We're going to practice what's called the being with baby meditation.
And so after your baby is born,
One of the ways that you can continue to practice is making everyday activities a part of your practice.
Your baby can actually be a really valuable teacher of mindful awareness,
Reminding you to be present in this moment time after time,
Regardless of what you are doing.
So perhaps even setting aside a few minutes while your baby's sleeping,
Letting go of all the other things that require your attention,
Even when it's like so many things,
And just hold your sleeping baby.
Practicing in such times like this can help you to build a skill and build some confidence in paying attention in a kind and curious way.
Even in the hard times when your baby's crying and hard to soothe,
Or when all the responsibilities are just biding for your attention all at once,
The key is being present and bringing your attention to the moment of moment awareness of being with your baby.
So when your attention wanders to the many things to do as a new mom or dad,
All the new doubts and worries that go along with that,
The guilt,
All of it,
Right?
Thinking again to return back to paying attention to being with your baby.
So we'll begin here with practicing by letting yourself just feel the sensations of holding your baby.
As you pick up and hold your baby in your arms,
Know that you can take your time to notice the sensations of just holding baby.
Of course,
Those obligations and thoughts may still come in,
But it's okay making an effort to just put them aside for a little bit,
Knowing that there is nothing to do right now except notice what it's like to hold your baby.
So here you might feel the weight of your baby in your arms,
Noticing where you feel heaviness or lightness,
Noticing the places where your baby makes contact with your own body.
Where does baby's head rest?
Anything where their torso connects with you,
Their arms,
Their little bottom,
Their legs?
And even just noticing in what ways your body is still and in what ways your baby is still or not still.
And how does this change over time?
Just noticing what you feel in your arms,
Your shoulders,
Your chest.
Is there a pattern of sensation?
Connecting here with your breath as well as even noticing your baby's breath.
Is the breath consistent,
Slow,
Rapid,
Or kind of without rhythm?
Does it change?
Maybe even thinking about the way it feels to touch your baby's head with your hand.
If you want to,
You can even kind of touch your baby's head or even their hand or whatever,
Exploring these textures.
Is there coolness or warmth?
Are they squirming around or just really like dead weight,
Kind of molding into you?
Feeling moment to moment how your baby responds to your touch.
You might feel your hand on the back of baby's body,
Feeling their inhale and their exhale,
Allowing your awareness of these sensations of your baby breathing to be an anchor in this moment.
Bringing your attention back again and again as your mind wanders,
Just noticing your baby's breathing.
You might notice thoughts or feelings arise,
And there's no need to label them as good or bad.
Just kind of take note what they are.
Are your thoughts making sense of it all?
Is it creating a story?
Are your thoughts planning or organizing?
And then bringing the awareness back to your breath and your baby's breath together.
You can even practice with seeing with your eyes open,
Just looking at your baby and noticing the expression on their face,
The texture of their skin,
The color,
Maybe even hearing little sounds they make or maybe very loud sounds.
Noticing how you feel in your own body.
Maybe there's a tired arm,
Maybe there's a heaviness or tiredness in the body,
A feeling of warmth where baby is,
Maybe even impatience,
Gratitude,
Discomfort.
Whatever it is,
I encourage you to notice it all equally,
All in the same way.
And bringing the awareness back to your breath and your baby's breath together.
When you're ready,
Choose to open your eyes,
Ending this more formal practice,
But then knowing that you can come back to this,
Having these mindful moments with your baby while you're feeding them,
Whether it's by bottle or breast,
While you're bathing them,
While you're rocking them,
While you're watching them smile or laugh,
Even watching them cry,
Bringing this sense of total complete awareness into the moment.
