Mommy News - Vol. 1, Issue 4

Meditations and Melodies

Stephanie Raffelock

What a time we live in, besieged by constant information and a continuous undercurrent of stress pulling us deeper into un-chartered waters. And as if that weren't enough, there always seems to be something to do.

This morning I talked to my friend Carrie, a mother of three who managed to write a book and is now going on a book tour. I suggested that we get together with our women's group and give her send off. She offered me the sanest reply: "I'm afraid," she said, "that if I commit to getting together with you before I go, it will seem like one more obligation, even though the pull to be with all of you is strong." Her response was not only honest, it was balanced. You are right Carrie, we cannot do every single thing that presents itself, and it's good to make choices that preserve some sense of balance in our lives.

So many of the moms that I know are juggling monkeys all day long. Life somehow went into hyper drive after the kids were infants and is now a freeway of chauffeuring, catering and counseling, with precious little time left to just be a person! So how can one undo some of this and slow it all down a couple of notches?

Meditation for Mommies. Yeah, right like you have time to sit for 15 or 20 minutes a day while taking care of a family. Still, that is my answer: meditation for mommies. It doesn't have to look like 15 or 20 minutes per day, as if you could get away from your energetic little brood long enough to lock yourself into a room and take a single deep breath anyway. There are meditations that do not require that you sit quietly for that long; meditations that you can do walking or sitting or rocking a baby; meditations that can help preserve your sanity and bring some peace and some humor into your stressful life.

The first place that I am going to start is with Thich Nhat Hanh. He has several books on meditation. The following exercise is called "The Joy of Meditation as Nourishment." This is a secular practice that is traditionally done while in a seated and quiet position. Most mothers I know do not have time for that, however one can do focused breathing and repeat the phrases anywhere, anytime and experience calmness.

Say to yourself while breathing in through the nose:
"Breathing in I feel calm."
Now, while you breathe out through the mouth, say to yourself:
"Breathing out I feel ease."

Focus on breathing deeply as you silently repeat these words. You will experience a feeling of peacefulness and calm after a very short period of time. This exercise can be done when you have a cranky child; when you are stuck in traffic with a back seat full of kids; when you are cooking dinner, or when you are walking through the grocery store. And you can do the exercise when you don't feel stressed too. These are lovely phrases to repeat as you watch your child sleeping or playing, joyfully.

Here's another one. Do the same thing. Say the phrase to yourself on the in breath and the next phrase on the out breath. Remember to breathe in through the nose, and a gentle out-breath through the mouth.

"Breathing in, I smile."
"Breathing out, I release."

Repeat the phrase and the breathing pattern several times until you feel a sense of release and peace.

Too, I find that prayers, repeated with this same breathing style can be effective. I often return to the prayers I learned in childhood. I speak the words slowly to myself while breathing deeply through the nose and out through the mouth.

The whole point of this type of exercise is to let go some of the stresses of our daily lives and create a place of peace in our thoughts and in our hearts, which then allow us to cultivate and nurture gratitude for being alive. We can model a life that has some calm in it; we model a place from which love easily grows and flows. And, if we are lucky we can begin to get our priorities in order, like my friend Carrie who has wisely learned that you cannot do every single thing in life that presents itself to you. You must take a little time for yourself.

Melodies for Mommies. For some people, meditation in any form just isn't their thing. For those people, I recommend soothing music to create a place of calm and peace. Music can change our moods and also help to alleviate stress. In Boulder, the town where I live, I am fortunate to know a couple who make music for a living, Tom and Susan Wasinger. They have produced the most beautiful CD's of lullabies: "The World Sings Goodnight." These songs are sweetness to the soul. The CD's are available at the link below and also on i-Tunes.

There is no ambiguity between the relationship between parent and child. The tenderness that we feel for our children and our desire for future generations to live on is something that joins us as one human family. Lullabies confirm this in as many variations as there are human emotions. These recordings are the culmination of many years of rewarding and passionate work, in which Tom and Susan were able to experience some of the best parts of people from cultures all over the globe. Some of these recordings were done on location; others were recorded in their studio here in Colorado. Many of the voices are "folk" voices: grandmothers, fathers, brothers and aunts who have done their share of singing children to sleep. The unique voices and authentic native tongues bring richness and variety to this collection that highlights the diversity of our planet and at the same time underscores the closeness of the human family.

Tom Wasinger is a three-time Grammy-winning music producer, composer and multi-instrumentalist.

Susan Wasinger is an author and designer. They have two children of their own who grew up to the melodies of many lullabies, and they make their home in Boulder, Colorado.

Wassinger's CDWassinger's CD 

"The World Sings Goodnight" and "The World Sings Goodnight 2" are available at www.silverwave.com/goodnight.shtml

Questions and Answers by Dr. Dean Raffelock

Q: I would like to do some form of exercise during pregnancy and I am not sure where to start. Before I was pregnant I used to walk every day and while I still do, I feel like there is something else I could be doing. What do you think?

A: Yoga is a great practice for pregnant women and I notice that there are more and more classes designed specifically for pregnancy. In addition to helping you gently strengthen muscles, you will gain flexibility and those classes often give one some support from others going through the pregnancy journey as well. Too, a great book to help you is "I Can't Believe It's Yoga for Pregnancy," by Lisa Trivell. She has a background in fitness and is certified by The Fitness Professionals Association (FPA). She is a mom too. Her book offers physical and psychological benefits like calming and also energizing the body.

Send your questions about nutrition and health to Dr. Raffelock at:
www.info@soundformulas.com

Sound Formulas Nutrients
Our commitment is to helping mothers create health, balance and peace in their lives.

Fun Foods for Fast Moms:

The following is a recipe that health expert, Jonny Bowden, let me borrow from his web site: www.jonnybowden.com Jonny has a new book coming out soon that is about the best foods for pregnancy. I'll make sure that you hear about its release. In the meantime, here is a great summer-time salad, courtesy of Jonny!

Hawaiian Grilled Fish Salad with Pineapple Salsa (great meal, and this one serves 6)

Rinse fish in cool water and pat dry. Combine oil, lemon juice and ginger and coat both sides of fish. Refrigerate for up to an hour.

Preheat frill or broiler. Place fish steaks on foil on grill or under broiler and cook 2-4 minutes per side, or until fish begins to flake when tested with a fork. Divide spinach and romaine among six plates and place a grilled fish steak on top of each. Top with pineapple salsa as a dressing.

Pineapple Salsa

Preheat oven to 225 degrees F.
Heat oil in a medium skillet. Add bell pepper and onion and sauté until soft, about 4 minutes. Add crushed pineapple, raisins, cayenne, lemon juice and ginger; sauté until pineapple is warm-about 4 minutes longer
Salsa can be made ahead up to 24 hours, but bring to room temperature before using.

Diet Tip of the Day:

With the glorious summer months upon us, shopping at your local Farmer's Market is a delight to the senses. Food that is fresh from the ground has many more good enzymes and vitamins than food that has been trucked from one state to the next and has been sitting in storage for awhile. More often than not, you can find less expensive organic produce at the Farmer's Market. There's nothing quite as tasty as making fresh salads with ingredients bought that day from the Farmer's Market. Enjoy the bounty of summer!

Tension Tip of the Day:

This entire newsletter has been about taming tension and stress. I do hope you will check out Tom and Susan Wassinger's lullabies and that you will create space in your day, every day to breath in deeply the gratitude and grace of life. A deep breath in through the nose and a deep breath out through the mouth, saying silently "thank you."

Please visit our new blog at www.pregnancyrecovery.com so that I can stop blogging myself and talk with you! Hugs and love to all of you, dear mommies! ~Stephanie~


 

 

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*These statements have not been evaluated by the FDA.This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease. Consult your physician before using this or any other dietary supplement.