“Alicia Keys is opening up about how meditation has helped her as a mom.
The “Girl on Fire” singer, 40, shared in an op-ed published by USA Today on Wednesday that she “became a better mother” after getting into meditation.
For Keys, her “consistent spiritual practice began about six years ago” following the birth of her youngest son Genesis Ali, with whom she shares with husband Swizz Beatz.
“Like so many new moms I was exhausted, but the depletion was more than physiological; my spirit was shot,” she recalled. “I needed to do something so I could continue to be a good mother to my children, partner to my husband, and friend to myself.”
The Grammy winner — who is also mom to 10-year-old son Egypt Daoud — began meditating after a friend suggested that she attend a Kundalini yoga and meditation retreat, though her foray into mindfulness admittedly had a bumpy start.
“I have to be honest: The first time I tried the meditation, I was so tired that I fell asleep,” Keys wrote. “But the second time, I felt a little spark. I really liked the mixture of chanting, singing and movement.”
“Between the chanting and the singing and the rhythm and the meaning of these ancient words, I discovered a sense of peace and comfort. “I started to notice a richer connection with myself, an ability to go deeper,” she continued. “After years of silence I could hear myself, trust my instincts, know what I wanted, know what I needed and not feel so insecure.”
“Once you make that kind of deep connection with yourself, your relationship with everything and everyone around you changes. As I’d hoped, I became a better mother because I was more confident in myself,” Keys explained.
“I could hear what I needed and what my family needed. Same with my relationships with my husband, my mother and definitely my work,” the musician wrote. “Now I could be crystal clear, powerful and strong and not back down because I had a way to access my own intuition.”…
View the whole story here: https://people.com/health/alicia-keys-says-she-became-a-better-mother-after-getting-into-meditation/