Mindful Mama | Inspiration To Thrive Not Just Survive

Hunter talks to Carla Naumburg about How to REALLY make change. Some big takeaways from this episode include: Willpower doesn’t work effectively and can be stressful Power of self-compassion - helps us to begin again. Making compassion a practice (intentionally doing something with the goal of getting better at it). There’s a big power in lovingkindness meditation practice - what you practice grows What do you think? Click here to start the conversation! Find out more about Carla Naumburg - her books, Parenting In the Present Moment and Ready, Set, Breathe, more of her writing, and how to work with her at CarlaNaumburg.com.  Fan of the Mindful Mama Podcast? Support it by leaving a quick review -----> on iTunes or on Stitcher (or wherever you listen!) ABOUT HUNTER CLARKE-FIELDS: Hunter Clarke-Fields is a mindfulness mama mentor. She coaches overstressed moms on how to cultivate mindfulness in their daily lives. Hunter is a certified Parent Effectiveness Training teacher and has over 20 years of experien

How can we create family relationships that weather any storm? Dr. Shauna Shapiro explains how our old paradigms of parenting get it wrong, and research-proven ways to become a mindful mama.  Some important takeaways from this conversation: “What you practice grows stronger.” If we practice judgement, we become more judgmental. If we practice kindness, we strengthen hat. We know that with neuroplasticity, our repeated experiences shape the brain. Shame actually prevents us from making the changes that we want to make. Instead, kindness releases dopamine and turns ON the learning centers of the brain, activating us for change. As a parent, you can be in your sovereignty and power, hold boundaries, and keep a soft heart. Click here to start the conversation about this episode! Shauna Shapiro, PhD, is a professor, author, and internationally recognized expert in mindfulness and compassion. Dr. Shapiro has published over 100 journal articles and book chapters, and co-authored the critically acclaimed texts,

Life regularly squeezes us. No matter how much we try to avoid or block out the difficult moments, they're inevitable. That's just life.  The real question is, how do we respond to those moments?  Do you shame and blame yourself with harsh words?  Or do you offer yourself compassion, understanding, and kindness?   This episode is a very special one taken from a live talk I did last October at the Mindful Mom Revolution event.  Start the conversation about this episode here! Fan of the Mindful Mama Podcast? Support it by leaving a quick review -----> on iTunes or on Stitcher (or wherever you listen!) ABOUT HUNTER CLARKE-FIELDS: Hunter Clarke-Fields is a mindfulness mama mentor. She coaches overstressed moms on how to cultivate mindfulness in their daily lives. Hunter is a certified Parent Effectiveness Training teacher and has over 20 years of experience in yoga & mindfulness practices. She has taught thousands worldwide. Hunter is the creator of the Mindful Parenting course. Download the audio training, Mi

Hunter talks to Cassandra Vieten about tapping into the science of your consciousness. Some big takeaways from this episode include: 1. Meditation boosts mother-infant bonding 2. There is an interconnected layer of consciousness 3. Our minds have a powerful effect on our health & relationships Cassandra Vieten, Ph.D. president of the Institute of Noetic Sciences. Their work rests on the notion that limitations in human consciousness and in our understanding of it underlie many of the most pressing problems that face us as a global society (violence, inequity, misuse of resources). Fan of the Mindful Mama Podcast? Support it by leaving a quick review -----> on iTunes or on Stitcher (or wherever you listen!) ABOUT HUNTER CLARKE-FIELDS: Hunter Clarke-Fields is a mindfulness mama mentor. She coaches overstressed moms on how to cultivate mindfulness in their daily lives. Hunter is a certified Parent Effectiveness Training teacher and has over 20 years of experience in yoga & mindfulness practices. She has taught

Hunter talks to Kimberly Johnson about healing, balancing and restoring post-childbirth. Hunter’s big takeaways from this episode: There are big problems with the way we handle birth and the post-partum period that are leading to long-term problems for moms. We have unrealistic expectations about 4th trimester; healing is slow. We treat it like it’s any other time. We don’t understand that there are specific needs. There are 5 universal needs and these are necessities not luxuries: Rest - deep, extended rest 30-45 days lying in period Nourishing food Loving touch Companionship of wise women Contact with nature Click here to see the show notes and leave your comments! Kimberly Johnson is a birth doula, Somatic Experiencing practitioner, Sexological Bodyworker, postpartum advocate and single mom. She is the author of the new book, The Fourth Trimester: A Postpartum Guide to Healing Your Body, Balancing Your Emotions, and Restoring your Vitality. Find out more about Kim at WildFeminine.com and Magamama

Yes, I cried a little in this conversation, but more than that, I was inspired by talking to Jon Vroman about his work with the Front Row Factor and helping to make dads more conscious.  Three big takeaways from this conversation were:  The power of dedicating your life to making a difference - as Jon says, choosing our experience. The power of reminders and intimacy with death. We have 936 weekends from when your child is 0-18 years old- every one that goes by is a weekend you won’t have again. His experience of fatherhood and how to step up, deal with anger, and model the kind of life you want your kids to live Jon Vroman inspires others to Live Life In The Front Row™ by teaching the art of moment making. He is an award-winning speaker, #1 bestselling author of The Front Row Factor, podcast host and founder of Front Row Foundation, a charity creating front row experiences for individuals who brave life-threatening illnesses.  Click here to see the show notes or leave your comments! Fan of the Mindful M

Do you get stressed during the holidays? Feel overwhelmed? On this episode my dear friend Carla Naumburg and I solve all of your problems. Just kidding - but maybe one or two of them. We discuss everything from how to be intentional about what does bring us joy, to letting go of some traditions that you don’t care about anymore, to knowing what family rhythms you have to hold on to and what you can be flexible on. We also talk about: How to stay mindful Simplifying and focusing on what's important (not getting sucked into commercialism) How to deal with family stress over the holidays How to create sacred/special moments Giving with kids (donating time and or/money) Gift ideas - experiences; good stuff for kids Travel ideas - our favorite podcasts for kids Click here to leave a comment and get links to some of the resources we mention. Find out more about Carla Naumburg - her books, Parenting In the Present Moment and Ready, Set, Breathe, more of her writing, and how to work with her at CarlaNaumburg

After being in the car for hours on our drive home from visiting family for Thanksgiving, we got stuck in traffic during the last 15 miles home. I was driving, feeling totally done, more than ready to be home. The girls were understandably irritable. It was not a great scene. Yet, out the window was the most beautiful sunset. It was breathtaking -- a pink and red epic experience. It was utterly breathtaking. Both were happening at the same time - our suffering, and this incomprehensible beauty. Noticing and appreciating this sunset was a conscious practice in that moment. It's the same with our own equanimity - it's a conscious practice. Here are the five steps that I discuss in detail in this episode: Practice meditation regularly. Cultivate the conditions for happiness. Notice your thoughts and feelings with curiosity. Interrupt the harmful thoughts. Rest in your feelings and feel them fully. Rinse and repeat. I hope this episode has helped you my friend! If so, I'd really appreciate your feedback.

In her editorial,Happiness is Other People, Ruth Whippman (@ruthwhippman ‏) says that, "The most significant thing we can do for our well-being is not to 'find ourselves' or 'go within.' It’s to invest as much time and effort as we can into nurturing the relationships we have with the people in our lives."  Hunter and Carla discuss this idea. Some topics covered: Can we control our feelings? Or do we create the conditions for happiness? Do you need more social time? What kind of interactions work best for you?   What's your take? Click here to start the conversation! Find out more about Carla Naumburg - her books, Parenting In the Present Moment and Ready, Set, Breathe, more of her writing, and how to work with her at CarlaNaumburg.com. Fan of the Mindful Mama Podcast? Support it by leaving a quick review -----> on iTunes or on Stitcher (or wherever you listen!) ABOUT HUNTER CLARKE-FIELDS: Hunter Clarke-Fields is a mindfulness mama mentor. She coaches overstressed moms on how to cultivate mindfulness in th

We focus on the food, but it’s the relationships that bring us together. Yet, gathering with our families is not always all we’d hope it would be. Many of us come from families with a lot of suffering. Certain relationships tend to cause a lot of suffering in us. Peace is not always served at our tables. It can be a stressful time to say the least. But it doesn’t have to be. We have enormous power to change the dynamic. We can participate in the status quo or we can become part of the change. How do you prepare for an experience with your relatives? Do you get anxious? Do you focus your thoughts on what you don’t like about them? In other words, do you expect a bad experience? If you do, you are probably not disappointed. When we focus all of our energy on what we don’t like, we find little that we do. The good news is that we can change our experience by changing ourselves. The first thing that we have to realize is that we are responsible for our own emotions. Your frustration comes from inside of you. The

Have you ever wondered what it would be like if you could look into the future and see the results of mindful parenting? You get to do that in this episode with parent educator Larissa Dann. She shares with us the results of years of respectful/peaceful/conscious parenting using the communication skills of Parent Effectiveness Training. We talk about: Mediating a conflict with toddlers Giving kids an inner sense of self-worth Why children don’t misbehave You'll also learn why you should STOP taking your child's behavior personally. There's so much here. I know you are going to love this conversation. Click here for feedback and the show notes.  Larissa's bio: Larissa Dann is a parent whose passion is parent education. She enjoys writing on topics such as parenting (all ages and stages), and caring. You can read more of her work at Parent Skills. Fan of the Mindful Mama Podcast? Support it by leaving a quick review -----> on iTunes or on Stitcher (or wherever you listen!) ABOUT HUNTER CLARKE-FIELDS: Hu

Why don't we teach every child how to deal with challenges? How to process their feelings? For my latest podcast guest, Renee Jain, all her work started with those questions.  We are in an epidemic of anxiety now - for both kids and adults. That's one of the reasons I was so happy to meet someone who was bringing this important work straight to kids.  Renee talked to me about the science of wellbeing. We talked about the exciting research on our brain's plasticity - meaning that we can change our set-point or disposition. We can change. And importantly, we can teach our kids that they can change too! We talked about the purpose of emotions, and how important it is to teach that. We talk about the influence of technology.  And so much more... Renee Jain specializes in cultivating skills of resilience in both adults and children. Renee’s gift is taking research-based concepts and transforming them into engaging and digestible learning modules. For children, she has created one-of-a-kind programs found at GoZen!

What does it mean to parent like a traveler? Traveling provides some parenting lessons that we can take into our everyday lives to help us live and parent more mindfully. In this episode Hunter talks to Patricia Monahan. Patty Monahan was born and raised in Brazil, lived in Hamburg, Washington D.C. and Madrid and is currently based in Birmingham, MI with her husband and two daughters, Sofia and Julia. Our Whole Village is the result of her lifelong passion for traveling and her newfound mission of becoming the best parent she can be. She’s a lawyer by cosmic irony and a social entrepreneur by choice. She is Our Whole Village’s CEO & Chief World Explorer. patricia@ourwholevillage.com ABOUT HUNTER CLARKE-FIELDS: Hunter Clarke-Fields is a mindfulness mama mentor. She coaches overstressed moms on how to cultivate mindfulness in their daily lives. Hunter is a certified Parent Effectiveness Training teacher and has over 20 years of experience in yoga & mindfulness practices. She has taught thousands worldwide. Hunt

Does your child sometimes feel like a ticking time bomb? Ready to explode at any moment?  That's how it was for me with my oldest daughter. It seemed like almost everything caused her some kind of distress. She was SO attuned to my moods; we had to cut out all of the tags in her clothes; and if she missed a nap? Forget it, we were doomed. There was SO much to learn. There were so many skills I didn't have! I later realized that Maggie is a Highly Sensitive Child. And I realized that someone else was Highly Sensitive too (can you guess who that is?).  On this episode, I talk to Melissa Schwartz, expert on Highly Sensitive Children and how to take care of them.  What is your takeaway? Click here to start the conversation! Melissa is a respected expert in the field of Highly Sensitive Children and brings clarity, personal experience and compassion for parents raising HSCs so they can thrive in a de-sensitized world. Find out more about Melissa's work at Leading Edge Parenting.  Fan of the Mindful Mama Podcast?

How do you get your child to listen to you? This week, I have the amazing psychologist and Parenting Beyond Punishment founder, Amy Bryant on the Mindful Mama podcast. She tells me about two types of parent: Parents who are worried that kids can’t learn without being punished Anti-punishment parents who are afraid to set boundaries Which type are you? We also take on the question that moms write to me about ALL the time, How do I get my child to listen to me? Amy Bryant is a psychotherapist specializing in family relationships, parenting, and self-care for moms. She is located in Atlanta, GA and online at Parenting Beyond Punishment.Did you benefit from this episode? If so, it helps enormously to share it with your friends and to subscribe and leave a review and comments on iTunes or Stitcher. Thank you! ABOUT HUNTER CLARKE-FIELDS: Hunter Clarke-Fields is a mindfulness mama mentor. She coaches overstressed moms on how to cultivate mindfulness in their daily lives. Hunter is a certified Parent Effectivenes

Did you ever get so fed up with your own yelling that you wanted to just make yourself stop cold turkey? That's what this episode's guest, Sheila McCraith did. Sheila is a mother to 4 young boys and author of, "Yell Less, Love More: How The Orange Rhino Mom Stopped Yelling at Her Kids-and How You Can Too!" Are you frustrated with parenting? Do you want to practice conscious, compassionate parenting, but you don’t know how? Join us for a FREE LIVE MINDFUL PARENTING TRAINING from October 9-13,  at mindfulparentingcourse.com/freetraining. Fan of the Mindful Mama Podcast? Support it by leaving a quick review -----> on iTunes or on Stitcher (or wherever you listen!) ABOUT HUNTER CLARKE-FIELDS: Hunter Clarke-Fields is a mindfulness mama mentor. She coaches overstressed moms on how to cultivate mindfulness in their daily lives. Hunter is a certified Parent Effectiveness Training teacher and has over 20 years of experience in yoga & mindfulness practices. She has taught thousands worldwide. Hunter is the creator of

You know you don't want to yell at them, but what do you do when your kids are driving you crazy? How do you teach them right from wrong? In this episode, Carla Naumburg and I talk about discipline --what we thought about it before we had kids, how we've shifted, and what we realize now.  This is a must-listen episode for every parent!  Fan of the Mindful Mama Podcast? Support it by leaving a quick review -----> on iTunes or on Stitcher (or wherever you listen!) Are you frustrated with parenting? Do you want to practice conscious, compassionate parenting, but you don’t know how? Join us for a FREE LIVE MINDFUL PARENTING TRAINING from October 9-13,  at mindfulparentingcourse.com/freetraining. ABOUT HUNTER CLARKE-FIELDS: Hunter Clarke-Fields is a mindfulness mama mentor. She coaches overstressed moms on how to cultivate mindfulness in their daily lives. Hunter is a certified Parent Effectiveness Training teacher and has over 20 years of experience in yoga & mindfulness practices. She has taught thousands worl

What do you say to yourself when you mess up with your kids? If you are like many of us, you berate yourself. My guest, Kristin Neff, has done the research that shows that our harsh self-criticism does NOT work. It doesn't help us grow and become better parents. In fact, it does the opposite. So what does work? Self-compassion.  Kristin Neff is a pioneer in the field of self-compassion research, conducting the first empirical studies on self-compassion over a decade ago. In conjunction with her colleague Dr. Chris Germer, she has developed an empirically supported eight-week training program called Mindful Self-Compassion, and offers workshops on self-compassion worldwide.  Fan of the Mindful Mama Podcast? Support it by leaving a quick review -----> on iTunes or on Stitcher (or wherever you listen!) Hunter Clarke-Fields is a mindfulness mama mentor. She coaches overstressed moms on how to cultivate mindfulness in their daily lives. Hunter is a certified Parent Effectiveness Training teacher and has over 20

I know that the tools and teachings that I've immersed my life in are life-changing. Mindfulness, self-compassion, and skillful communication have transformed my life and the lives of millions around the world.  They are research-proven, powerful tools. But it's more than just the tools. It's a change in the way we approach the world and life itself. I took the time to think about that recently and I realized that this shift in mindset should have a rallying cry. So I've created the MINDFUL MAMA MANIFESTO! ABOUT HUNTER CLARKE-FIELDS: Hunter Clarke-Fields is a mindfulness mama mentor. She coaches overstressed moms on how to cultivate mindfulness in their daily lives. Hunter is a certified Parent Effectiveness Training teacher and has over 20 years of experience in yoga & mindfulness practices. She has taught thousands worldwide. Hunter is the creator of the Mindful Parenting course. Download the audio training, Mindfulness For Moms (The Superpower You Need) for free! It's at mindfulmomguide.com. Find more podc

How do we raise secure, authentic children?  In this episode I talk to Anna Seewald, the founder of Authentic Parenting®. She is a speaker, author, podcaster and a parent educator. With background in psychology and education and working with kids for nearly 18 years, today she help parents.  Anna and Hunter go deep in their discussion of the dynamics between children and parents. Topics include: Avoiding the over-parenting trap Why we need to be real How much we REALLY need to attune to our children ABOUT HUNTER CLARKE-FIELDS: Hunter Clarke-Fields is a mindfulness mama mentor. She coaches overstressed moms on how to cultivate mindfulness in their daily lives. Hunter is a certified Parent Effectiveness Training teacher and has over 20 years of experience in yoga & mindfulness practices. She has taught thousands worldwide. Hunter is the creator of the Mindful Parenting course. Download the audio training, Mindfulness For Moms (The Superpower You Need) for free! It's at mindfulmomguide.com. Find more podcast