Meditation

I just wanted to point out this book, Peaceful Piggy Meditation since I've really never seen any other written for kids that even mentions meditation. I started my own meditation practice a few years ago out of desperation. I was suffering from chronic muscle tension brought on by stress. After years of trying various things ranging from muscle relaxants to acupuncture, massage, and chiropractor - nothing really worked. The acupuncture came the closest, but it meant weekly visits and a lot of money.

Then I had my second baby when my first was only 18 months and the pain became unbearable. I look back on that time and shudder. The tension between my shoulder blades was so intense that I couldn't sleep at night.

So, I ended up taking a class on relaxation at the community center where I was introduced to meditation and yoga. I never thought of myself as someone who would meditate, but I went into it with an open mind. And then an amazing thing happened. The tension in my back slowly started to go away. I felt happier, I became pain free, it was empowering.

Over the last few years I have gone through spells of doing nothing, and other times with focused daily meditation and I can truly say that it has the power to change your experience of being alive. It's simple, but not easy and sometimes a little mysterious.

My kids see my cushion in the basement and they've seen me meditate so I like how this book just keeps it in the conversation. Instead of being dismissed as something only certain types of people do, it becomes something very normal that anyone can do.

The author, Kerry Lee MacLean, also has a website where you can learn more about the her work. Click on the Meditate with the Piggies if you want to share it with the kids! It's pretty cute.