Living whole-heartedly

All it takes is just one moment a day to connect with ourselves and our children. Mothers don’t have much spare time, but you can always return to yourself in just one breath, in a single moment.

Create some principles to remind you how to live from a place of love in a whole-hearted way – how to live with an open heart and conscious mind.

Be present – presence has power, and all we ever have is the present moment. Be present especially with your children.

Spread kindness – it has been scientifically proven that performing random acts of kindness releases serotonin, which is a hormone that relaxes us. Teach your children kindness, too.

Respect yourself – and be compassionate towards yourself.

Speak your truth – express yourself with honesty and grace.

Live with intention – an intention every day that works for you: to be a loving mother, to do your best, to take a break, to love yourself, to be mindful, to be calm, to be compassionate, to breathe deeply…

Be grateful – gratitude is magic because it turns what we already have into enough. Say what you are grateful for every day around the dinner table.

Meditate – calm your busy mind with mindful meditation you can do anywhere, anytime, even with your child.

Breathe deeply – on the spot, with intention, or make the time to go to a yoga class. Breathing deeply in yoga will balance your energies and keep your body. mind and spirit connected. Do yoga together with your child or as a family.

Practise acceptance – truly love who you are and then you can extend this love to others. Accept your situation for what it is and your children for whom they are.

Be positive – be mindful of your thoughts and words, as they create your reality. Use positive affirmations for yourself and with your child.

Find your light – be the lighthouse and shine brightly, uplifting yourself and all those around you.

Mamata mala moment

Purchase some from mala beads a spiritual store. Take a string of mala beads, which contain the auspicious number 108. Place the beads over the ring finger of your right hand and sit quietly. Use your thumb as you turn each bead, using the mantra Ma OM for one bead and Om for the next.

This mantra comes from the secret language of the heart and it encourages us to be peaceful mothers. This was given to me by one of my teachers who was given this by Mother Maya, a renowned spiritual teacher. So, now I pass this on to you, with love.

Keep your beads close by and use this mantra whenever you feel the need.

My final reflection

In moments of intense darkness we can see elements of our soul that lead us to discover our truth.

So many of us live in our darkness and we use our fear like a heavy curtain. We shut out our light.

[Tweet “In a room full of darkness we can always see the light, shining through the cracks.”]

If we embrace our light, our light grows and the darkness fades. We all have a light inside us.

I am not afraid of my darkness any more. In fact, there have been times when I have been more afraid of my light. It shines like a diamond and it is overwhelmingly beautiful.

Our darkness makes us appreciate our light, and our light gives us gratitude for our darkness. It shows us our true potential is limitless.

Mothers have the power to be a lighthouse – to lead, uplift and heal others with their compassion and grace.

A mother’s love for her child is her yoga practice.

As a mother you are the whisper in your child’s ear, the soft breeze in the trees, the smell of a dozen roses, the fragrance of love. A gentle hand on a running nose, a knitted scarf on a winter’s day. The sound of rain running down a window and the joy of seeing a face in a fluffy cloud. You are the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow. Your touch calms and soothes, and you make the world go around. You are your child’s first love, best friend, first enemy, first guru, and you are irreplaceable.

You are Mother Om.

Om is the universal sound of creation and peace.

Editor’s note: This article is the final part of a three part excerpt from Leonie’s book “Mother Om – Connect with yourself and your child in one mindful moment a day“