"When she was younger, she wasn't that into reading and that was like a huge deal for me. I thought: "I'm such a reader. My daughter doesn't love to read." She's still not a big reader, but it's not hampering her in any way. She's blossoming in fifty other ways, but when I get caught in that story, "She's not like me. She's not..." - that's when I'm suffering. So I settle back into trusting, and think: "Oh, she's becoming who she is. Let her be that."

-Diana Winston
 
Meditation is touted as being a cure-all for everything from anxiety to depression to addictions. But is it possible that all this is too good to be true?
In this episode, meditation teacher - and former Buddhist nun! - Diana Winston guides us through what we know of the research on meditation that's relevant to parents. It turns out that the quality of much of this research isn't amazing, but this may not matter to you if you're thinking of starting a meditation practice because the opportunity cost (a few minutes a day) is so low and the potential benefits are so high.
We walk through a basic meditation that you can do anywhere, and no - it doesn't involve sitting cross-legged with your thumb and first finger held in a circle and saying 'ommmmmm....'.
I was skeptical about meditation too - until I tried it. Perhaps it might help you as well?
 
Jump to highlights:
(02:36) Introducing Diana Winston
(03:39) Defining Mindfulness
(05:25) Distinguishing between mindfulness and meditation
(06:26) How can mindfulness benefit me?
(08:05) Self-hatred as a Western concept
(12:27) The practice of mindfulness rooted in religion and cultural appropriation
(13:57) The research on mindfulness
(17:27) Why is it so hard to study mindfulness?
(19:33) Mindfulness vs science as tools of observation
(21:26) The benefits of mindfulness to parents and children
(28:04) Improving parent-child relationships through mindfulness
(30:27) Working in mindfulness practices in the context of communities
(35:52) Practice mindfulness now with this quick walkthrough
(42:46) Sit Still and It Will Hurt Eventually
 
Useful links:
https://yourparentingmojo.com/tamingyourtriggers/ (Taming Your Triggers Workshop)
 
Books and other resources:
https://www.amazon.com/Little-Book-Being-Practices-Uncovering/dp/1683642171 (The Little Book of Being: Practices and Guidance for Uncovering Your Natural Awareness)
https://wakingup.com/ (Waking Up App by Sam Harris)
https://www.uclahealth.org/marc/ucla-mindful-app (UCLA Mindful App)
https://www.tenpercent.com/ (Ten Percent Happier App)
https://www.amazon.com/Wide-Awake-Buddhist-Guide-Teens/dp/0399528970 (Wide Awake: A Buddhist Guide for Teens)
 
Facebook Group:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/2174808219425589 (Your Parenting Mojo Facebook Group)
 
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Jen 00:02
Hi, I'm Jen and I host the Your Parenting Mojo podcast. We all want our children to lead fulfilling lives, but it can be so hard to keep up with the latest scientific research on child development and figure out whether and how to incorporate it into our own approach to parenting. Here at Your Parenting Mojo, I do the work for you by critically examining strategies and tools related to parenting and child development that are grounded in scientific research and principles of respectful parenting. If you'd like to be notified when new episodes are released, and get a FREE Guide called 13 Reasons Why Your Child Won't Listen To You and What To Do About Each One, just head over to YourParentingMojo.com/SUBSCRIBE. You can also continue the conversation about the show with other listeners and the Your Parenting Mojo Facebook group. I do hope you'll join us.
 
Jen 01:00
Hello, and welcome to the Your Parenting Mojo podcast. Today we're going to continue our exploration of topics related to mindfulness as we start to do some episodes