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I discovered a new form of meditation that’s as old as time and as simple as breathing. Its hypnotic power can completely erase the worries of the world, suspend impending doom and gloom and gently arouse hope, optimism and joy. It is playful and evokes the lightness of laughter. When you get caught up in this precious form of meditation you may find yourself spawning human sounds you never thought you might make, bringing you back to your primal roots. This method of meditating is called Baby Gazing! This form of meditation has been around forever, just not recognized for its true power and value. Mothers of newborns catch on quick as they are sleep deprived and find themselves mesmerized by the miracle they have delivered into the world. They can find the day just slip away as they spend hours just observing their child’s wonderment of the world. Caring, feeding, cooing, making silly faces and noises are all part of this day long form of “Being In the Moment” meditation.

It is expected that every mother would fall into the rabbit hole of blissful love and connection with their own child, but what I find amazing is the same hypnotic power can consume any adult that is willing to watch, listen and observe. Babies have this incredible power to reach across family bonds and hypnotize any adult.

My Grandmother just turned 90 and all the family members from across the country came together to join in celebration. After the festivities the core family members gathered back at the house to catch up with each other and share in conversation. Within minutes all eleven adults in the room had their focus on one thing…the eight month old addition to the family. This baby had captured each one of us in its magical bliss as we stared, made faces and talked baby talk.

It didn’t matter whether he threw food, drooled, wined over teething gums, we all had the consistent chant going silently or out loud “awwwwwwwww”. He could really do no real wrong in his absolute innocence of just being….just being him….just being human….just being a baby. And every adult in the room was transfixed like we were watching the Super Bowl or American Idol, or the President deliver the latest news and fate of the world. Every one of us had been hooked into the waking meditation of Baby Gazing.

I also discovered it is addicting. Once isn’t enough. It’s like potato chips… you just can’t have one. The next day we returned to do more Baby Gazing. We filled in the gaps with conversation, but before long the focus was again jokes, laughter and exclamations of excitement as that adorable eight month old did something else innocent and captivating. We ate, we shared, but we all came back to being transfixed in our waking meditative state of Baby Gazing.

What is it about Babies that can spellbind us so and bring the most macho man to his nurturing side? I truly believe babies remind us how we were meant to be relating to life, free of the doom and gloom or worry we experience as adults striving to make it in the world. Babies haven’t taken on yet the woes of the world, obligations or the threat of guilt. They are pure in their pursuit of pleasure and joy. They are uninhibited, unaware of the worry and fret of danger. Quite simply they live in the moment, and every moment is an exercise in finding joy, even when they are in discomfort. Their cry is simply a complaint that they are not feeling the blissful state they are used to being in and want naturally to return into.

Where is the lesson for us in utilizing this mesmerizing form of meditation? What can we gain from Baby Gazing? Babies can bring us back to Simplicity, reminding us how easy laughing, smiling and squealing with joy can be for the soul. They remind us how good it can feel to just be ourselves, human and appreciating what life is offering us in the moment.

I find it quite funny that as I sit on this airplane flying home from my Baby Gazing experience that I am surrounded by not one, not two, but three Babies and their surrounding hypnotized adults indulging in an opportunity to share in the Baby Gazing experience.