Momma Zen: Finding Peace and Patience

The ninth annual Palo Alto Mothers Symposium was Saturday, March 7th and it featured Karen Maezen Miller, the author of Momma Zen: Walking the Crooked Path of Motherhood. She is a mother, blogger, and Zen Buddhist priest who teaches mothers to see the joy in everyday situations and how to find joy in the here and now!

This is what I took away from the morning - first we all need to practice:

• slowing down
• counting our blessings
• breathing
• finding peace (of mind)
• patience
• being present
• giving attention
• trusting ourselves
• trusting our children
• accepting magic
• finding balance
• feeling balanced
• being okay with this (what is)
• contentment
• forgiveness
• accepting change

Most importantly, we need to have time and give time freely - because we have all the time in the world. Having time reflects our priorities - if we said "you are not important" to our children instead of "not now" every time we put them off - I bet we would stop ignoring their pleas for our attention!

I also learned that I do not want to practice:

• worrying
• feeling guilty
• self-criticism
• strategizing
• manipulating
• fear
• inadequacy
• being unbalanced
• feeling incapable
• lacking
  
• hurrying
• making lists
• having problems
• resentment
• anger
  
• judgment

I love the Mothers Symposium - it honors motherhood and I always float out, happy with the entire world! Today, I am going to practice what I learned - for as long as I can.