Muddy Mindfulness
- August 17, 2021
- by
- Rachel
This is a blog on mindfulness, but I’m no expert on the subject. The title of the blog should be interpreted as me sending a wish into the universe that I will somehow muddle my way through becoming more mindful, more aware.
Much like the children in the state of Alabama up until earlier this year, there was no meditation in my childhood. Instead, I was taught that meditation—and yoga—was one step away from opening the gates of hell. Mindfulness=New Ageism=Satan. Imagine my surprise when I discovered that many of...
Perpetually Present
- August 10, 2021
- by
- Rachel
Among the greatest joys of having a child so far is the opportunity to experience life in a different way. All children offer this window into a different reality, but it’s especially fun when it’s your own child, because every facet of your life together has the potential to expand your ability to stay in the present. LA sees the wonder of everything, all the pieces of the world I take for granted. Fans. Light coming through a window. Reflections in mirrors. The wooden handle of a stirring spoon.
Queen’s Gambit
- July 31, 2021
- by
- Rachel
Nobody wants to be a victim these days. Victims tend to be dead or incapacitated in a fundamental way that does not fit US cultural values of independence and strength. I am no exception. Part of the reason I started this blog was to face my fears, my shame, and let the light break the cycles that would otherwise entrap me.
“Victim” is a charged word. A 2020 article in Time pointed out the complexities surrounding the term, noting that the tendency is to prefer the word “survivor.” We...
Mindful Coparenting
- July 24, 2021
- by
- Rachel
Parents all know that parenting is complicated. Co-parenting takes it to a whole different level. At its most basic, co-parenting is sharing parenting responsibilities for a precious child or children with someone who is not your life partner.
There is a lot to like in this term. For one it emphasizes cooperation instead of ownership, unlike the legal term, “shared custody.” For another, it clearly places the responsibility for childcare on more than one person since “co” as a prefix indicates that the job of parenting is shared. I have seen...
Being a Mindful Parent With a Side of Trauma
- July 17, 2021
- by
- mindfulmommy
Meet Rachel (she/her)
I’m mommy to LA, coparent with CP, friend, researcher/writer with a PhD, survivor of child abuse and fundamentalist religious trauma, and I finally realized silence was not going to save me.