Ep. 41: Slowing Down & Finding the Flow in Life with Zen Buddhist Priest, Maezen Miller

In today's show, I'm bringing back one of my favorite interviews I did for the Mindful Mama Movement podcast.  Karen Maezen Miller is a wife, mother, author and Zen Buddhist priest at the Hazy Moon Zen Center in Los Angeles, California. Maezen has written three books and several anthologies about spirituality in everyday life. She leads retreats around the country and we feel blessed that she's with us today to share her valuable insights on motherhood and life from a Zen Buddhist perspective. Maezen became a mother at 42 years old and prefers to call the transition into motherhood more of a cotastrophe and she explains why in this episode. Maezen shares how important it is to be very clear about your life, and what is actually happening, at each moment in time. Without doing so, she feels you can never truly be open to the answers life provides, understand the energy you project onto those around you, or be able to handle situations that don't go your way without becoming depressed. Maezen uses this philosophy when parenting her own child, and admits that it's easier said than done, in order to not make herself the center of her daughter's life. Maezen also uses her expertise to offer tips for those looking to start meditating. Maezen's ability to step into herself and take full responsibility for her thoughts and feelings are an inspiration. I adore Maezen and know you will as well. Some quotes from the show: "Your life brings to you exactly what you don't want, because you need it. You need to be able to learn and grow... As many parents realize, our children are their teachers."   "Understand that your power lies in that moment of response and reaction. That's where your power and responsibility lies."   "We hear so much talk about living in the moment, so I'm going to bring it back to this... We really have to be so clear where that moment is. It's always right where you are. Although in our mind we think so much is happening at once, but actually not that much is happening at once.   If we slow down our thinking we will see more clearly that there is a flow to things. And the things we might be hyperventilating about right now, we can probably give them more time and more information will appear. Especially these decisions that have to do with our children's lives. I think we are so smart and have so much information but we have all made, and certainly I have, a critical error in placing ourselves at the center of our children's lives, instead of our children at the center of their lives. Thanks so much for listening. Warmly, Shannon   www.afreespiritlife.com Get full access to Shannon Kinney-Duh at shannonkinneyduh.substack.com/subscribe