Mindfulness for parents, step-by-step

Life with a baby - or more - is challenging, unexpected and, at the end of every day, exhausting. How to find then place in your hectic schedule for the luxury of mindfulness, a concept that I explored on another occasion into more detail?

This book by Amber Hatch offers no only theoretical support  but also many useful practical examples shared by the author, a parent too, and other parents, is explaining why actually parents should focus more on mindfulness, which will help the mental wellbeing of their children too. Through it, better relationships can be built, and 'a little bit of distance' as well as a 'sense of perspective' are given. With an open mind, we can learn a lot from our little ones too, as 'children can act as our teachers in the sense that they show us how to be present'. 

Written in an accessible style, Mindfulness for Parents makes you feel more relaxed about juggling jobs between tantrums and food spilled all over the house. The best we can do is to try 'to meet our baby's needs', Hatch taking out of the picture the obsession that we, as parents, we need to keep the babies happy. Even though you are not too much into spiritual retreats and meditation, you may find a couple of useful and comforting tips, releaving the heavy weight of parenting from our shoulders. 

On the other hand, it encourages to cultivate a peaceful and beautiful house, avoid the consummerism temptation by avoiding to carry on the kids into the shop all round the day, spending more time in the middle of the nature and developing positive qualities such as loving-kindness, compassion, joy and equanimity. 

A book strongy recommended to new and experienced parents, in the middle of a devastating tantrum or just trying to find the right spiritual routines for their children. With such books, parenting life is much easier.

Rating: 4 stars

Disclaimer: Book offered by the publisher in exchange for an honest review

Understanding mindfulness: Monkey Mind and the Mountain

We all have experienced mode or less busy hectic days or even lives, even we are at the beginning of the school or about to retire. Homeworks, new video games we need to catch up with, performances of hedge funds managing our pensions or just the usual struggle of securing our job and providing what it is needed for our families. Hopefully, there are remedies aimed to help us not only to survive but to return to normality.

Monkey Mind and the Mountain is a book dedicated to a wide range of audiences, from 8 years up and is focused on introducing the reader to the basic practices of mindfulness. A spiritual technique known since the beginning of Buddhism, it has a great applicability today, regardless of religious membership and other personal orientation. It can be practised at home or during a lunch break or before starting the homeworks. "Mindfulness is all about learning to pay attention to the present moment, so that we can make the most of life". The alternation between theoretical introduction and practical exercises is one of the strongest point of the book, besides the simple language aimed to help the reader without creating additional intellectual challenges. 

"Mindfulness can be helpful because it involves taking a step back from your thoughts". All you need to do sometimes to reestablish the balance between your mind and your body is to look at the clouds and take a deep breath. In the language of the book, it means to separate from the Monkey Mind, defined as the temptation "to jump all and down, swinging from branch to branch and not sitting still for too long". We may like this adventure for a while, but sometimes it is too late when we realize how much such a lifestyle can be worning out our spirit and body. 

Some benefits of the mindfulness mentioned by the book are: less stress, more creativity, better concentration and less pain (including physical).

This book is a smart introductory guide to mindfulness practices and theories, a first step ahead in offering ourself a better and insightful life. 

Disclaimer: Book offered by the publisher via NetGalley.