Thankfulness | TouchstoneZ

Posts Tagged ‘Thankfulness’

Namaste: 11 February 2012

Posted in Peace, tagged Amanda, anjali mudra, Family, Gratitude, let's take the metro, meditation, NaBloPoMo, Namaste, Thankfulness, Weekly Gratitude on February 11, 2012 | 2 Comments »

Anjali Mudra: Namaste

I’m inspired by Amanda at Let’s Take the Metro‘s weekly gratitude post. So, I’m going to cultivate a little more gratitude in my life by joining her on a quest to be thankful until we absolutely exude gratitude. I hope you’ll also join Amanda in sharing just five things you are thankful for this week. Thank you to Amanda for helping bring back genuine gratitude.

This week I am grateful for:

My body. I have trouble writing that I am grateful for my body. But, I am. My body allows me to practice Yoga, the most effective way I’ve found for staying present and breaking down my boundaries. My body has taken me places I never thought I’d go. It has the strength to grow and birth my amazing children. And it has the softness to temper that power with love and affection.

Meditation. I rarely get in a formal, seated meditation more often than once or twice a week. But, I meditate several times during the day, and overnight when I wake up. I fit meditation in the inbetweens. It’s these moments of quiet that allow me to work toward being the person and parent I long to be. When I don’t take the time to meditate, I notice a difference in how patient and kind I am to myself and others.

Learning. I just can’t get enough. I’m voracious about learning new things. When I meet someone who has an interest I know nothing about, I’m intrigued to ask about them. I enjoy discussing things with people who think differently than I do as much as those who think similarly.

Letting Go. Following my children’s leads. Listening, instead of talking, has been a big lesson for me. I have to let go of my ego repeatedly. Every time I do, I’m impressed with what they have come up with. It’s far better than my own. I try this in interactions with adults, too, and get the feeling they are moving into the space in gratitude, and it’s not overextending my own feelings.

Unschooling. I wish I could explain to other parents how rewarding it is to homeschool. It is worth confronting all the educational fears we have as parents. Seeing my children approach a concept, work it through, and grasp it, has been as profound as giving birth at times. It’s easier than I thought it would be because I’m relaxing into the role of supporting them as they take the lead. I listen to friends who volunteer and contribute at their children’s formal schools (not to mention homework) and I see them investing as much time and effort as I do. I enjoy seeing how we are all deeply involved in our children’s educations in ways that align with our education principles. And I love that I let go of my fears about the whole big ball of wax that is homeschooling (Is that the proper term to encompass it??)

I feel as though I just stood under a clear waterfall. Thank you, Amanda, for reminding me to give my gratitude a voice (oops! Does that make 6?

Namaste: 19 November 2011 (touchstonez.com)
Namaste: 12 November 2011 (touchstonez.com)
Namaste: 22 October 2011 (touchstonez.com)
Namaste: 8 October 2011 (touchstonez.com)
A Month of Kindness (touchstonez.com)
Making Compassion My Hoe (touchstonez.com)
Book Review: Namaste! (touchstonez.com)
To My Dear One (touchstonez.com)

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Namaste: 19 November 2011

Posted in Peace, tagged Amanda, anjali mudra, Family, Gratitude, let's take the metro, NaBloPoMo, Namaste, Thankfulness, Weekly Gratitude on November 19, 2011 | 9 Comments »

Anjali Mudra: Namaste

This week I am grateful for:

Date Nights. My husband and I spend one-on-one time with each of the kids every week. I spend alone time with my husband a couple of times a month. My kids started asking for date nights after they say their dad and me going out together. He and I spoke about it as such a positive thing for us that they started asking for “date nights,” too. It is a necessary luxury for our family dynamics to have this time for each of us.

Relationships. Building on the idea of date nights, my husband and I have emphasized the importance of remembering that each person has a unique and independent relationship with every other person in our family. I honor the relationship that my sons have with each other with equal importance as the ones I have with them. They know that and call me on it when I overstep. It has eliminated issues around jealousy and rivalry, at least so far.

Alone time. I learned while deep in PPD that I had to have date nights with myself (and so does my partner.) On alternating weeks, one of us schedules a night off, even when we don’t feel we need it. And when one of us does need to take a break, the other does their best to step in and give that time to recharge.

A partner willing to put up with a horrible mess. I’m participating in both NaBloPoMo and NaNoProgMo this month. At day 19, we’re up to our ears in laundry, dishes, and stuff everywhere. My partner has never once complained about the state of the house. He has quietly kept up with what he can and supported me to have this time to write. We spoke about what these project meant to be beforehand, and while I didn’t know how bad the house was going to get, I am humbled to have someone so completely on my side; especially when I think about how he’s getting nothing out of this project except my feedback to him.

A son who loves ballet. The lack of boys in ballet has already gotten on his radar at the age of 5, but he is enjoying it so much that he’s sticking with it. I have been talking with him about deciding whether and when he wants to accept other people’s opinions about the things he wants to do. I’m hoping to help him understand that he doesn’t have to accept any limitations except his own. It saddens me to see the pressures he’s already feeling about ballet. I hope he keeps this love as long as possible.

I feel as though I just stood under a clear waterfall. Thank you, Amanda, for reminding me to give my gratitude a voice (oops! Does that make 6?