Mothers Day: How To Find More Peace Within

Julia Ward Howe wrote the “Mother’s Day Proclamation” in 1870.  She asked for women to come together in counsel in “the great and general interest of Peace.”

This great and general interest of Peace includes feeling at peace with ourselves, and many of us are still working on that.

We may struggle with a deep sense of longing for the childhood we never had or we may feel that we aren’t the mother we want to be.  We find ourselves exhausted and drained at the end of the day, not only because we are taking care of  a 2 year old having a meltdown at the grocery store, or multiple nighttime feedings, but because we are also fighting an internal battle between the mother we are and mother we imagine we should be.

On this Mother’s Day, may we all find a little more peace within.

 

May we accept with compassion the mothering we were given,  learn to heal our wounds,  fill our empty places with love and compassion, and make peace with our expectations for ourselves as mothers.

There will be times we will be impatient, bored, aggressively protective, hovering, and frustrated.  Blessedly, at other times we will be patient,  interested, caring, spacious and accepting. This is the nature of being a woman, a mother, and a human being. The more at peace we can be with ourselves, the more energy and vitality we have. Mothers will then lead the world towards peace and sustainability.

Try this On The Mat:

• In child’s pose, relax into the ground, let your belly breathe upon your thighs. With each inhale breath in acceptance of any pain or sadness you are experiencing about how you were mothered or how you have mothered. Breathe out kindness towards yourself, your mother and all mothers everywhere who are beautifully imperfect.

Try this Off The Mat:

• Listen to your own body, feelings and thoughts as you go about your day today. Nurture those feelings and thoughts that sustain you, and simply notice with gentleness those that impede. Accept them all and know that as mothers we are all evolving together. With this kind of acceptance, we free up energy to do work that really matters to us.

May all mothers, past present and future, find peace. May you find peace. Happy Mother’s Day.