Mindfulness Begins at Home

This month myKinCloud is included in Mindful Magazine in a feature on the concept that mindfulness begins at home:

https://www.mindful.org/online-mindfulness-resources-for-families-and-kids/

Yes! We absolutely believe that mindfulness begins at home. There is the saying that ‘charity begins in the home’, but so does mindfulness. How can we go out and be mindful in our daily journey if we aren’t mindful in our home environment? And how can we be mindful in our home environment if we don’t have the whole family on board?

The fast-paced family life full of distractions doesn’t make it easy to be a lone soldier in practicing meditation, yoga, gratitude journaling and whatever other mindfulness practices you choose as part of your daily habits. When your family is part of the process, they not only will understand and hopefully respect the time you need for your own practices, but also share in the practices with you, fostering an environment supporting connection and mental health. You know that mindfulness practices are good for you, so why wouldn’t you want to include your family?

Think of all the daily activities that are more fun and/or easier to do with someone close to you – shopping, cooking, eating, exercising, just to name a few. Mindfulness practices are no exception. If you are trying to improve your daily wellness habits, you have built-in encouragement when you share your practices with your family. In addition, your family might also improve their own wellness habits. Everybody benefits!

Once you establish a mindful environment in your home for you and your family, you set a foundation for mindful living in all that you and your family do, both together and apart.

The piece in Mindful Magazine also made a particularly eye-opening point about how ‘the limited activities and stress of the pandemic can strain family bonds’. We can’t say that practicing mindfulness together solves all family friction, but it is certainly a fantastic step in the right direction. Mindfulness can ultimately make us feel better individually, and when practiced together there are opportunities to deepen family connections.

Mindfulness, together can be a multiplier of positivity. Mindfulness really does begin at home!