Riga Forbes - Mindful Thoughts for Mothers: A Journey of Loving-Awareness

Mindful thoughts for

A journey of loving-awareness

Riga Forbes

Motherhood is one of the most wonderful and powerful experiences we can have in life. Yet for a mother, being able to relax and find her flow in the busyness of the world today is an absolute necessity. To begin with, we can potentially go through a lot during pregnancy, childbirth and beyond, which is both physically and emotionally intense. Our reserves overall might become depleted, for a time at least, and we can feel destabilized by these factors. As the early years of our childrens lives unfold, we will undoubtedly experience the heartfelt joys they bring, but will also encounter the stresses and demands that appear daily and nightly on the parenting path.

To manage these alongside the needs of our growing, dependent children, it is not enough for a mother to be just physically well; the task of mothering happy, relaxed children requires that we feel relaxed and happy too. Prioritizing our own enjoyment of life matters, and for the amazing and challenging task of mothering to be able to touch our hearts deeply, our lifestyle needs to support relaxation. Rest and exercise are vital, but slowing down our mental busyness will also enable us to become more conscious in how we meet the day to day.

Using mindfulness practice we can become quieter internally, helping us to release stress and to develop the discerning capacity to observe our thinking rather than simply being led by it. Gradually we can start to disengage from distracting thoughts by becoming more present and meeting life with awareness, in the moment. This can also enable us to find greater self-understanding and to choose how we want to be, which will support our parenting and, in turn, positively influence who our children are becoming.

And at the heart of mothering lies the navigation of relationships within a family. If we can address issues that arise between us with a mindful approach, becoming more present and receptive in our interactions, we may find that we can steer our way through friction or difficulties towards open-heartedness. By being compassionate we offer our children a more generous perspective on relating to others, which will travel with them a long way and may well help them to overcome their own hurdles in life. Our love matters so much. And making more space for quiet reflection and meditation can help us to keep our hearts open. When we consider the countless benefits this practice brings into our lives and the lives of our families, it might seem like a nourishing kind of reward for all that we do.

I have written this book for every one of you who chooses to take a few moments just for yourself to curiously glimpse through these pages. May it support you to find the spaciousness, insight and self-kindness that you deserve.

From pregnancy on, we are forever linked to each of our children in some way, even as they grow older and live independently. And we will always be in their thoughts, feelings and memories too, even beyond our own lifespan. The power of the mother-child bond, initiated in pregnancy and childbirth, is a deep-seated instinctual force that quite simply causes us to care about each other. Our relationship may be rocky at times, but for a mother there is likely to be a taproot of love for her to draw on in times of drought, an overriding sense of connection to the child who came through her into this world.