Parenting with Imagine
This course invites parents into a weekly rhythm of stillness, curiosity and self-compassion, and community. Rather than learning how to parent "better," the practice is about returning to ourselves first — cultivating the steadiness, warmth, and presence that allow us to show up for our children, especially in the hard moments.
Along the way, we also discover ways in which we can teach MINDFUL PRESENCE to our children, which can only flow out of our OWN practice of cultivating mindful awareness and our own mindful presence with them. Mindfulness is an energy that we can generate for ourselves. We can continue to practice being fully present in the here and now.
Why cultivate mindful presence in both ourselves and our children?
It develops
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attention
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cognitive and emotional understanding, compassion
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bodily awareness and coordination
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interpersonal awareness and skills
It diminishes
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feeling stressed
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difficult emotions such confusion, hostility, and anxiety
It increases
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well being, peace, confidence, and joy.
Logistics
Structure of the Course
As a group, we will explore how to show up mindfully for yourself, so you can show up mindfully for your children.
Each class blends formal meditation practice, gentle teaching, and both small- and large-group sharing. Sharing about daily life as a parent and how to meet all that with curiosity and compassion will facilitate both go inward and feeling held by the group.
Format: one 75-minute Orientation Session, followed by six weekly 75-minute classes and a "Rest of Your Life" gathering 2 weeks later to check in with each other.
Group size: suggested maximum of 12–14 parents, to allow real small-group intimacy
Delivery: live online (Zoom) with optional session recordings for personal home use only.
No prior meditation experience is required.
Core Resources / Books
The themes are carefully chosen and have their foundation in the books below - books we love and recommend. You may already know about these books, and if not, you might consider ordering them to dive deeper into what will be shared.
Please note that there is no mandatory reading. They are amazing books and if you enjoy reading, this might bring you joy, insight, and a feeling of being seen as a parent.
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When The Whole World Tips (Celia Landman)
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Planting Seeds: Practicing Mindfulness with Children (Thich Nhat Hanh)
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Self-Compassion for Parents (Susan M. Pollak)
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The Power of Showing Up (Daniel J. Siegel & Tina Payne Bryson)
Curriculum Outline
Week 1 - Arriving - Waking Up to the Present Moment
Week 2 - Showing Up - Safe, Seen, Soothed, Secure
Week 3 - Loosening the Grip - Letting Go of the Illusion of Control
Week 4 - Turning Towards Ourselves - The Practice of Self-Compassion
Week 5 - The Weather of the Mind - Meeting Difficult Emotions
Week 6 - Sowing Seeds - Sustaining the Practice
Your Instructors
Merel de Boer
and Summer Meyer
Merel and Summer have years of experience as MBSR instructors and as mothers, so we are very excited to bring our experience to this course. Summer has a son and a daughter in their 30's while Merel has two younger daughters - age 6 and 10.
It has been a few years since we started exploring to bring mindfulness and its benefits within a parenting context. We aim to make parents feel seen, feel that you are not alone in dealing with it all, and to share the joys and pains of parenting. We feel honored that you will join us on this journey.
Meditations
To Be Posted