Meditating Mamas

[eastkygal]

I'd like to start a thread to discuss meditation. I'd love for it to be for mamas of all faiths to share their challenges and joys with maintaining a regular practice of meditation.

I'll start:
I'm Christian mama and I practice Kundalini Yoga. I am currently doing a Sa-Ta-Na-Ma inner chanting meditation while rocking DD2 to sleep every night. I'm trying a 40 day commitment to it. My biggest challenge right now is that my mind is all over the place. My mind loves to multi-task. The chatter thoughts take me away every time and I find it difficult at time to refocus. I do believe that meditation is helping in healing me.

[redveg]

Hello all. I am a Pagan mama, I also practice Yoga, but I have been meditating long before that. I live in a rural, very rural area, so every morning after my kids are off to school I sit outside, either on the porch or in the grass and meditate for as long as possible. This is between 15 and 25 minutes. Right now my biggest problem is they are working on our drit road, getting it ready for the winter so I have not been able to get my meditation in for 3 days. I am trying to work in a time before bed to meditate. Meditation has helped me slow down, I feel so much better, better able to aproach my day with a more peaceful, positive attitude.

[EvansMomma]

Lovely thread.
I'll have to come back to it.
I am trying to clear some space in my life for my spiritual practices again.

I used to meditate after I'd rock my son to sleep, usually by listening to his breathing and then once I could still myself, I'd work on my own breathing.

I haven't been able to find the time (or make the time, I suppose) to sit and meditate or do yoga or really do any spiritual self-care of any kind. I'm really wanting to commit to it and make the time now.

So I'll keep an eye on this thread, I bet it will be great for ideas on incorporating meditation into a busy life.

[eastkygal]

I am finding myself being healed of years of impatience, anxiety, anger, etc... Just the little bit of meditating and yoga that I can fit in with a 4 year old and 18 month old. I'm also realizing that it doesn't have to be perfect to work. I have never reached a state of neutral mind. My mind chatters and gets me off track all through my meditation, but I refocus and work to retain that focus. I was getting all worked up, but then the "inner voice" said to stop fighting.

Meditating while getting DD2 to sleep is helping me to maintain a regular and peaceful meditation schedule. It is something I have to do every night, and she is a blessing from the Creator, what better time than that to become spiritually renewed.

I do meditations with the Kundalini yoga during my practice as well. Savasana is almost always interrupted by the girls. I was getting so angry about that, but now I go into it with no expectations, knowing any little bit is helpful. Sometimes I still get frustrated but not angry, and most times I don't now.

What type of meditating do you find helpful? I'm still trying to learn what is true meditation. I love Kundalini Yoga and I'm wondering what fits into that perspective, or if it is open-ended. I'm exploring that right now.

[Magelet]

I used to meditate a lot, I haven't been lately though. I think part of it is sharing a studio apartment with my DP. I'm used to meditating as they only one in the quiet room, and since we only have one room, which opens onto the kitchen, I can't go someplace quiet (unless its nice out, which its getting too cold to do so regularly outside), and I feel weird saying "Can you please be silent and not touch me for 15-30 min while I meditate" lol. He wouldn't mind if I said "I'm going to meditate" (I have a few times) but he can also be very distracting, being fidgety loudly, or playing computer games with noise, or coming to kiss me, or whichever. I would like to meditate more, but its hard to find the space.

Any ideas mamas on meditating while cohabiting in a one room space?

[eastkygal]

Magelet - I feel you. We live in a tiny cabin and it is a fact that I am usually never alone. I've locked myself in the bathroom before. Otherwise, I just work on doing it with people around. Going into it with no expectations of anyone or myself, and trying to make my senses soft... if that makes sense.

Anyone got any suggestions on what to do about the chitter chatter inside your own head. My mind loves to multi-task. I want it to hush!

[kangamitroo]

Originally Posted by eastkygal

Anyone got any suggestions on what to do about the chitter chatter inside your own head. My mind loves to multi-task. I want it to hush!

practice is all we can do on this one even if the chatter doesn't stop for long, moments of spaciousness begin to develop.

the most helpful meditation technique for me comes out of buddhist tradition (more specifically shambhala, as taught by Pema Chodron). there is nothing religious about this technique and it is for all people.
1. comfortable, alert seat. (this can be on a chair or cross-legged. whichever helps you fidget less.) straight spine, relaxed face and limbs, not leaning on anything. soft eyes, resting downcast but open.
2. begin to notice the breath--just the outbreath, the exhale
3. when thoughts arise, gently notice by saying to yourself "thinking"--then return to the outbreath.
4. continue #3 over and over, but be gentle with yourself. thoughts arise, then they float away. imho we need to take breaks from chasing after the thoughts and stay grounded instead, but easier said than done.

if this technique works for you/speaks to you, a nice article with more detail is here. also, Pema has made audio cds your library might have.

for those who like to visualize (not me), or would like to try a variety of techniques to see what speaks to them, Jon Kabat-Zinn's wherever you go there you are is a great starting place.

[kangamitroo]

Originally Posted by Magelet

Any ideas mamas on meditating while cohabiting in a one room space?

does your DP have a favorite quiet activity? it may work to set a time where you both do your quiet things. any chance you wake up first? that would be my ideal but it is impossible. i would seize the time you have in the house on your own, if there is any.

then, just asking him to help you make it possible--asking him to respect your need to be sort of invisible for a few minutes. he might have ideas for how to support you.

and on the sunny days, savor your walking meditation.

good luck.

[Magelet]

I guess I should just ask him. There isn't much time I'm there alone (hardly any atm) since I'm working full time+ and he is working rare odd jobs and job hunting. And his favorite "quiet" activity is playing on the comp with the sound.

I guess I should just work on meditating in his presence and ask for his co-operation. thanks.

eastkygal, I also find it takes practice (and its harder if you get out of practice, but never as hard as getting in practice the first time). Its easier if I do a centering and grounding first (though I have to meditate a bit to calm down enough first). then I can focus on my breath and over time, can focus on my breathing pattern more exclusively and then start to let that go. (I haven't really gotten to a thoughtless point, but I have gotten to a sort of starting to let the pattern go for brief bits, and even just holding a breathing pattern in mind is a lot less going on in my head than usual. btw my "pattern" is 4 counts in, hold 2, 4 counts out, hold 2 repeat)

[goldfishkate]

I also live in a small home with a 4 year old and 1 year old. I've been known to go to the bathroom and not return for 5-10 minutes when the kids are occupied with an activity. I usually keep it short if I'm meditating during the day. I try to practice every evening after the kids are in bed for a longer amount of time. I’ve also found group meditation id easier. My mind tends to wander less. You may want to check and see if there’s a Buddhist center in your area that has group times. Most centers are welcoming even if you’re not Buddhist.

[milosmomma]

Here I go, all high-tech ......

Does anyone use a podcast for guided meditation? There are a ton on itunes and I'd love to get some recommendations.

[eastkygal]

This was such an interesting conversation and the second half was about meditating and like activities and how they actually increase stem cells in our bloodstream and our body's capacity to heal.

http://speakingoffaith.publicradio.o...09/stem-cells/

[eastkygal]

The only meditating I am fitting in right now is savasana for about 5 minutes or so at the end of my yoga session. I find it so much easier to meditate after doing yoga. I have tried at other times and get frustrated. I have checked out the book Concentration by Ernest Wood to see if there are any good suggestions in it. It was the only meditation book the library had.