THE PRESENT MOTHER
#2 Amazon Best-Seller in Motherhood
"Any parent who reads and practices the insights in this book will not only heal their own wounds from childhood, they will also change things for their offspring for all generations to come."
- From the Foreword by Dr. Shefali Tsabary, PhD, NYT bestselling author of The Conscious Parent and Oprah Winfrey's favorite parenting expert
The Present Mother helps you:
* Understand - with complete clarity - the root cause of your parenting challenges, and begin again in truly enjoying being a parent.
* Work with your own thoughts, so you can stop passing unproductive patterns on to your child and instead, pass on what you want.
* Shed any guilt you feel over what you've said or done to your child in the past and repair your relationship, so you can be a positive influence on your child again.
* Melt away your worries about your child and instead, have quick, easy, complete access to your wisdom, creativity, kindness, and joy.
* Stop any doubts you have in your mothering abilities, so you can more consistently be the powerful, loving leader you want to be for your child.
* Be a fully present parent, in mind, body, and spirit.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
WHY IS IT CALLED THE PRESENT “MOTHER” AND NOT “PARENT”?
One of the reasons it’s called The Present Mother is because it is half memoir, from a mother’s personal experience. There are, of course, many present fathers in the world. There are many fathers who would like to deepen their connection with their children. The Present Mother is very useful for fathers as well as mothers. All of the exercises in The Present Mother are applicable for mother-child relationships and father-child relationships.
IS THE PRESENT MOTHER RELIGIOUS?
The Present Mother is not based on religion or non-religion. It is based on my faith in the Love that resides in the present moment when the mind is free of stressful thoughts from the past projected on to the present moment and the future. For more about that, I invite you to read the Introduction on the “LOOK INSIDE” feature on Amazon.
IS THE PRESENT MOTHER IN LIBRARIES?
Not at this time, as far as I know.
HOW WELL DOES THIS APPLY TO MOTHERS OF GROWN OR YOUNG ADULT CHILDREN?
The Present Mother can easily be applied by mothers of grown or young adult children. For example, here is what one reader who had children in college said: "This book is a blessing to all mothers – even those whose children are grown and have moved on. For all those mothers with grown kids, it is never too late to be a "present mother." It means we can be present with our partners and ex-partners, our grown kids and grandkids, neighbors, co-workers, everyone!" - Lyn Dean, a single mother of two kids, both now in college, Denver, CO
IS THE PRESENT MOTHER AVAILABLE IN OTHER LANGUAGES?
The Present Mother is available in English only at this time. I would love for it to be available in other languages in the future.
WHAT IS SELF-INQUIRY?
Self-inquiry is a term I use to describe all methods of looking within to discover the true nature of the present moment and the true nature of the mind. Self-inquiry is a special form of meditation that helps you see your struggles in a new, more empowering, more mindful, more liberated light. In my work, I start with the self-inquiry method called The Work of Byron Katie, and then tweek it for parenting and for your specific challenges based on my experience and education. Katie's company has endorsed my version of her work. In The Present Mother, self-inquiry starts with writing down your thoughts about a situation that bothers you in your life with your child, then walks you through specific questions (inquiries), allowing you to see your situation from a perspective that is grounded in the present moment. It frees you from projecting any negative experiences from your past on to your present life or your future.
A DESCRIPTION OF THE MINDFULNESS PRACTICE IN
THE PRESENT MOTHER:
SELF-INQUIRY
Parents are every human beings' first leaders, essentially raising the world, one child at a time. As a result, I believe parents are the primary leaders in the evolution of consciousness on our planet.
When you intentionally use whatever parenting throws your way to
WAKE YOURSELF UP,
you are given a valuable opportunity to grow and develop your mindful presence, to deepen your connection with the present moment, yourself, and everyone else.
With that deeper connection, it's easier to be the kind of leader you want to be for your children, whether they're young or an adult.
SELF-INQUIRY
Your mindful presence can be developed very quickly with helpful tools like self-inquiry. Self-inquiry is a special form of meditation that helps you transcend limiting beliefs and turn them in to a more empowered way of being and living. It is founded on the idea that unconditional love is your natural state. From the yogic tradition, and originating in 14th century India, self-inquiry is the most efficient and direct way of seeing the unreality of the ego and releasing it. With your focused attention on the thoughts coming from the ego, you finally see them for what they really are and then the ego literally falls away from your awareness, your negative patterns fall away with it, and only your true, awakened state remains: pure awareness, presence, consciousness. This is spiritual awakening. Liberation from suffering.
SELF INQUIRY FACILITATORS CAN HELP YOU:
* Liberate yourself from any kind of struggle or suffering;
* Guide you to the direct experience of being present, even in the face of previously stressful situations, without being identified with the ego;
* Shine a light on the thought patterns that block your awareness of your love, leadership, connection, creativity, and wisdom;
* Calm your nervous system;
* Increase your happiness, joy, and gratitude.
There are many different types of meditation and self-inquiry methods, and of course, many different types of spiritual and personal growth practices and resources. I’ve been introduced to and experienced a multitude of them over the last 25 years. They all can help. The one I’ve found to help me be the most effective parent I can possibly be in the shortest amount of time is the self-inquiry process I've adapted to parenting in The Present Mother. Since 1987, millions of people around the world have used this self-inquiry process, originally coined as The Work by Byron Katie, and have reportedly found more happiness than they ever dreamed possible (when they use it consistently).
There are no right or wrong answers with self-inquiry. It is simply about noticing what you see inside your own mind, like shining a light on your thoughts to become aware of what you don't normally notice, and then considering them from all different sides. Once your awareness expands, so too does your presence.
Self-inquiry isn't for the faint at heart. Much like working out at a gym, it takes commitment, focus, diligence, patience, and an intentional choice to make your own evolution a high priority in your life.
It's my pleasure to welcome you on this incredible inner journey.
PRESENT MOTHERS MANIFESTO
by Catherine Weiss
WE ARE PRESENT MOTHERS
Ever-evolving, ever-growing,
Always intending to be
Calm in the chaos,
Safe harbor in the storm,
A lighthouse guiding our children home,
Home to their inner light,
Home to their brave, powerful, blossoming soul,
And home to their humanness,
from a new perspective,
A perspective of understanding,
A perspective of compassion,
A perspective of patience,
A perspective of divine grace,
A perspective free of judgment, guilt and shame,
A perspective of unconditional love.
WE ARE PRESENT WOMEN.
Ever-evolving, ever-growing,
Always intending to be
Calm in the chaos,
Safe harbor in the storm,
A lighthouse guiding ourselves home,
Home to our inner light,
Home to our brave, powerful, blossoming soul,
And home to our humanness,
From a new perspective,
A perspective of understanding,
A perspective of compassion,
A perspective of patience,
A perspective of divine grace,
A perspective free of judgment, guilt and shame,
A perspective of unconditional love.
WE ARE PRESENT MOTHERS
Ever-evolving, ever-growing,
Always intending to create
Environments and experiences
that not only nurture
our children's bodies,
But also, their joy,
Their dreams,
Their authentic passions,
The ones they seek to share with the world.
We see those desires in them,
And we intend to empower them
With the fuel of
Acceptance and support,
Encouragement and celebration,
Enthusiasm and reverence.
Coupled with great gratitude
For the many things
About our children and their life
That are already perfect exactly as they are.
WE ARE PRESENT WOMEN
Ever-evolving, ever-growing,
Always intending to create
Environments and experiences
that not only nurture
our bodies,
But also our joy,
our dreams,
our authentic passions,
The ones we seek to share with the world.
We see those desires in us,
And we intend to empower ourselves
With the fuel of
Acceptance and support,
Encouragement and celebration,
Enthusiasm and reverence.
Coupled with great gratitude
For the many things
About ourselves and our lives
That are already perfect exactly as they are.
*** My attorney says I need to tell you...If you've experienced trauma in your own childhood, please seek the services and products of a trauma-informed mental health professional. I'm not a mental health professional. My intent is to educate the reader in order to improve the mother-child relationship. If difficult memories or feelings begin to surface within you, please reach out for professional help. I don't dispense medical advice, am not a healthcare professional, nor do I prescribe the use of any technique as a form of medical treatment. The publisher and I assume no responsibility for your actions as a result of reading any information in this book.