Q. I recently had a baby, and while I'm overjoyed with this new person in my life, I'm finding no time to slow down and connect with my center. Do you have any useful approaches for this new mom to try out? --Sarah N., Chelsea, Michigan

A. You've embarked on the ultimate spiritual program: parenthood. As it turns out, those countless adjustments that parenting presents are actually invitations to center yourself in the midst of this incredibly demanding course work. You just need to shift your basic approach.

Try this: The next time the baby wakes you up at 2 a.m., don't immediately leap for the bassinet. Take a deep, full breath and direct your entire attention to the instinctual need you feel to soothe your child. It may be hard to recognize at first, but these "inopportune" moments offer a chance to relinquish yourself to the commitment you've made. Other times, when the baby burps up on your clean shirt as you're scrambling to get out the door in the morning, try to see these inconveniences as fresh opportunities to reaffirm the incredible love that emanates from your center.

Nursing and bottle-feeding provide another opportunity to reconnect with your spiritual core. Arrange the area where you usually feed the baby with fresh flowers, your favorite paintings, and other things that inspire you. Play music and slowly rock back and forth (rocking chairs make for delightful meditation), using this time to loosen any tight, strained places in your body. Allow tears to flow, sing, read poetry -- whatever you need to do to regroup. I scrawled barely legible notes in my journal and watched old movies. Most important, surrender completely to being still, instead of fretting and wishing you could get up to do this or that.

During the parenting process, you may sometimes feel beholden to the whims of a powerful, yet tiny, authority. Do what you can to find time for yourself-even if that means hiring a baby-sitter for a couple of hours a week or initiating a child-care swap with a friend. Just keep in mind that finding your center often means letting yourself give in.

Author, creative catalyst, and coach Jennifer Louden leads retreats around the United States. She has written six books about creating a life you love, including her newest, "The Life Organizer." You can learn more at lifeorganizerbook.com. If you have questions about life issues such as finding balance, managing time, or handling difficult personal relationships, email them to jennifer@bodyandsoulmag.com.