Ease Stress with a Meditation + Mindfulness Activity

Appreciating moments…As mothers, we are told to savor the time ad nauseam. “It goes so fast.” “Enjoy every moment.” “Babies don’t keep.” We tirelessly hear and feel all of those things but what does it mean to savor moments? What is actually happening below the surface when we experience the moments in both the mundane and extraordinary that take our breath away? More importantly, how do we incorporate mindfulness so we may better hone in on that awareness and make those moments more abundant?

Meditation and mindfulness go hand in hand. They both require practice and a general awareness of the positive change that will ensue with a dedicated and practical approach. It is simply noticing things in nothingness.

How to Begin

With an open and gracious mind, heighten your awareness of your thoughts and body sensations. As mothers, we wear our to-do lists as a badge of honor sometimes. We run here and there, never truly working on the habitual patterns, negative self talk, mindless chatter that is going on inside.

Take time out of your busy day to notice your habits, your looping thoughts, your heaviness or lightness, etc. The difference this time is that there is no judgement associated with anything you think or feel. You simply notice, acknowledge, and release.

Meditation Activity

I’ve included a meditation to do with your spouse, friends, and even kiddos. It’s a little silly and a lot of fun. In it, you will find that by waking up your senses at their most basic level, you are completely in the present moment experiencing heightened, mindful awareness. Grab a mandarin or an orange, save this meditation, and bring mindfulness into your life today!

After doing this with my kiddos, I now notice that each time we eat oranges they always take time to notice how it smells. It wasn’t something we necessarily dwelled on but in taking time to notice, it has now become part of their innate mindfulness practice.

Sarah Shiplett
Sarah is a yoga teacher and stay at home mom of two beautiful darlings. Born and raised in Plano, Texas, she moved away for college at the University of Kansas. After studying journalism at KU (Rock Chalk), Sarah moved back home to attend SMU where she received a master's degree in advertising and studied abroad in India. Married in 2012 to love of her life Kyle, they took to the suburbs in Allen to start a family. She is now is a stay at home mom with her two babies, Everett Brave (two years old) and Winnie Grace (six months old). Sarah is also a registered yoga teacher (RYT-200) and teaches Vinyasa and Prenatal Yoga in the Allen and North Dallas area. Former Lululemon ambassador for Dallas, she loves being part of the yoga community and sharing the gift of yoga to people of all ages, levels, and life stages. Sarah believes she was put on this earth to be a mother, teaching her children the importance of love and kindness along the way.