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Inner Peace Is an Onion
Peel Back the Layers to Find the Mind-Body Connection By Jenn Director Knudsen
For instance, take an onion (the kind that doesn't produce tears!). Feel its weight in your hands as you place it on the cutting board; notice the heft of the knife in your hand and the motions of your arm as you chop the vegetable; key into the scent released as the onion skin and filmy layers below it fall to the side.
Believe it or not, this is a meditative exercise.
You really can achieve mindfulness while doing housework; you get the tasks done and then can have fun with your children, says Frost, who lives in Mazatlan, Mexico. "This really is a powerful way to do that," she says.
En RouteFrost advises noticing each McDonald's "Golden Arches" that you pass. Manipulate the "M" symbol in your mind from the symbol of a fast-food chain into a mantra trigger.
Then say aloud: "'M' I am mindful." That's the kind of attention you want to pop into throughout the day, Frost says.
"I give moms very clear ideas for how to find the serenity in the midst of the chaos," says Mimi Doe, mother of two and author of many books, including, Busy but Balanced: Practical and Inspirational Ways to Create a Calmer, Closer Family (St. Martin's Griffin, 2001).
"One of my favorite ideas is creating a serenity tank on wheels," she says. For example, tape affirming phrases, such as "stay centered," "breathe deeply" or "lighten up," to your dashboard, says Doe, of Concord, Mass., andthe founder of www.SpiritualParenting.com