Week 2 - Beginners Mind Parenting

“The most difficult times for many of us are the ones we give ourselves”  

Pema Chodron


This week you will be exploring:

  1. Cultivating Sensory Awareness with Anchors of Attention Meditation Practice

  2. Learning about Attitudinal Foundations of Mindfulness

  3. Observing a beginners mind parenting experience

  4. Bringing an attitude of kindness to parenting stress

  5. Learning about the Window of Tolerance

  6. Exploring Default Mode Network and Task Positive Network

Hā ki roto

BREATHE IN

Hā ki waho

BREATHE OUT

Home Practice

Mindfulness Practice:

Body Scan - 10 mins daily or alternate daily with sitting Meditation (use recording from Week One)

Practice the Body Scan record your experiences in your notebook

Sitting Meditation – Anchors of Attention - 10 mins daily or alternate daily with body scan

Follow the recorded meditation to focus on Anchors of Attention for 10 minutes in silence

Mindful Seeing (OPTIONAL Extra Practice):

Stand in a spot in your room or outside - Look the scene in the way a painter of filmmaker would. Sense color, shape, shadow and movement. Notice how judgements, interpretations and prior knowledge affect perception

Mindful Parenting Practice:

Savouring Pleasant Moments Calendar

Each day, note a pleasurable experience and write it down on the “Savouring Pleasant Moments Calendar”. You can savour pleasant moments which are related and unrelated to parenting or your child.

Savouring pleasant moments can be really small things, such as really savouring the first sip of coffee, enjoying when someone smiles at you, and listening when your child is singing or talking.

Choose a routine activity with your child or partner to practice with full awareness.

Make a deliberate effort to bring moment to moment awareness to that activity each time it happens. Some examples are combing your child’s hair, reading to your child, waking your child up in the morning, asking your child how his or her day was, eating a meal , putting him or her to bed or … another activity that you prefer. Simply focus in on knowing what you’re doing as you are actually doing it.

Neurodivergent Education:

Default Mode Network and Task Positive Network

If you would like to learn more about the Default Mode Network and Task Positive Network you may explore the additional resources that have been included in the Weekly Resources.