Mamaste Challenge Recap

mamastechallengeWith December coming tomorrow (I can't believe it either) it's time to wrap up the Mamaste Challenge. Click through to see all of the posts that we part of this lovely challenge we did together...

Click on the photos above to see each of the posts

I truly hope there was something from this challenge that was a positive take away for you. For me, I found myself slowing down, yelling less, deepening my meditation and mindfulness practice, and just in general trying to appreciate more, complain less, and take nothing for granted.

These challenges are a great way to kick start these positive changes, but don't get discouraged if you "fall off the wagon". There is always, always time to choose again if you find yourself getting stressed out. Thank you to everyone who took part in the challenge! Sending you all love! xoxo

Mamaste Challenge: Meditate While Washing Dishes {yes, really}

you-do-have-timeI like to call Gabby Bernstein my "gateway drug" to meditation. Even though I was a kids yoga teacher and would try to teach meditation to the kids in my classes, I would usually pretend like I didn't "have" the time to meditate. It wasn't until I started reading more of Gabby's stuff that I came across the one sentence that really jolted me into making the time to meditate and be mindful. Gabby said that whenever people tell her they don't have time to meditate, she responds with "Well, do you have time to feel like sh*t?". And seriously in that moment when I first read that sentence, it clicked. I could complain about how stressed I felt, how overwhelmed I would feel, and I could continue to do nothing about it, or I could make it a priority and do something (click here to read a great piece by Gabby about this).

For me, admitting that I wasn't actually giving myself enough time was the first step. But let's face it, with five kids and a work from home job it is pretty accurate that I don't have a lot of time (read more about that here). But, I could still find the time, if I wanted to, and I realized not only did I want to, I needed to. Like now.

Before I started trying to develop a meditation practice, I started with mindfulness, which I feel is like meditation's little sister. The great thing about mindfulness is that you can literally do it anywhere, any time, and it will enrich whatever it is you are experiencing at the moment, even doing the dishes. Don't believe me? Try this next time you're facing a sink full of sippy cups and Paw Patrol plates.

First, don't procrastinate about doing the dishes (or insert any chore here that needs to get done). It has to get done, so whining about it just makes it worse for you and whoever is at the receiving end of the whining. Think about all the energy that you expend just avoiding these things too rather than the amount of energy it takes to just do them. For me I think about all of the times I will move a full laundry basket around my bedroom. On the bed, off the bed, onto the chair, next to the chair, digging through it, putting the clean clothes back. Maybe would be just easier to PUT IT AWAY? Yes. So, just do it, Nike style.

Next, really just be in the moment. I know what you're thinking, "Why would I want to be in the moment of washing dishes?" And the answer is simple, that moment is a moment of your life. So feel the warm water on your hands, find a way to enjoy the experience of making something dirty clean again, find an appreciation in the fact that you have these children you love that you get to care for and washing dishes is just one little part of that caring. Don’t focus on finishing or what you’ll do when you’re finished. Just focus on the actual doing.

This excerpt from Thich Nhat Hanh in his book The Miracle of Mindfulness really says it all:

To my mind, the idea that doing dishes is unpleasant can occur only when you aren’t doing them…I enjoy taking my time with each dish, being fully aware of the dish, the water, and each movement of my hands.  I know that if I hurry in order to eat dessert sooner, the time of washing dishes will be unpleasant and not worth living.  That would be a pity, for each minute, each second of life is a miracle.”

Sounds a little crazy, I know, to savor each moment of doing the dishes. But, would you rather hate that moment, or just let go and try to enjoy it? When you realize you have the choice, why would you choose complaining?

An easier way to try this mindfulness is in the shower. For some of us parents, that is really the only alone time we have (full disclosure sometimes I have to shower with the baby seriously so I know about how precious showers can be, TRUST ME). Don't just rush through it (wash hair, wash face, think about shaving legs, decide not to shave legs because really who wants to do that right now), make the shower a moment of meditation for you. Pick out a soap or an essential oil that you love the scent of, focus on the water running down your back, the temperature of the water, the thickness of the shower steam, whether it's at the beginning of the day or the end of the day, just focus on being there in the water, not thinking about the day behind you or ahead of you.

Here's another little thing to ponder next time you're in the shower. Have you ever heard of negative ions? Negative ions are odorless, tasteless, and invisible molecules that are generated by moving water – rivers, waterfalls, crashing waves, even showers and fountains. Once they reach our bloodstream, negative ions are believed to produce biochemical reactions that increase levels of the mood chemical serotonin, helping to alleviate depression, relieve stress, and boost our daytime energy. And just like with a waterfall, moving water is moving water, and showers do a good job of producing negative ions in their own right, so while you are taking a shower next time visualize these negative ions that are improving your mood, increasing serotonin, and improving the state of your bed head all at the same time.

So try it, today. Pick one thing, be it folding laundry or taking a shower or doing the dishes, and find that mindful place. I guarantee it will make whatever chore you have to do easier to get through, because you will be making that moment of your life worthwhile.

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Mamaste Challenge: Week One {Monday + Tuesday}

mamastechallengeAre you ready Mamaste Challengers? We're starting one day early since the last day of October falls on a Monday, but you can jump in whenever you like. I've got the first couple days laid out for you with some great stuff to help you find balance even in a storm of Halloween candy fueled toddlers, some peace during bedtime meltdowns, and a quick stretch to help keep you on your toes for whatever mom life is going to throw at you this week.

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Monday's meditation is from Mallika Chopra...

 

Tuesday's "Mom-asana" is from Yoga Journal, and addresses the ugly, energy sapping "Mom Guilt" that we all seem to assign to ourselves. Read through what Janet Stone has to say about Mom Guilt and how we can ditch the guilt for good...

Why do you heap guilt upon yourself? Let’s start there. Make a list of all the things that lead to “mom guilt” for you.

Then, let’s look at the source of this guilt. Is it, perhaps, a misalignment of your actions with your deeper truth or intention? Is it cultural, familial, or handed to you by society? Are you comparing yourself to the mounds of images that we are fed of moms doing it all “perfectly”?

When you unearth the roots of your guilt, you may find a few of things: 1. You may sense that you have compromised your own moral standards or what you feel is most important. In this case, we recognize the need for a change of course and make a small or big change to get back on track. After all, if the winds of society pull us in a dozen different directions, we’re bound to need a course correction sometimes. Compassion for ourselves is necessary.

2. You may realize that it’s a false guilt that you have placed upon yourself for no good reason. In this case, we practice clearing the guilt before it takes hold and wastes our time and attention.

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3. You may find that the guilt comes from unrealistic expectations of how you think you should be. In this case, we begin the process of releasing some of these endless expectations.

It is no easy task to soften and shed the guilt loop. It may be part of our familial heritage or our upbringing as women. I have two daughters. It helps me soften when I imagine that what I’m feeling or acting upon is what I’m modeling for them. I do not want to continue the guilt cycle and hand that down, so it becomes worth it for me to start cleaning up this long line of guilt that suffocates my capacity to be fully present with them.

The yoga pose just for moms is the Tortoise Pose (click here for the full post on this post):

To start, come into a version of Bound Angle Pose with the feet about 12 inches away from your hips. This will allow the forehead to fall toward the arches of the feet. You may choose to pause here and rest the forehead in the arches or even on a block that rests on the feet. If you have the space, lift up your right knee and slide your right arm under your leg, and then repeat on the left side. Allow your body weight to rest toward the earth, softening the jaw, forehead, and eyes while your heart softens in both the front and back. The safety of this pose offers a moment of softness and reflection upon your deeper intentions as a parent.

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Click here to see more from Janet Stone and her Yoga for Moms, and stay tuned for more on the Mamaste Challenge.

Don't forget, in addition to the Mamaste Challenge Calendar, I'm offering this exclusive Mamaste design on tanks, tees and totes with 100% of the proceeds going directly to the Franklin Community Center for their holiday programs. Click the photo below to shop, and remember, every penny from these tees goes to help local kids have a happy and healthy holiday season.

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The Mamatoga Mamaste Challenge

mamastechallengeNovember is almost here, and with November we start to think of Thanksgiving, a beautiful time to reflect on what we are grateful for and thankful for. With that in mind, I wanted to take the idea of thankfulness and gratefulness and take it a few steps further, adding in some mindfulness, some meditation, some kindness and some yoga. Right now maybe you're thinking "That's great but I don't have time for meditation/yoga/mindfulness" but I am here to tell you, you do. Click through to find out more about the Mamatoga Mamaste Challenge and how you can take part.

The Challenge will be made up of three elements, listed below, with a simple suggestion each day (only during the week, the weekends are all you). Try them all, try just one, whatever you choose. Some of you Type-A mamas like me will want to try to complete the entire thing, but really you can take it on however you want and however your schedule or your life will be open to it.

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In addition to the Mamaste Challenge Calendar, we'll have guest posts, recipes, specials and giveaways for everyone taking part. Plus, I'm offering this exclusive Mamaste design on tanks, tees and totes with 100% of the proceeds going directly to the Franklin Community Center for their holiday programs. Click the photo below to shop, and remember, every penny from these tees goes to help local kids have a happy and healthy holiday season.

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Ready to take part? All you have to do is sign up for the newsletter below and we'll get started together in November. xoxo

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Kids Guided Meditations: The Balloon

join-us-this-saturdayFor many years I had the pleasure of teaching kids yoga, and at the end of each and every class, I would have the kids finish it out in savasana, which basically is lying flat on the floor, arms by your side, palms up, eyes closed and no talking. Usually I would shut the lights off, and I would keep it going for as long as I possibly could, which sometimes stretched into five minutes. Yes, for five minutes I would have a classroom full of little kids (usually aged 8 and younger) lying in stillness with their eyes closed, totally silent (maybe a little giggle here and there). The parents would always ask me "How do you get them to do that?!" and I would always respond, "Because they need it".

Now, I had some help. I would lower the lights and sometimes put on a nightlight that would project stars onto the ceiling, I played gentle, soothing meditation music, and I would tiptoe around the room, placing a "jewel" sticker in between their eyebrows, and I would quietly explain what I was doing and that once they got their sticker they had to focus on it and see if they could guess what color their jewel was that day. They absolutely loved it, and even after the most rambunctious of classes we would all come together in quiet savasana.

Even after doing this for years I was amazed that I could pull it off each time, but I understood that in our children's lives there can sometimes be very little peace and quiet. The classroom is noisy and boisterous, my own kids tell me about the incredible loudness of the cafeteria at lunch, the school bus, the playground, it's part of their daily life but it definitely isn't quiet. Most of the time, the only quiet time kids get is at bedtime, and while that is important, is it enough? Furthermore, bedtime can sometimes be more of a battle and less of a relaxing drifting off to dreamland, so where is the peace?

Even if it's just a few minutes, learning how to make their own calm and peaceful space using meditation techniques can be so important to a child's well being. Studies show that meditation helps reduce stress, strengthens the immune system, can improve relationships at home and at school, it can help to decrease aggressiveness and anxieties, improves behavior and attitude, improves focus, memory and concentration and promotes inner peace. Who wouldn't want to teach those skills to their kids?!

Over the next few weeks I'll be sharing some of my favorite meditation and yoga techniques just for kids, and I'm going to start with my kids favorite one: The Balloon. Don't overthink it, just find a quiet space, a few minutes, and give it a go. If it doesn't feel at all like a mediation, don't sweat it. Baby steps. Just taking the time to try it is a good thing.

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This meditation can be done standing or seated. Just find a quiet space with little distraction.

Relax your body and begin to take deep inhales and slow exhales through the nose. Start to take a slow, deep breath to fill your belly up with air, as if you’re trying to blow up a big balloon. Expand your belly as much as you can. Have the kids stretch their arms open and overhead to represent expansion of their big balloon.

To get kids engaged in this, ask them to picture the balloon, to see what color it might be.

Slowly let the air out of the balloon (through the nose) as you release the breath from the belly.

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Encourage your kids to feel their entire body relax each time they exhale, each time air is slowly being released from the balloon. The kids can even make a “hissing” noise to encourage them to slow down the exhale even more, like letting air out of the balloon.

Continue to breathe air into and out of the balloon for several minutes (aka as long as you can get them to sit still and take part). If it's just a few times at first, that's still good, just be patient and encourage them to keep going.

When their balloon is totally full, have the kids hold their breath at the top, and then you can “pop" the balloon for them with a gentle poke to their belly and they can lay down and "deflate" as they exhale. My suggestion? Wait till you are getting near the end of their attention span for this part, it's a great way to draw it out next time ("After a few more deep breaths we will pop our balloons!").

Stay tuned for more mindful meditation techniques, including a mama + kids meditation challenge...xoxo