Day 68: The Middle Way

Siddhartha, who ultimately became the Buddha, was said to have learned that neither a lifestyle of extreme indulgence nor a lifestyle of extreme aestheticism would lead one to enlightenment.

In yoga, there is an idea of “Sthira Sukham Asanam,” meaning something akin to easeful and steady posture.

The idea here is that in seeking that middle way, between two extremes, that is where we find peace.

I have noticed that when I try too hard to figure out why the baby is STILL crying… read all the articles on the internet, track her every move, speculate interminably, I usually don’t end up with a clear answer AND I’m miserable from the effort. Of course, the other side of that would be to ignore her plantitive calls and miss the fact that there is, in fact, an easy solution to the crying: a diaper change. In between these two extremes is the place where we will find our parenting zen.

So mamas, we’ve got to reign it in, but not too far in. We’ve got to stay engaged, but not obsessively so. I invite you to keep an eye on your efforts and see if you are veering too far in one direction. Be careful not to overcorrect and end up in the opposite direction. Right in that midline is where you’ll find your peace.