Mindful Mama | Inspiration To Thrive Not Just Survive

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

Are you ready to step into a bigger role? Are you ready to create a positive difference in this world? Are you ready to become a true model, leader and mentor in your family? In this podcast, we talk about why it can be so important for you to follow your callings beyond motherhood. AND we talk about why it is so vital for your children that you do so too. Signup for the Your Next Big Thing live workshop on September 12, 2017 here! 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 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,

The recent violence in Charlottesville, VA has left us reeling. How do we deal with this? How do we stay engaged and stay grounded too? In this special episode of the Mindful Mama podcast, Carla Naumburg and I discuss these issues and give you seven ways to move through this time mindfully. There are times when the world feels fundamentally unsafe. When that happens, we can empower ourselves to create more safety for ourselves and others. When you create peace in yourself, you help create peace for your family and the world. Do not discount this power. Find the show notes for this episode here. Thank you so much for listening today. If you got something out of this podcast, please share it with your friends and family. 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. ABOUT HUNTER CLARKE-FIELDS: Hunter Clarke-Fields is a mindfulness mama mentor. She coaches overstressed moms on how to cu

“To become a mother is to enter a dharma door.” What does that mean? It means that the experience of parenting is a teaching, or a path to awakening, and I absolutely believe that. In this episode of the podcast, I talk to Leslie Davis of Dharma Mamas, a blog and online community for mindful mothers. Leslie and I share a spiritual tradition in that we follow the teachings of mindfulness from zen master and peacemaker, Thich Nhat Hanh. Some highlights from the conversation: Being there for our children when we don’t want to be there for them. Getting support as mothers Dealing with feelings of unworthiness It's never to late to begin anew You can find out more about Leslie Davis at Dharmamamas.com or her personal blog, Heartlunge.com. 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! Hunter Clarke-Fields is a mindfulness mama mentor. She coaches overstressed moms on how to cultiva

Poolside, about a month ago, I had a conversation with a couple of cool mamas in my neighborhood. I'm not sure we had ever discussed parenting before. One mom mentioned that her greatest realization in parenting was this: It's not about you. What does that mean? It means that our kids will have problems, moods, etc. that are not about you. Your job is not to fix every single one of your kid's problems. Refreshing, isn't that? But also...it's all about you. How so if it's not about you? What I want to point out here is that parenting is NOT about fixing your kids. Generally, we do far too much "molding," "shaping," and "teaching." Instead, it's about you - about regulating your own reactions and triggers. 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! Hunter Clarke-Fields is a mindfulness mama mentor. She coaches overstressed moms on how to cultivate mindfulness in their daily lives.

What are the 5 rules of parenting? In this episode, Carla Naumburg and I talk about the article, The 5 Rules of Parenting by Mike Troiano. After 54 collective years of parenting, does Mike have all the answers? Yes, and no. There are things we really agree with, and things don't. My three big takeaways from our conversation were: You need support at the baby stage Should your toddlers fear you? No! Parenting is about the long game, and strong relationships are paramount And listen for mine and Carla's parenting wins and fails! We also mentioned Ron Leiber’s The Opposite of Spoiled and Fam Zoo. 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. 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 o

Family mindfulness retreat? Yes, it exists! Earlier this summer, my two girls, husband, and I packed ourselves off to a quiet mountain in New York for a week of no phones, no wifi, no screens, no alcohol, no meat...and it was actually fun! In this episode, I tell you all about it.  Around 200 people were there, interested in living mindfully, including tons of children and teens. As adults, we had lots of meditation time, and our children learned mindfulness practices too. Would this be right for your family? Listen to find out! 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 Mi

Did you know that many of the most common things we say to our kids actually makes things worse? Today's Mindful Mama guest will help you know what to say and what not to say to your kids to create close, connected relationships for life. We talk about: Common communication barriers What to do when you are wracked with guilt How kids are not logical, they are emotional, reactional What to say instead of ordering Lori Petro is a parent educator and child advocate at Teach Through Love.com. She’s on a mission to transform the way parents communicate with their children. Find out more about Lori's Conscious Communication Cards 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 ex

Did you know that highly stressed western children looked just like war refugee children in terms of stress? In this episode, I talk to Kim Payne, author of Simplicity Parenting. We talk about "the undeclared war on childhood,” and how our culture of too much too fast, too young, is overwhelming our kids.  Learn how simplifying you and your child's stuff and environment will bring more ease to your lives. Take back your kid's childhood from the “molded plastic tsunami” of toys and too much screen time. Did you know that brothers and sisters often play together better with fewer toys - why? Find out how to activate their innate neurology to foster more cooperation and collaboration.  Kim Payne offers a very different image of screen time than our recent guest, Deborah Heitner. He points out that studies show screens damage brains. Instead, Kim is pro nature, pro family connection, pro REAL friends -- and these take time and are slow. I really connected to our discussion of "connection to self" - feeling comfo

What is vacation mind? In this episode of the podcast, I discuss this idea as presented by Leo Babuta in his Zen Habits post, The Practice of Work Mind & Vacation Mind, Simultaneously. He defines it: "Vacation mind lets that anxiety go, and is just present in the current moment. Time is less important, enjoying yourself is the priority." So how do we do that in parenting? In everyday life? I'd love to know your takeaways from this solo episode. How can you practice more vacation mind in your life? Start the conversation in the comments.  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

How are you handling the onslaught of screen technology with your kids? In today's podcast episode I talk to Devorah Heitner, author of Screenwise: Helping Kids Thrive (and Survive) in Their Digital World. How do you answer these questions with your child? When do they watch a show independently? When do they make their own media choices?  When can they do some creating? When to interact with other people? Minecraft with a friend?  When should my child get an email account? We discuss all of these big milestones and more.  Here are some of the things we mentioned: Devorah's Cell Phone Bootcamp.  Blog post: first cell phone Blog post: screen time battles Devorah Heitner Ph.D., is an experienced speaker, workshop leader, and consultant, and a professional development resource for organizations wishing to cultivate a culture of responsible digital citizenship. Her book, Screenwise: Helping Kids Thrive (and Survive) in Their Digital World helps readers become tech-positive parents and educators and gives ad

Like it or not, your attachment style is probably influencing your parenting. In this episode, Carla Naumburg and Hunter Clarke-Fields discuss Attachment Theory - what is it, and how does it relate to your parenting? Does attachment theory even matter?  Plus, Carla and Hunter share their current parenting wins and fails.  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 ----->http://apple.co/2s5kjBM  ABOUT HUNTER CLARKE-FIELDS: Hunter Clarke-Fields is a mindfulness mama mentor. She coaches over-stressed 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. Find her free guide, 5 Simple Things You C

In the 90s Oprah had a life coach on who said something that shocked her studio audience of suburban moms. She had asked the audience to make a list of all the priorities in their lives. Then she asked, “Where are you on that list?” Lots of the audience did not have themselves on the list at all. Then she made her outrageous suggestion: “You should be the #1 priority on your list.” The audience booed. Oprah said, “Hold on,” and asked them why they booed. Oprah said, “It doesn’t mean that others are kicked off your list when you put yourself first.” We’ve come a long way since then. Or have we? If you made a list of priorities, who would be on your list? Where would you be on your list? Many moms tell me that taking care of themselves is not a priority. If you are really honest with yourself, is that you? The thing is, if you are not #1 on your list, you’re realizing a fundamental truth: You cannot give what you do not have.  If you are not taking care of you, you are gyping your children and your family. You

School ends soon and summer will officially begin around here. In the past, this triggered anxiety for me. What would we do all day? How do we get through the long days of summer? This is the same feeling that leads many to put their kids into camp after camp, activity after activity. Downtime is like an enemy to be conquered. In my house, we aren’t worried about hearing “I’m bored” anymore. In fact, I don’t hear it very often because my girls are so used to having unstructured time to follow their own imagination. Now, I’m not afraid of “I’m bored,” but I used to be. My anxiety over my daughter’s outbursts and volatile emotions used to make me really worry about the long days of summer. My fear led me to follow my habitual reaction of trying to control things more. I needed to shape and structure the day so that I could keep my anxiety at bay. It was a struggle. Do we suffer from our circumstances, or from wanting it to be otherwise? The Buddha taught that most of our suffering is caused by grasping at thing

Hunter and Carla come together again to discuss the need for moms to get away from it all for a little while and how this can benefit families. Moms need a break too. Head over to this weekend retreat for rest and relaxation, insight, grounding, and humor. There are a few spots left! Find more from Carla – books, articles, etc. – at CarlaNaumburg.com. Thank you so very much for listening, my friend! The best way to support the podcast is to subscribe, and tell a friend about it today. Fan of the Mindful Mama Podcast? Support it by leaving a quick review ----->http://apple.co/2s5kjBM ABOUT HUNTER CLARKE-FIELDS: Hunter Clarke-Fields is a mindfulness mama mentor. She coaches over-stressed 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. Find her free guide, 5 Simple Things You Can Do To

Elizabeth Dialto is known for her raw, honest and grounded approach to self-help and spirituality, Elizabeth is also the founder of Wild Soul Movement, author of Untame Yourself, and host of the Untame The Wild Soul Woman podcast. “Women who are connected to and trust their bodies hold the keys to a life of infinite joy, love, possibility and freedom.” - Elizabeth Dialto Her website: http://untameyourself.com/ My takeaways: We are often consumed by the identity of mother. We live in the role rather than be ourselves. Women are cyclical in nature, not linear. We can honor our intuitiveness. Dove into listening to, and loving and accepting our bodies. Learn how to bring back your sensuality. Thank you! The audio for this is with Srdan, and will be on it's way to you in a few days. Fan of the Mindful Mama Podcast? Support it by leaving a quick review ----->http://apple.co/2s5kjBM ABOUT HUNTER CLARKE-FIELDS: Hunter Clarke-Fields is a mindfulness mama mentor. She coaches over-stressed moms on how to cultivate mind

Are you a mama martyr? Find out in this podcast episode.  You may have been infected by the martyrdom disease, which detrimentally effects not only you, but your family too! Listen for signs that you may be putting yourself last too much and how (and why) to stop it.  Thanks so much for listening my friend! If you got something out of this episode, please share it with a friend or leave a review on iTunes.  P.S. Don't miss a single episode! Every Wednesday I share an exclusive email newsletter with blog posts and podcast episodes to inspire you. Sign up now and get "5 Simple Things You Can Do Today To Be Less Irritable With Your Child." Fan of the Mindful Mama Podcast? Support it by leaving a quick review ----->http://apple.co/2s5kjBM ABOUT HUNTER CLARKE-FIELDS: Hunter Clarke-Fields is a mindfulness mama mentor. She coaches over-stressed 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 & mindfulne

Brian Leaf is author of Adventures Of A Garden State Yogi, Adventures Of A Parenting Yogi, and his new book, The Teacher Appears. His 2nd time on the podcast. Hunter and Brian talk about coming into alignment, and go deep (with hilarious asides) on faith and "surrendering to oneness." His new book: When the student is ready…. THE TEACHER APPEARS. For anyone wanting to deepen their yoga practice, this illustrated journal of 108 prompts is just the thing - humorous and insightful. Includes original celebrity guest prompts from such luminaries as Krishna Das, Elena Brower, Jack Kornfield, Shiva Rea, Seane Corn, Gretchen Rubin, and more. If you like this podcast, please share it with a friend and review it on iTunes. Don't miss events coming up: If you are on the east coast, join Hunter for a Mindful Mother's Day Retreat at the Winterthur Museum and gardens: CLICK HERE TO LEARN MORE AND REGISTER. Thank you so much for listening! Fan of the Mindful Mama Podcast? Support it by leaving a quick review ----->http://ap