Mindfulness for Parents

A Parents Practical Guidelines for a Mindfulness Practice

Setup Your practice in Plain Sight. If using a meditation cushion, place it in a place in your home where it will be noticed everyday. For example your bedroom floor, as you pass by let it invite you to practice meditation daily. Just five minutes a day could turn your life around.

Live by Routine. Develop a routine for bedtimes, plan meals ahead. A predictable flow of a healthy and secure life will help everyone relax.

Turn Off Distractions. Control TV and computer usage, it will reduce distraction and stimulation. It begins with you the parent.

More Attention. Devote at least one hour a day to giving your undivided attention to your children. Not with your agenda in mind but according to their terms. This is the ultimate expression of love you can give.

Take a Break before you do. Find quiet time for your self. Maybe a walk around the block or a spot in the garden. 

Restore Household Harmony. Be the first to apologize. Your children learn from your actions.

Watch Their Lives Unfold. Refrain from making judgments and coming to rash conclusions about your children. Watch their lives unfold, let them surprise you. You have the best seat in the house.  

Delusions and Illusions

Delusions and Illusions........

Simple things and how they can effect our practice even as a Solitary Buddhist.

       Candles, ooooohhhh...... How a dimly lit room can effect ones mind and imagination. Helping to create a wonderful environment to try and control the Illusions and Delusions controlled by our ego  and out of control minds.

       The permeating smells and smoke of Incense,  

Ringing of The Bell

Buddhist Prayer Flags not everyone goes to this extreme of course as a Solitary Buddhist especially, But

Reciting The Precepts

What or How do you bring yourself to the illusion of bliss?

Mindfulness in School Decreases Depression and Anxiety

School Children Meditating

Mindfulness in School

Mindfulness training in schools has been found to reduce and even prevent depression in adolescents.

The finding comes from research of 408 students between the ages of 13 and 20 at five different schools in Belgium. Matched classes were assigned either to mindfulness training or to a control condition who simply continued with their other classes as normal.

The students depression and anxiety levels were measured before the intervention, after the intervention,  and six months after.

The results showed all of the students had similar levels of depression when the study was started: 21% of those in the mindfulness group were depressed, and 24% in the control group were classified as depressed.

After the mindfulness study, the number of students who were clinically depressed had dropped to 15% and after six months it remained lower at 16%. In the control group, levels of depression had increased, up to 27% and after six months 31%. Therefore the study suggest that mindfulness training can lead to a reduction in depression. Also it showed that after six months these were lasting results.

The mindfulness training used in the study was tailored for younger people but the principle is the same. 

Mindfulness is about learning to pay attention to what is going on in this moment right now, in this present moment.  In the first session students were encouraged to focus their attention to their breath. The second session, their attention was expanded to becoming aware of the body and pleasant moments. In the third session they were instructed to become aware of their inner boundaries and to unpleasant moments. In session four the focus was on stress and space. Session five was attention to thoughts and emotions. Attention to interpretations and communication for session six. Their attitudes and moods for session seven. The final session was bringing attention to self and heartfulness.

Once the sessions were completed students were encouraged to continue these practices on their own in the hopes of a lifetime of benefits from the practice.