Mindfulness" is defined by Merriam-Webster.com as "the practice of maintaining a nonjudgmental state of heightened or complete awareness of one's thoughts, emotions, or experiences on a moment-to-moment basis."
Elsewhere, on Mindfulnet.org to be exact, it is described as "a way of paying attention to, and seeing clearly whatever is happening in our lives." It is not a solution to overcoming life's problems, but it can help us respond to them in a calmer way - one that will benefit our mind, heart and body.
Although mindfulness has its roots in ancient meditation practices, causing some people to consider it a "New Age" thing, I'd like to believe that practicing it can be beneficial to even Catholics like me (and maybe you, if you're reading this and you're Catholic, though this will probably be helpful to you, even if you're not a Catholic).
In fact, popular Catholic author and speaker Dr. Gregory Popcak even wrote an article titled "The Mindful Catholic" on the Patheos website, in which he says:
"Catholics have been practicing their own form of mindfulness for 2000 years only we call it, active contemplation.'"
He goes on to write that "'active contemplation'" is the ability to use the mundane tasks of everyday life" to "achieve greater intimacy with God, greater awareness of what God is saying to us, and greater clarity of how God wants us to respond."
Thus, the practice of being mindful has its own set of benefits for all people, including those who - like me - are responsible for shaping the minds and hearts of little ones.
So, if you're a parent who is looking to be more mindful in your dealings with your kids, here are some tips from Ichel Santos-Alignay, who designed the #MomManifesto workshops, a series of online workshops that help moms "focus on the important and discover their sense of purpose." Ichel is a parenting, relationship, and family life specialist and certified psychologist, and she created the workshops with Mommy Mundo founder Janice Villanueva.
1. Presence makes a difference.
"Be present in the moment and enjoy the moment in the present," Ichel explains. "Be as fully present in both body and mind, especially when you are with your kids."
2. Offline connections matter more than online ones.
Go offline and be more connected with your kids. "Learn how to connect, chat and play with your kids," Ichel advises parents.
"Try to bracket your thoughts in order to tune into their world when you actually spend time with them."
3. Be in charge of your emotions and thoughts.
Ichel reminds parents to "learn to sort your thoughts." For example, ask yourself, "Is my anger towards my child brought about by something they want or something I want?"
4. Set your boundaries and goals.
"Being mindful is also knowing your boundaries and connecting your present situation both to your realities and what you really want in the future," Ichel shares.
5. Do things for a reason.
Ichel advises parents to do something "not just because you want to, as this may not be that mindful."
Instead, she recommends doing things because "it is important for you and/or your family, as it connects to how you help your kids grow, or how you want to grow." This gives everything so much more meaning.
"Mindfulness is really about understanding yourself in all that you do, think and feel," Ichel adds. "It is actually being able to know yourself as a person and not be carried away by life or parenthood duties."
