Be the lighthouse
Being a mother is such an important role and comes without any training. A mother’s love is the heart of the family. As women we have the ability to be a lighthouse for ourselves and our family – beaming out a bright light that can uplift everyone around us.
But the role of mother is a challenging one. We are not always perfect and spend many hours a day worrying about our choices and decisions. We put everyone else’s needs above our own and work tirelessly to fulfill those of our children.
Motherhood is a life sentence – once a mother, you are a mother for your whole life. It is a mixture of laughter, promise, stress and tears. Your greatest joy but also your deepest sadness.
Fly above the clouds
I am a single mother and went through a heart breaking divorce 3 years ago. I understand that life can be a daily struggle. We get situations thrown at us from every angle and we need coping strategies.
In hard times, we can teach ourselves to rise above our situation, just as pilots are taught to fly above the clouds, not straight through them and certainly not underneath them
When things get tough, we need to elevate ourselves and fly higher. We can do this by opening our hearts and minds. .
My journey guided me to become a yoga teacher combining my degree majoring in psychology, I created and birthed my business Yoga Mamata.
I teach mums how to mother in the moment, I teach children kindness and resilience and I keep families connected. I am the author of “Mother Om – Connect with yourself and your child in one mindful moment a day”.
How do we elevate ourselves to be smarter, happier and healthier?
The suffering all starts with our thoughts.
The thing about thoughts…
Our thoughts are not facts but we believe them and they rob us of our freedom.
Our thoughts are sparks of energy that shape our reality, so we have the power to create a successful and happy life.
Our minds are made up of our thoughts, beliefs and self-talk. What we think we become.
Our thoughts manifest into the universe and have the power to bring material things into creation.
The types of thoughts we have determine the type of person we are and the reactions we have to the outside world.
The types of thoughts we have reflect how we live and the people with whom we associate, and will influence our decisions and actions.
Positive thoughts give us energy, and we feel light and free. If we wake up in a good mood, feeling energetic, our daily routine will flow well and this is reflected in how we feel. When we get up on the wrong side of the bed, the day can unfold with constant drama and challenges.
The way we feel and act has a knock-on effect with those around us, and especially with our children.
Stop the thought wars
Being women, we fight a constant battle with others and ourselves in our mind by judging and over-analysing everything. We hold onto anger and frustration, which hurts us, and then we project this suffering onto others.
We do not need to believe everything we think. Constant negative thoughts create patterns and habits that, over time, create unconscious and automatic negative emotions. These emotions become toxic and get stuck in our physical bodies, which can manifest into a disease. To stop this war, we need to start with ourselves.
Editor's note: This article is part one of a three part excerpt from Leonie's book “Mother Om – Connect with yourself and your child in one mindful moment a day”
About the author
Leonie is a loving mother, author and founder of Yoga Mamata. After her marriage suddenly ended, leaving her a single mother, she turned to her yoga practice for guidance. For over 15 years, Leonie has been practising Hatha yoga. She bought her first business YogaBugs in 2010 in Sydney’s east and became a qualified yoga teacher in 2011.
Leonie wrote Mother Om – Connect with yourself and your child in one mindful moment a day hoping to motivate, inspire and empower other mothers who find motherhood stressful. “Mother Om” is available to purchase for $24.95 at www.yogamamata.com
