Inner Separation Anxiety (Part 1)
Babies and small children often become anxious when they’re physically separated from their familiar caregivers, especially their mothers. This instinctive reaction is known as separation anxiety.
Sometimes a parent’s physical presence is enough to allay separation anxiety, but children feel most secure when their parents are fully present: body, mind, and spirit.
In other words, your child may be right there in your arms yet be experiencing a kind of “inner separation” anxiety because you’re mentally, emotionally, and/or spiritually “absent.”
Ironically, parents often worry about their children’s anxiety, not realizing that worrying undermines their inner presence, thus increasing their children’s anxiety!
Improve Your Groove
Today, look for a correlation between your child’s state and your own. Is s/he more anxious when you feel off-center in some way? If so, let your child’s anxiety serve as a reminder to practice centering.
Take a deep breath and affirm your intention to be fully present — here and now — at peace with What Is.
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