{"id":987,"date":"2007-03-16T22:45:00","date_gmt":"2007-03-16T22:45:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blog.beliefnet.com\/chatteringmind\/2007\/03\/denise-roy-practices-momfulness.html"},"modified":"2007-03-16T22:45:00","modified_gmt":"2007-03-16T22:45:00","slug":"denise-roy-practices-momfulness","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/chatteringmind\/2007\/03\/denise-roy-practices-momfulness.html","title":{"rendered":"Denise Roy Practices Momfulness"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/a>Denise Roy, author of “My Monastery is a Minivan,”<\/a> has written a new book called “Momfulness: Mothering with Mindfulness, Compassion, and Grace.” <\/a> And boy, is it good. It’s the best book on parenting I’ve read since Jon Kabat-Zinn’s “Everyday Blessings: The Inner Work of Mindful Parenting”<\/a> seven years ago. <\/p>\n

I cracked open my copy of “Momfulness” on one of those late afternoons when I’d been running in a dead heat from school meetings to blogging to walking the dog and dropping the kids at religious school without looking at myself in the mirror or eating much more than a few handfuls of honey-roasted peanuts and a cup of tea with milk in it (yep, even I screw up). Yoga? On such a day, how could I fit it in? <\/p>\n

So I started reading “Momfulness” and then, gulp<\/em>. I saw myself. I felt as though Roy (who is a family therapist and minister) was reaching her loving hands across the country (from where she lives near San Francisco) to pat my carpal-tunneled, stressed-out-mom forearm gently. She understands. She is with you <\/em> in your most mom-ish moments! She has three grown sons, an 11-year-old daughter, and an 18-year-old foster daughter from Iran. <\/p>\n

The book is sliced into chapters on presence, attention, compassion, embodiment, community, and “seeing the sacred.” Each section ends with a meditation or to-do list I think you’ll find valuable. My guess is that progressive Christians and Christian-Buddhists will enjoy this book most. But anyone whose life is stressful, kid-filled, and lacking in moment-to-moment contentment will find value in it. <\/p>\n

If an audio version appeals more to you, here’s good news: Random House Audio will be releasing Roy’s “Meditations for Mothers”<\/a> as an audio book in April. Read on to see how Roy centers herself when the family is running late for school, getting irritable, or frantic.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Denise Roy, author of “My Monastery is a Minivan,” has written a new book called “Momfulness: Mothering with Mindfulness, Compassion, and Grace.” And boy, is it good. It’s the best book on parenting I’ve read since Jon Kabat-Zinn’s “Everyday Blessings: The Inner Work of Mindful Parenting” seven years ago. 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