Breathe, Mama, Breathe: 5-minute Mindfulness for Busy Moms

by Shonda Moralis, Amanda Ronconi (Narrator)

Moms can feel as if they are sprinting through life, crashing onto the pillow at day's end only to start again the next morning. In Breathe, Mama, Breathe, psychotherapist Shonda Moralis outlines the benefits of daily meditation and shows moms how to do it-in just five minutes. Plus, she shares over sixty “mindful breaks” that will help moms tune into their own well-being (along with everyone else's): Eat a mindful breakfast-with no phone, TV, or newspaper! Cuddle your child and take three deep breaths together. Give yourself a mindful-mommy high five-because moms can use positive reinforcement, too. Every mom-whether caring for a new baby, an overscheduled grade-schooler, or an angsty teen-can become a mindful mama!

Genres: Parenting, Nonfiction, Self Help, Womens, Mental Health, Meditation, Audiobook

Audio CD

Published May 16, 2017

Reviews

[Linnea]

Although the point of this book is important to me eventually I started skimming because it was just repeating itself. I appreciate the reminder to be mindful therefore I’m closing this book and moving forward.

[Lyndsey Matthews · Rating 2 out of 5]

While quality insights and advice is provided, the book could have been much shorter and less redundant. Many strategies overlap one another and are, simply, the same strategy with a new name.

[Mom2triplets04 · Rating 5 out of 5]

I choose this book because my one little word for 2021 is Breathe so I was looking for books to connect with my word. I listened to this on audio. I started with walking my dog and then I found myself obsessing over all that I heard. I got my dishes and laundry done while listening. I even cried at one point while she explains how in a blink your kids grow up. After listening to the entire book I purchased the physical book so I can highlight and write in notes as I reread the book. Highly recommend audio. This book will make you mindful to live in the present. It's a book that you can go back to over and over again. Highly recommend. Great listen for my first book of the year.

[Jessica · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good easy ideas and reads. Very repetitive. Nonetheless helpful

[Ricki · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great little book showing moms all the spots throughout the day where just taking the time to breathe and be in the moment makes things go so much easier.

[UJI-I · Rating 4 out of 5]

Man kann das Buch auch als kinderloser Mann lesen (bevor man es an eine Mama verschenkt). Die Autorin gewährt Einblicke in die Gedankenwelt des anderen Geschlechts und vermittelt eine Idee, mit welchen Herausforderungen Mamas konfrontiert sind. Für jede im Buch benannte wird eine Achtsamkeitsübung vorgeschlagen - und das sind viele! Die zugehörigen Geschichtchen wirken authentisch und werden überwiegend mit einem Augenzwinkern erzählt. Ein Teil des Humors mag bei der Übersetzung auf der Strecke geblieben sein. Die Begriffe Meditation, Achtsamkeit und Entspannung werden für mein Empfinden auch etwas diffus verwendet. Der Originaltitel "Breathe, mama, breathe ..." gibt den Inhalt treffender wieder, der in steter Wiederholung auf die Bedeutung des Atems (beim Entspannen) eingeht. Das Buch liest sich dennoch leicht und gibt neben zahlreichen, treffenden Zitaten auch unaufdringlich die ein oder andere tiefere Weisheit mit. Daher dürften auch Männer, die sich nicht wie ich als eine - wie im Buch bezeichnete - "Bezugsperson" sehen, beim Lesen etwas mitnehmen. Und wenn es am Ende nur die Achtung vor der Leistung von Mamas ist und etwas Mitgefühlt für sie weckt.

[Chloe (Always Booked) · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really liked this book as a guide on mindfulness and meditation for REAL people. This is not a book that says we should drop everything, meditate and be a total zen mama (though that would be cool). This is a book that gives you practical advice for how to incorporate little moments of checking in with yourself and grounding yourself amidst the chaos of motherhood. She talks about the coffee time mindful break (using the cue of coffee time to remind you to check in), nursing check in, bedtime check in, storytime check in, etc. really playing on all the times of day that we inevitably encounter every day. She talks about checking in with your thoughts, feelings, and body signals. When you are triggered/ramped up you will likely have physical symptoms, emotional feelings, and potentially irrational thoughts. I plan to get a copy of this book to have a good reminder to look back on. It was really a good reminder to slow down and put your oxygen mask on first!

[Sarah · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is full of many practical ideas to incorporate mindfulness into every aspect of daily life. Parenting twins has made me more scattered than I've ever been, and I am enjoying reclaiming my focus and enjoyment on the moment, and my children. This is a book to return to again and again.

I received an ARC from NetGalley.

Two of my favorite quotes from the book:

"...in many cases their [my children's] behavior is an accurate barometer of my level of stress at the moment....For better or worse, kids soak up our emotions and reactions like little sponges. They feel our anxieties, our worries, our joy, or sense of ease."

"Embrace the messiness of this life, in all its imperfection. Sometimes that is precisely where the biggest gifts reside."

[Allison Pickett · Rating 4 out of 5]

Can I please be Shonda Moralis? She's a therapist, yoga, hiking, biking, early-rising, mindfulness guru. I enjoyed reading this book and look forward to practicing most of her mindfulness techniques. Sometimes the chapters were repetitive, but I think that just makes it easier to refer back to a certain chapter and have the information stand alone without the entire book. Maybe the term mindfulness makes you feel strange, but her approach can easily incorporate spiritual practices. Helpful. Simple. Hopefully doable.

[Lisa · Rating 2 out of 5]

I would rate the book 2.5 stars. The premise was good and I did get a few useful tidbits, but it started to get boring and redundant. It would have been helpful at the end to have a mini cheat sheet of all the mindfulness tips, so you can easily refer to it later.

[Sharlene · Rating 3 out of 5]

Some great advice and ways that Mums can take 5 minutes of their day on being mindful. For me, I just wanted some ideas on how I can take 5 minutes of the day to be grateful for life’s blessings.

My hang up on this book: It’s for busy mums but it’s so wordy. I think it could’ve been a lot shorter.

My fave chapter is breast feeding or bottle feeding. I have a 6 month old baby and this chapter was the most relevant for me. I know there have been times, especially now that I take baby to work, that my time could be better spent doing more work. I need to be in the moment, because those quiet times together will not last forever. #mindfullness

Note: I didn’t read every chapter as I felt they weren’t relevant for me. Not really the type of book to read cover to cover.

[Kimberly · Rating 3 out of 5]

Some good information, but also totally overwhelming. Of course, you can't do all of these mindful breaks all day long and still get stuff done. You're supposed to take some, but not all of the suggestions. I got this from the library, so I just read it straight through, which isn't really the most effective way to read it. Probably best to have it sit on your nightstand, read a bit here and there, try things out, read a bit more, etc. I certainly appreciate the idea of short mindful moments throughout the day, rather than a 30-minute meditation session every day (which she also says is great, but who has time for that?!).

[Kristen · Rating 2 out of 5]

Yikes.
This book could have been summarized in a short blog post. The first 50 pages of this book are helpful, has some decent tips and tricks (a lot or pretty obvious in my opinion), explaining how easy mindfulness can be and how it effects all points of life. THEN it repeats for 200 pages.
The end of each bit has a blue area, where the important stuff is. Each separated idea is full of generalized statements and scenarios about Moralis. I appreciate that Moralis is an experienced psychotherapist that specializes in stress-related disorders, but I think she could have approached this book a bit better.

[Sue Fratianni · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book struck me with its simple message of incorporating moments of mindfulness into my busy day as a mama of young children. It helped me connect better with the concept that meditation and simple moments of breathing can benefit my life in as little as 2-5 minutes. And once I started making the effort, it was amazing how many moments I found I could take a break to breathe throughout the day. When I started practicing slow living with intention and reducing the amount of busy in my life, I found that a 20-minute and longer meditation is possible to practice regularly in my day. Thank you for the baby steps and permission to breathe...

[MaineAmanda · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was helpful for me as a single full time working mum. It helped me connect to my child better and perhaps I can use the last couple of chapters in my daily life too because I really want to connect more as once imagined before I was actually introduced to the actual challenging parenting life.. the book made me realise that I am not alone in numerous things and that I was actually doing several things mindfully and 'good' already which gave me a more positive point of view on my own parenting. I really enjoyed this book.

[Roots.Branches.Wellness · Rating 4 out of 5]

Here’s another great quick read about mindfulness and how to incorporate it throughout the day. Not just with infants; she gives examples of parenting older kids too. Swipe for some of my favorite pages.

Mindfulness and breathing are so important! Just this morning I was kind of stressed and could feel it in my body. Thinking about my to-do list and feeling tempted to get some caffeine and dive into things. I spent one minute breathing deeply and mindfully and felt SO much better. Just one minute! Have you tried mindful breathing lately?

[Lisa · Rating 2 out of 5]

As a mom with a 3 1/2 year old and a 4 month old, I was really excited to read this book. I am an avid reader and really enjoy books that help me grow as a person. This book has a few helpful tips but not enough to keep my interest. It began to feel a little repetitive after a while and I felt like I was forcing myself to just get through it. I got about half way and finally decided it was time to move on to something else. Hopefully others will connect better with it than I was able to.

[Cindi · Rating 4 out of 5]

I wish I would have read this book earlier but truthfully I was t ready for it any earlier than this. I definitely need more mindfulness in my parenting and this is a great guide for those new to meditation like me. I would just like more mindful exercises and resources for when I’m going to blow my top and turn into a volcano mom. I do t like blowing up on my kids so all the resources I can get to make that not happen is a good thing!

[Tara · Rating 4 out of 5]

I actually really enjoyed this book. I have been practicing meditation/mindfulness recently and it has helped me be more thankful and patient with my children as a result.

The book is geared towards the busy mom, written in a way that makes sense, and the exercises are useful. I am able to use the tactics learned throughout my day. I appreciated the authors honesty about postpartum depression while sharing her personal experiences.

[Jamie (jamminreads)]

I found this book to be very relatable. Shonda described so many moments that I’ve experienced during motherhood. There were a lot of mindful breaks described throughout this book. I listened to it on audio and wish I’d had a physical copy so I could easily refer back to some of them. However, there were definitely a few mindful breaks that stood out to me that I’ve started to incorporate into my personal life. My son is a fan of the 3-breath hugs.

[Laura · Rating 3 out of 5]

While this book definitely has some great ideas and a great premise (what mom doesn't need a break during the day?!?), it gets repetitive quickly. Each "mindful break" is pretty much slow down, take some deep breaths, and do your best to be present. All very good advice, for sure, but not enough to justify 261 pages. Would be better to read in bits and pieces as needed than from cover to cover.

[Karly Gevas · Rating 2 out of 5]

I felt like this book kept repeating the same advice over and over again indifferent ways. I definitely believe that moms deserve to take meditative times for themselves to take care of themselves and their family, but I would have rather read an essay or quick blog about it rather than 200 pages of it. I did enjoy the ‘auto pilot’ section and felt help there.

[Sarah · Rating 3 out of 5]

I found little insights in many of the chapters, but found it too repetitive. It worked best for me to read a few chapters a day to avoid feeling annoyed at how similar all the breaks were. Overall I liked her attitude of trying to cultivate mindfulness, while also recognizing that parenting (and life) is frustrating and being present in the moment is the work of a lifetime.

[Tiffany Seelig · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really loved this book, with already having interest in mindfulness this book does a great job at targeting it to moms. I love the way she connects the reader with her personal experiences and provides her insight on her tactics of mindfulness. Super relatable and I would recommend to any mother.

[Kimberly · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a busy week for me and just the book I needed to read to keep me focused and not completely overwhelmed. I loved the nuggets of wisdom found in here! The only issue I had with it is there's TOO MUCH and I want more guidance on how to incorporate these breaks into my life because it'll be impossible to add all of them, even though I'd love to.

[Aimee · Rating 3 out of 5]

It is repetitive like others said. I would strongly suggest anyone reading it pick and choose which topics match up with their daily routine and read those. You really don’t need to read everything - you just need to get the idea that random moments in your every day life can be used for mindfulness and this book helps to define what those moments can look like.

[Ben · Rating 4 out of 5]

The concept is not new to me and the ideas are not groundbreaking, but I feel this book does a great job of reminding me to keep mindfulness at the forefront and at giving numerous examples of classic parenting situations into which injecting some breathing and mindfulness can make a world of difference. The personal stories are a nice form of parental commiseration as well.

[Danielle Simon · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was such a great book some parts of it I am not sure if I’ll do as I’m not fully into meditation but I felt like this was all very helpful of just taking a second to breathe or pause and stretch and a few other tips that I wanted to use for my children! Highly recommend for any mom who struggles to be patient or gets stressed out or overwhelmed. Which I think most can or do!

[Emma · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great little book whether into mindfulness and meditation or new to it. Easy going suggestions and affirmation that any amount of time (5 minutes!) a mama can take for herself to have a quiet moment is worth it. Easy going and no pressure to join a monastery.

[Lisa · Rating 4 out of 5]

I listened to this one on my commute. It was a great way to experience the book. Love the set up, with researched based reasoning for mindfulness and a section of quick, fast, realistic ideas for incorporating mindfulness into parenting. Has already stopped many tantrums mid-fit.