Do you think or believe that in order to create more calm spaces in your life that you need to meditate all day sitting completely still with an empty mind ?
Well, I'm here to tell you that you don't!
What if I told you, that you could create more calm spaces with just one minute of mindfulness practice 10 times a day, doing things you do every day as a busy mom!
Would you do them?
I know I would have, had I known in my 30's what I know now. I actually started meditating in my late teens, and continue into my 20's, but by my 30's my meditation practice was anything but consistent, it was always there lingering, reminding me, that I knew what to do, I just had to do it! So after a decade of ultimate life challenges and several life changing losses, as well as two unexpected blessings that made the decade of my 30's, one big chaotic roller coaster of a mess, I knew if I didn't do something now, it was going to get ugly.
"The Magic is in the mess" ~ Brene Brown
So, at 40 I started meditating again, diligently, sometimes several times a day and at night. I started to feel grounded again, which made me feel good, which made me want to do other things to feel good. Like so many women, I felt like I had to be a supermom, doing everything and then some. I felt like I had to be a career working mom and wife and still have it all together. You see the two blessings I mentioned above were, my children. I had never planned on being a mom, for me it was all about working hard and succeeding as a career woman, mom life wasn't for me. So when I had one child at the beginning of my 30's and one at the end, plus all the other curveballs I had to deal with during that decade, it wasn't a surprise that I had completely lost touch with taking care of myself. I wasn't exercising regularly, or taking the time to do the things I knew that made me feel good, let alone the little everyday things like being present and in the moment.
"Courage became my hero,
inner strength my miracle,
I was rescued by self-love"
~ Christy Ann Martine
So this past decade I have been self-caring and self-loving myself up! Which when I started to think about it, I could've been doing this all along, which would have surely helped me through that horrible decade of my 30's, and may even have prevented some of the bad habits I started to create in my late 20's which sort of set me up for all the turmoil in my 30's.
Then I remembered, I wouldn't be who I am today, if I hadn't gone through everything, I wouldn't be me.
I wouldn't be the woman and the mom telling you, that it doesn't take much to practice a lil self-care and self-love, all it takes are little moments of mindfulness, moments to remember to breathe and be present.
I used to think that I never had time for anything, especially any type of self-care, I used to think I had to spend hours taking care of myself whether it was working out or meditating, if I couldn't do it perfectly, then I didn't want to do it all, silly right?!
During this past decade I have taken that way of thinking and completely debunked it, realizing that every minute we choose to meditate, or practice yoga, take a walk, do a workout, go for a hike, take a run... it all adds up!
I'd rather do a few minutes of something good for me, than nothing at all.
Wouldn't you?
"One conscious breath in and out is a meditation."
~ Eckhart Tolle
So here's a few mindful moments that I practice throughout my day, they really add up to making a big difference!
10 One Minute Mindful Moments for Moms
waking up - lay in bed for 1 minute after you wake up and start your day with one thought of gratitude (if you tried one thing, this is the one to try, why? because, gratitude changes everything!)
throughout the day - take three to five 1 minute mini meditation breaks:
at work - set an alarm for one or two mini meditations throughout the day
at home - set an alaram for one or two mini meditations throughout the day
(*see below for my 6 favorite mini meditations)
doing dishes - for 1 minute check in with what you're doing, you're cleaning plates that you ate off of because you had food to eat, which is always something to be grateful for...food to eat dishes to eat them on and access to clean water to do the dishes (because dishes are never ending, there's always time to practice a minute or two of mindfulness)
doing the laundry - for 1 minute check in with what you're doing, you're washing and drying clothes that you and your family wear, something to be grateful for...you have clothes to wear and have a way to keep those clothes clean (like the never ending dishes, the piles of laundry never end, so there are always moments of mindfulness we can capture, if we pause for a moment and breathe)
working out - for 1 minute at the beginning/or end of your workout check in with what you're doing, you're taking care of your body, showing it some love, which is good thing
with the kids - take 1 minute for yourself to breathe and be in the moment, check-in with the moment and really be present ( this one thing is so amazing to do, creating mindful moments like these are so precious, and can literally be fuel for a tired mamas soul)
feeling overwhelmed - pause for 1 minute when you recognize that you're feeling overwhelmed, and sit down, step outside, or if you can, lay down, and just breathe, count 1 as you inhale and 2 as you exhale, repeat for the minute, exhaling and inhaling
before bed - lay in bed and close your eyes, for 1 minute list all the things that you can think of that you're grateful for (go to sleep with the thoughts of gratitude instead of thoughts of worry and fear, even in the darkest of seasons, there is always, always something we can find to be grateful for)
"Gratitude Changes Everything"
Tamarah
Conscious Positive Living
*See below for my 6 favorite mini meditations
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