Sit or lay in a comfortable position.
Close your eyes,
Let your shoulders drop,
And clench your hands and jaw.
Take a deep breath.
Breathe in through your nose and fill up your chest and stomach.
Breathe out through your mouth and release all that old stale air.
Breathing in once again,
Fully in,
And let it go.
Feel your body letting go of everything as you exhale.
Parenting is beautiful and rewarding and it is hard work.
Even on the best days,
Try leaning on this mindfulness practice when things get rough.
Babies and kids lean on mums and it's important for mums to have something to lean on too.
You can lean on the support of this mindfulness practice on the good days and lean on it even more on the tough days.
There's nowhere you need to be right now.
There's nothing else you need to be doing.
Better than relaxing your body and calming your busy mind.
Giving to yourself will mean you can give more to your baby or children.
Breathing in now to the full extent of your breath and breathing out to the full extent of your breath.
Taking your exhalation longer than your inhalation.
So inhaling slowly and exhaling slowly,
Evenly.
Now I want you to take six long deep breaths in your own time.
If you get to six before we move on,
Start at one again.
We always start this loving kindness meditation for mums with loving kindness for oneself as a mother.
So repeating the phrases to yourself.
May I be filled with loving kindness.
May I treat myself with kindness in good times and in hard times.
May I be well and live with ease.
May I be filled with loving kindness.
May I treat myself with kindness in good times and in hard times.
May I be well and live with ease.
Now bring your baby to mind if you are a mother to be.
Bring your awareness to your baby growing within.
If you are a mother,
Bring your baby or children to mind.
Or perhaps look at your baby in your arms sitting or sleeping or your children playing.
Share this loving kindness with them.
You can gently say to yourself,
May my baby or child or children be surrounded with loving kindness.
May I respond to my baby with kindness in good times and in hard times.
May my baby or child or children be well and live with ease.
May my baby,
Child or children be surrounded with loving kindness.
May I respond to my baby or child or children with kindness in good times and in hard times.
May my baby be well and live with ease.
You can gently repeat these phrases over and over again.
You can use your baby's name or your child or children's name or just the phrase my baby whichever seems right to you.
Hold each phrase in your attention and connect to it.
As best as you can let your mind rest in the phrases.
May my baby,
Child or children be surrounded with loving kindness.
May I respond to my baby or child or children with kindness in good times and in hard times.
May my baby or child or children be well and live with ease.
Really feel the meaning of what you're saying without trying to force anything and whenever you find your attention has wandered it's okay.
When you recognise you've lost touch with the moment you can always let go and begin again.
No matter how long it's been,
No matter where your mind has gone.
It doesn't matter,
We have a capacity to renew,
To start over,
To come back.
May my baby or child or children be surrounded with loving kindness.
May I respond to my baby with kindness in good times and in hard times.
May my baby or child or children be well and live with ease.
Notice this sense of being connected to your baby or child and children and inviting love and care for them exactly as they are in this moment.
May my baby or child or children be surrounded with loving kindness.
May I respond to my baby or child or children with kindness in good times and in hard times.
May my baby or child or children be well and live with ease.
No matter how long it's been,
No matter where your mind has gone,
It doesn't matter,
We have a capacity to renew,
To start over,
To come back.
And to finish.
You are safe.
You've got this.
All is well.
Repeat silently to yourself,
Thank you,
Thank you,
Thank you.
Thank yourself for doing something so beneficial for you and your baby or children so you can be the best version of yourself possible.
Wriggle the fingers and the toes now.
Stretch whatever parts of the body you intuitively need.
When you're ready,
Open your eyes and continue your day with calmness and joy.
Taking one final big deep breath in through your nose,
Filling up your chest and stomach.
Holding at the top for a few seconds and exhaling slowly.
Continue breathing in calm,
Positivity and patience and breathing out any tension or weariness.
This is just a great
