Welcome to Episode 167 of the Being Human Podcast: Mindful Birthing and Other Stories with My Wife

In this episode, the second video of our six-part series on The Mindful Catholic, I had a meaningful conversation with my wife, Barbra Bottaro. We discuss the basics of mindfulness in the home and how we can use this in our daily lives. She shares with us the beautiful story of how one of our kids was born at home with the use of mindfulness and how transformative it can be when we learn how to truly be in the present moment. We unpack the dimensions of Catholic mindfulness and explore its practical and real-life applications. We also highlight the power of mindful and intentional living amidst challenges and joys and how this can powerfully change the way we journey through life.

 

Discussed in the episode:

• How mindfulness played a pivotal role in Barbra’s journey through an unmedicated home birth with their fourth child, and how she found strength during moments of her intense labor despite her struggles with anxiety as she was able to fully align her intentions to God's will through the practice of being in the present moment

• The importance of intentional living and its transformative impact in our faith journey

• How mindfulness can serve as a powerful tool in enabling us to make better decisions and to handle difficult situations with clarity, character, and virtue

• Understanding how mindfulness techniques can help us in managing feelings of overwhelm, stress, and anxiety, allowing us to better navigate through the complexities of daily life

• The concept of the "doing mind" versus the "being mind" and how it influences our perception and response to challenges

• How we often add unnecessary layers of anxiety and stress to our life struggles and how learning to strip away these layers through mindfulness can help us attain a sense of peace and empowerment 

• Exploring practical examples that illustrate how stepping back with mindfulness can increase our productivity, efficiency and mental clarity 

 

Resources mentioned or relevant: 

• The Mindful Catholic: Finding God One Moment At A Time by Dr. Greg Bottaro
• Episode 134: Catholic Mindfulness: Why It's Not Only Okay But Encouraged for Catholics to Practice
• Buddhist vs Catholic Mindfulness
• Is Mindfulness New Age?
• Catholic Mindfulness Is Not Centering Prayer
• The Catholic Guide to Mindfulness, or, Coffee - Satan’s Drink
• You’re No Angel, but Neither Am I

 

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