Choose Joy: Mindful Parenting
Feb 25 - Apr 01, 2025
Meets virtually, Tuesdays 8:30 PM-9:30 PM EST
Join us for a transformative mindful parenting experience with veteran meditation teacher and fellow parent Yael Shy and and Clinical Psychologist Trysa Shulman, PsyD. This group is geared at parents of children in elementary through High School. This experience will help participants feel supported, connected, and inspired to bring mindfulness tools into their daily lives as parents for more sustained ease and joy.
Program Details
- Six live real-time coaching sessions via Zoom. Recordings are also available.
- Access to the Choose Joy portal, where you can watch the life-changing short teaching modules on your own time.
- Recorded meditation videos/audio recordings on the portal to bring the teachings into your daily life.
- Journal prompts to gain more insights and open up new understandings of the material
- Support and coaching from Yael Shy and Trysa Shulman
What Participants Will Walk Away With:
- A deeper understanding of how to cultivate parenting joy and resilience in daily life
- Strategies for fostering delight and connection with children
- A supportive community of fellow parents for shared experiences and encouragement
- Increased emotional regulation and self-compassion
Who Should Take This Class:
- Parents interested in Jewish mindfulness, self-discovery, and personal growth
- Parents of children of all ages
- Parents feeling stressed, overwhelmed and/or seeking more joy in their parenting journey
- Parents who value a supportive, community-centered approach
Program Curriculum:
Week 1: Parenting Joy Through Presence
We begin by setting the foundation for mindful parenting through goal-setting and
intention-setting exercises. Parents will explore practical mindfulness techniques to
cultivate presence and awareness in their daily lives, laying the groundwork for a
harmonious relationship with their children. Using a Jewish mindfulness lens, we’ll map
out a vision for a connected and joyful family dynamic.
Week 2: Parenting Joy Through Pleasure
Parenting isn’t just about navigating challenges—it’s also about embracing moments of
laughter, connection, and joy. Parents will explore how to embody joy and ease in their
bodies and how to create opportunities for delight in parenting. Practices will center on
exploring the senses as a way to find moments of joy throughout the day.
Week 3: Parenting Joy Through Emotional Awareness
When parenting challenges arise, emotional regulation becomes essential. This week
focuses on managing frustration and overwhelm by practicing mindfulness techniques
rooted in self-awareness and compassion. Parents will learn how to stay grounded and
respond thoughtfully, even in high-stress situations, while allowing space for the full
range of emotions.
Week 4: Parenting Joy Through Connectedness
Parenting often stirs unresolved emotions from our own past. In this session, parents will
engage in the practice of self-compassion and lovingkindness to tend to their own inner
wounds. By addressing and healing these areas, participants will open pathways to
deeper connection and trust with their children. We will also explore gratitude practices
to strengthen bonds and foster mutual understanding.
Week 5: Parenting Joy Through Equanimity
This week’s practices focus on cultivating a sense of open awareness and equanimity, in
the context of parenting. Through these techniques, we learn to meet the complexities of
parenting with balance and presence, enabling us to approach both joyful and difficult
moments with greater clarity and compassion.
Week 6: Celebrate Your Journey
In our final week, parents will reflect on their growth and transformation. Together, we’ll
celebrate the strides made in cultivating joy, resilience, and connection. Participants will
set intentions for continuing their mindful parenting practices and integrating joy into
everyday life beyond the course.
This is a program of the JCC's Teen + Young Adult Mental Health Initiative and generously funded by UJA-Federation of New York.