Take a moment to find a comfortable position,
Either sitting or standing,
Or you can remain stable and relaxed.
If possible,
Maintain a gentle awareness of your child while they're crying,
But try and be present with your own experience as well.
Take a few deep breaths,
Inhaling slowly through your nose and exhaling gently through your mouth.
As you breathe,
Imagine that with each exhale you are releasing tension and stress from your body,
Breathing in and breathing out,
Releasing tension and stress on each exhale.
As you hear your upset child,
Allow yourself to acknowledge your feelings in this moment.
It's normal to feel frustrated,
Sad,
Or overwhelmed.
See if you can notice these feelings without judgment,
Looking at them objectively and allowing them to coexist in this moment,
Breathing in and breathing out,
Releasing tension and stress with each exhale.
As you continue to breathe,
Bring to mind the love and care that you have for your child,
Noticing how your child makes you feel in your body,
A sense of warmth,
Of love,
Compassion,
Seeing if you can extend that same love and care to yourself,
Recognizing that you are doing the best you can in this challenging situation.
As you continue to breathe,
Silently repeating these phrases to yourself,
May I be patient,
May I be kind to myself,
May I accept this moment as it is,
May I be patient,
May I be kind to myself,
May I accept this moment as it is.
As your child continues to cry,
Allow yourself to see their experience with empathy and understanding,
Recognize that they are expressing their needs the only way that they know how.
We can work with this experience by silently repeating phrases to ourselves like,
May my child feel safe,
May my child feel loved,
May my child find comfort,
May my child feel safe,
May my child feel loved,
May my child find comfort,
Reminding yourself this moment is temporary,
The crying will eventually stop and your child will feel better,
Taking a moment to remember other difficult times that have passed,
Subtly reinforcing the impermanent nature of all of our day-to-day experiences,
Bringing your attention back to your breath,
Focusing on the natural rise and fall of your chest or abdomen and allowing your breath to anchor you in the present moment,
Helping you to stay centered and aware.
As we near the end of this meditation,
Take a moment to notice your surroundings,
The sounds,
Smells,
And sensations around you,
Feel your feet firmly planted on the ground,
Anchoring you into this present moment,
Gently open your eyes and take a deep breath.
As you move forward,
Remember the compassion and understanding that you cultivated during this practice,
Carry this awareness with you,
Knowing that you have the tools to navigate challenging moments with your child.
