Bash has started to yell. When he gets mad or frustrated he yells and it makes me realize he’s been around one of his Grandmothers a little too much. In an effort to calm this little anger ball and resume a Zen-like lifestyle, Operation Teach Kids to Meditate has begun.
Sometimes I watch this little girl during the week. We’ll call her G. She used to go to Bash’s daycare and her mother and I both got royally screwed by the daycare provider at the same time. Shortly after that happened the company I worked for eliminated my job. I started to watch this little girl every now and again. Bash likes to control every situation at first she would listen to him but now that she’s comfortable, well we’ll just say some days are VERY interesting. Meditation and Yoga are perfect for these little hellions.
For quite some time, I was practicing Yoga every single morning, the kids practicing right beside me. I have two Yoga mats, I’d be on one, Bash on the other, G and Lijh would lie out blankets as their mats. They always lasted longer than I expected them too. G always lasted the longest. It was during one of these Yoga sessions that Bash threw a fit about a toy being stolen from him. There was lots of screaming and tug-of-war happening with a poor stuffed toy. I decided then Operation Teach Kids to Meditate must happen that day.
Calmly, I talked them all into getting their mats and placing them in a circle. I sat on mine crossed legged, and they followed suit. All but Lijh, he looked at us like we were a little crazy. We still placed a mat out for him, but he just stood looking in on the outside of the circle. I showed them how to place their hand, so the forefinger and thumb touched and to say, “Om” with their eyes closed. Bash and G seemed to love it and for the next few minutes we, “Om’d” together while my youngest stayed on the outside of the circle looking in.
A few minutes later, I was surprised to feel my little one come inside our circle and plop right down in my lap. He had recently turned two at the time, and he just stared at the other two Om-ing away. Then I heard him say, “M-OM”. The three of us started cracking up laughing at this little monster!
My baby made me realize something. The word Om was placed in the word mom for a reason. The power of Om! The vibrations remind us that we are all connected, that we are all one. I think that’s very motherly. Connection, being one, family, love it’s the sum of everything.
It’s been about six months since that happened. We still meditate. Sometimes Bash will crawl into my bed and I’ll wake up to him meditating. Lijh he still says, “MmmOmmm” and I love seeing that too!
Happy Om-ing.
xo