Twelve Principals to Guide Your Journey
by Vimala McClure
Order
it from Amazon.com
or Chapters.ca
New World Library, 1999
Paperback, 192 pages
Reviewed by Kathleen Arnason
How refreshing to discover
the wonderful message of this book. Unconditional love, Vimala McClure
teaches us, is possible—not only by parents for children, but for ourselves
as well.
A meditation and yoga expert credited with bringing the art of infant massage to the United States, McClure takes us on a delightful journey of self-discovery based on Taoism and the principles of T'ai Chi. The path begins with "relax" and "slow down," and ends with "accept and validate" and "harmonize." As I joyfully recognized the truth within each of these steps, I witnessed the awakening of a "new and improved," loving parent within me.
"Very few people these days have the luxury to take much time to 'find themselves,'" McClure explains, "to get rooted in their spiritual being before becoming a parent—yet. . .much of what I learned and practice in my everyday life I learned directly from my children. They have been my best teachers.
"My children gleefully blew apart my self-absorption, ego, and attachments. They are masters at deconstructing the walls around my true Self, if only I would let them."
What a revelation! What a load of responsibility off the shoulders of us poor, struggling parents. In a world full of change and confusion, what a relief to realize that the answers we seek—and need in order to fulfill our role as caregivers and life-teachers—are right under our noses in those little packages of love and ageless wisdom. We need look no further to discover the path of parenting that enriches all concerned than the tips of their cute little noses. They know exactly what they are doing.
The part of McClure's book I loved the most is her section on "Water can teach us." "Water," this mother of two grown children writes, "is the most yielding of all things, yet it can overwhelm that which is most hard, rock. Water nourishes without needing to be nourished, water flows into places where there is seemingly no room. . . .Studying the qualities of water can give us important clues about how to relax and yield in the Taoist way." And how to parent.
"Like water, which nourishes all things without discrimination and without needing anything in return," McClure adds, "good parents give selflessly to their children."
At times, I was overwhelmed by emotion and had tears in my eyes as I grasped these and other concepts that McClure so adeptly gets across. Intelligent, well-organized, and easy to read, The Path of Parenting manages to provoke deep thought and changes of attitude in the gentlest, noncritical way. Far more than just an educational parenting guide, this book is a must read for anyone who has ever loved a child.
Order it from Amazon.com
or Chapters.ca
All contents copyright © 2000 The Aquarian.
16 Victoria Row, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada, R2M 1Y2
ph: (204) 255-4884 | fax: (204) 255-5057
We welcome your comments, questions, and suggestions.
www.aquarianonline.com | info@aquarianonline.com