cover image Momfulness: Mothering with Mindfulness, Compassion, and Grace

Momfulness: Mothering with Mindfulness, Compassion, and Grace

Denise Roy, . . Jossey-Bass, $14.95 (241pp) ISBN 978-0-7879-8197-6

Roy combines her experience as a marriage and family therapist, a spiritual director, and a mother of five in this delightful book of meditations, a sequel to My Monastery Is a Minivan . Roy defines momfulness as "the spiritual practice of cultivating a mindful, compassionate, mothering presence," and outlines six spiritual lessons: developing true presence, practicing embodiment, paying attention, cultivating deep compassion, recognizing the sacred in all things and understanding the value of community. Each meditation begins with a quote, from the likes of Anne Lamott and Annie Dillard to Thich Nhat Hanh and Teresa of Avila; each includes a reflective piece—an essay, observation, or story—and each ends with a suggested practice. Roy's anecdotes are fresh and her storytelling colorful and imaginative. Some of her talent is lost, however, in the banal activities at the end of each meditation. For example, her entertaining tale of cooking lobsters with large rubber bands on their claws fizzles when readers get to the related activity suggestion of sharing family memories. She writes best when she draws from her vast reservoir of stories and refrains from preaching. Roy's varied experiences as a psychotherapist, a spiritual director, a foster mother and a biological mother ground her spirituality in an engaging book for moms of all faiths. (Mar.)