
Go to RevolutionMath.com, and don’t forget to use the code 3IN30.
Do you practice mindfulness? What did you find most helpful about this episode of meditation for moms? Let me know in a comment below!
