By Payal Jhaveri
“Mom, you don’t get mad as quickly anymore,” my child said to me recently. It was the clearest proof that something had shifted in how I parent.
When my family moved from Vancouver to Mercer Island five years ago, I thought we’d found the perfect place to raise our kids. The schools, parks, and community felt like a dream. But adjusting to a new city while building my design career and raising two young children left me struggling.
My days were a blur of deadlines, school schedules, and endless tasks. Even when I was physically present, my mind was elsewhere planning, worrying, or just exhausted. Despite being surrounded by families, I felt alone. It seemed like everyone else had parenting figured out while I was barely keeping it together.
That changed when I discovered breathing and meditation techniques from Art of Living, an organization that teaches stress-relief practices. At first, just a few minutes each day made a difference. I felt calmer during morning rushes, more patient during meltdowns, and more connected at bedtime.
One morning my son couldn’t find an important assignment. His stress was rising and I had a Teams call in five minutes. In the past, I would have snapped and added my panic to his. Instead, I paused and took three deep breaths. That small shift calmed me, which calmed him. We found the assignment together, and I joined my call centered instead of frazzled. I wasn’t just surviving parenthood anymore, I was becoming a more conscious parent.
These practices became my anchor. They didn’t erase parenting stress, but they transformed my relationship with it. I began responding instead of reacting. My children noticed the change.
Research shows that controlled breathing and meditation can actually shift our nervous system from stress mode to calm mode. For parents, that means we can change our automatic reactions to daily chaos.
As I continued practicing, I began sharing meditation with others in the community. I led small sessions at our local library and community center. Parents would arrive tense and distracted but often left lighter and more hopeful after just fifteen minutes. I saw what I’d learned firsthand: a few conscious breaths and meditation can change everything.
This year feels especially meaningful as December 21 has now been officially recognized by the United Nations as World Meditation Day, a gentle reminder that even a few moments of calm can create ripples of peace in our homes and communities.
To honor this day, we are hosting a free guided meditation session in Mill Creek, WA, open to everyone, parents, students, professionals, and anyone looking for a moment of stillness. It’s an opportunity for our community to reduce stress, increase resilience, and reconnect with joy.
Parenting will never be stress-free. But it can be more connected, compassionate, and fulfilling. For me, breathwork and meditation has been a path back to presence. For families in our community, this event may be an opportunity to pause, breathe, and rediscover what really matters.
Event Details:
🗓 Sunday, December 21, 2025,
📍1210 132nd St SE, WA 98012,
🕓 4:00–5:30 PM
