A Guru in the Nursery: Fifty Ways to Remember Your Spirit While Changing Diapers

By Dawn M. Staszak

Find your center amid the chaos! Motherhood is the most rewarding and yet challenging job there is. Being on the path is a ful?lling experience, but when little ones come along, your world is completely changed! How can you get your spiritual groove back while feeding little mouths and washing dozens of onesies?

A Guru in the Nursery is a follow-up to A Guru in the O?ce, in which author Dawn M. Staszak tackled the challenge of bridging the gap between business and spirituality. In A Guru in the Nursery, Staszak tackles the challenge of being on the spiritual path while caring for little ones. Motherhood is always an adventure, and these ideas and activities have helped her get back to center and feel more peaceful, thereby giving her a leg up on being a better momand isnt that what every parent strives for?

When you dont have time to shower, much less attend life-enhancing seminars, A Guru in the Nursery is your go-to guide for sanity-saving tips and tricks to bring you back to the best parent you can be.

Namaste, Mama!

• Language: English
• Publisher: Balboa Press
• Release date: Jan 8, 2013
• ISBN: 9781452565880

Dawn M. Staszak

Dawn M. Staszak is the author of two previous books—A Guru in the O?ce and A Fish out of Water. She is the proud mother of a preschooler and a toddler, William and Victoria, respectively. She is the Small Wonders Facilitator for ages 0–4 at her church, DuPage Center for Spiritual Living, and the Mom-Tot Coordinator for the Chicago Western Suburban Chapter of the Holistic Moms Network. Her interest in all things metaphysical began in early childhood, but she speci?cally began studying and researching all New Thought wisdom in the early 1990s. She is currently living in Aurora, Illinois, with her husband, Chris; the kids; and their two cats.

Book preview

A Guru

In The Nursery

11.jpg

50 Ways to Remember Your

Spirit While Changing Diapers

BalboaLogoBCDARKBW.ai

Copyright © 2013 Dawn M.Staszak.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced by any means, graphic, electronic, or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, taping or by any information storage retrieval system without the written permission of the publisher except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

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Because of the dynamic nature of the Internet, any web addresses or links contained in this book may have changed since publication and may no longer be valid. The views expressed in this work are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher, and the publisher hereby disclaims any responsibility for them.

The author of this book does not dispense medical advice or prescribe the use of any technique as a form of treatment for physical, emotional, or medical problems without the advice of a physician, either directly or indirectly. The intent of the author is only to offer information of a general nature to help you in your quest for emotional and spiritual well-being. In the event you use any of the information in this book for yourself, which is your constitutional right, the author and the publisher assume no responsibility for your actions.

Any people depicted in stock imagery provided by Thinkstock are models, and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.

Certain stock imagery © Thinkstock.

ISBN: 978-1-4525-6587-3 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-4525-6589-7 (hc)

ISBN: 978-1-4525-6588-0 (e)

Library of Congress Control Number: 2012923888

Balboa Press rev. date: 1/03/2012

Table of Contents

Dedication

About the Author

Preface

Acknowledgements

Section One:Daily Life

An Attitude of Gratitude

Prayer

Cleansing Visualization

Order

Family Calendar

Housework

Mindful Living

Stay Active

Fun and Learning

Music

Humor

Inspiration in Commute

Afternoon Tea

Feng Shui the Nursery

Capture Moments

Alternative Healing

Massage

To-Do Lists

The Ultimate Stress Reducer

Section Two: With the Kids

Celebrate the Seasons

Christenings

Church

Dances of Universal Peace

Drumming Circles

Expose Them to Other Cultures

Get a Pet

Holidays

Labyrinths

Spiritual Children’s Books

Spiritual Children’s Movies

Yoga for Toddlers

Section Three: Just for Mom

Affirmations

Breaks

Body Awareness

Breathing Exercises

Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT)

Distance Healing

Formulate Your Mommy Group

Friends

Go With the Flow

Have a Hobby

Inspirational Reading

Journal

Meditate

Pamper Yourself

Patience

Positive Self-Talk

Remember Your Partner

Take Care of Yourself

Yoga for Mom

Conclusion

Appendix

Recommended Reading & Resources

Dedication

I dedicate this book to my children,

William Alexander

&

Victoria Elizabeth

Mommy loves you!

About the Author

Dawn M. Staszak is the author of two previous books, A Guru In The Office, and A Fish Out Of Water, and proud mother of a preschooler and a toddler, William and Victoria, respectively.

As of this writing, she is the Small Wonders Facilitator (presenting Science of Mind© principles in lessons and stories for ages 0-4) at her church, DuPage Center for Spiritual Living, and Mom-Tot Coordinator for the Chicago Western Suburban Chapter of the Holistic Moms Network.

Her interest in all things metaphysical began in early childhood, but she specifically began studying and researching all New Thought wisdom since the early 1990s. She is currently living in Aurora, Illinois with her husband, Chris, the kids, and their two cats.

"… One of his most precious teachings is that we may equally court the Presence in deep prayer or while washing dishes at the kitchen sink.

… Discovering the sacred within all moments is the fruitage of spiritual awakening. In other words, our everyday life is not a distraction from our formal spiritual practices of meditation and affirmative prayer. There is no division between the sacred and the mundane."

Dr. Michael Bernard Beckwith, w/Anita Rehker from Science of Mind Magazine, November, 2010 Issue, page 10 , The Mystical Threads That Bind, article, speaking of Carmelite monk, Brother Lawrence.

Preface

First and foremost, I want to make it absolutely clear that I am in no way declaring myself a Guru of being a Mother. I had my opinions and judgments before I became a Mother, and boy, have I been eating my words. I have, at times, never been happier or more miserable than I have been since giving birth. I am still learning. This book is only to share with other Moms some tips on how I got through the toughest times thus far.

Secondly, I want to make it clear that everything I say here and in the following pages is simply my opinion and not meant to be a judgment if someone does or believes something different.

Finally, I am not comparing myself to anyone. As of this writing, I cannot speak for or know what it is like to be a single Mom, a divorced Mom, or a part-time working Mom. I can only write about what I know.

In my case, I was a Working Mom of a 1½ year old, but became a Stay-At-Home-Mom when I found out I was pregnant with my second child. Being at home was so much harder than I thought it would be only having my toddler to look after…and then I had my newborn and discovered exactly how much harder it could get! Things got completely out of control. That is why I needed to figure out how in the world I was going to do this. How could I best care for my children, keep my sanity, try to manage my stress, and maintain my spirituality at the same time? Well, I didn’t for a while. I completely lost it. I chronicled my thoughts, feelings, and humorous anecdotes on it all in a blog titled A Fish Out of Water, which then became my second book.

Whether you bring in a paycheck or not, being a Mother is the most blessed, sacred responsibility you will ever have. If I have learned anything it is this: It is of the utmost importance you care for yourself in order to care for your child(ren). The following pages describe ways I have discovered to not only cope, but thrive, in the most trying days of Motherhood – the diaper years. This is the time in which your children are most vulnerable, and so are you.

When reading, please note that I began writing this book while pregnant with my daughter and my son had just turned two. As of this publication, my daughter just turned two and my son is now four. This is why you may see that I refer to my children anywhere between the ages of newborn to four.

Also, throughout this book you will see the word Mom in capital letters. This is done on purpose because I have come to realize that the title deserves such respect. Although I have never known such joy, I have never worked so hard in my entire life. Also, you will see the acronym SAHM