Mama Says Namaste Podcast

Are you healthy...really? Does this include all aspects of mind, body, and soul? We've compiled 12 tenets for wellness to open the door for health in all three areas - mind/body/soul.

Are you reinforcing the LIFE you want to live, or the death you want to avoid? Let me know which of these 12 tenets come easy for you, and what might be a struggle.

Have you considered you're the narrator of your life? What story are you telling yourself? Is it one that is fueling you forward, or affirming what you wish would actually change? This week Nathan and I talk about the books we've been reading, and boy are they deep. So what do Dr. Bernie Siegel, Viktor Frankl, Nathan and Ashley all agree on? What, truly is the meaning of life? How do we write the stories on our own realities? And how to they manifest and check us in the process?

Struggling with sleep in your home? I used to believe "you can sleep when you die"...and I see now how that can be a recipe for a much sooner death. As we're digging into what people are tolerating in their homes, lack of sleep was another one stated - and not just because of littles!

Having TWO teenagers now in my own home, I know sleeptime can be a struggle for any age, and we're huge advocates of keeping it sacred.

This week we share three myths we used to live by that we've thrown out the window - and tips for your family for better sleep - and why.

So how about you - do you feel you get enough sleep?

You know that old saying about how to eat an elephant? One bite at a time. Well that's definitely the case for clutter. It can get out of hand, and then you're hit with way too much and not sure where to start. Well look no further. Let's take it a "bite" at a time and see how clutter can be curbed, and your home can be a place of joy. 

I've asked a question in the Mama Says Namaste communities - "What are you tolerating that you'd like to change at home?"

While I'm still gathering responses, this week lays the foundation of what to ask yourself if you're in this "stuck" point of tolerating (or, even worse, resenting) the life you're in. 

Here are three questions to ask yourself if you're feeling trapped in a life you're tolerating. And, if you can share your story with me, I'd love to share it on an upcoming podcast - you can read the blog and comment at MamaSaysNamaste.com/family-trap

This is the Mama Says Namaste podcast...so what does that mean for our home life? Are we all zen and "namaste" all the time...and what does namaste really mean? 

We address how we create a namaste vibe in our home by using an acronym of NAMASTE for open communication. And nope, we're not zen masters -we have plenty of high emotions with a tween and two teen daughters (not to mention strong personality styles to begin with). 

If we can do it, so can you. It's not eliminating the crazy as much as it's shifting your focus. How do you add more namaste vibe in your home?

Hurricane Ian has come and gone through our country and the aftermath is still happening. The flooding and destruction will be a long haul of recovery. As we share about our experience over the past week, and what all we saw, it opens the door to what this makes possible. 

It can seem pretty bleak when you're hit with something catastrophic. Yet there can be so much that can come from a "clean slate" and starting over. While we can't go back, we can move forward, and we encourage you to listen in and take on our challenge this week to convert this hurricane to a new headline for the life you want to create. 

Well, we're recording this today, Wednesday, September 28th, 2022, as we're waiting for Hurricane Ian to make landfall here in Florida. We've been evacuated from where we were volunteering down in the Florida Keys and are at another campground watching the weather, and bracing for how hard of a hit our house in Venice, Florida is going to get. 

As friends and family come out of the woodwork from all over asking us how things are going for us, we figured we'd give a real-time update of the ups and downs of the past few days as we've evacuated a campground and prepped for a hurricane. 

Now, we're going to wait to worry...

As we near Juliette's birthday, we asked her to reflect on what ten things she might want to share on the podcast. She came up with ten things she's grateful for, and I absolutely loved her answers. 

Join us to hear Juliette's gratitude list of the top ten things she's grateful for as she completes her first decade of life - and see what it sparks in you. 

What are you grateful for? What are your children grateful for...and aware of? This is an insightful way to learn so much about your children, and we invite you to do the same with your own children. 

How do you discipline your child so they aren't just punished, but they learn other options for navigating this world on their own? Here are 6 tips to help them feel what they feel, bring awareness to what they don't see, and cultivate options in their toolbox to navigate life in a healthy way. 

Nathan and I share examples of "natural consequences" and how we help our children learn best choices without just punishing them for immaturity or lack of knowledge. 

We reap what we sow in this world, and our kids know that "every action has a consequence" - whether that's one they enjoy or not is often up to them!

In this guest conversation, I talk with Kimball Lewis of Empowering Parents a second time (first was episode 252) about a specific behavior: lying. 

He shares how to navigate it in your home as well as the keys to effective consequences. This episode is up on video as well as a blog post.

As we address why it happens and what you can do about it, he shares several key elements to ensure you create a culture of honesty and integrity in your home. 

Lying isn't just reserved for children - we can be guilty of it throughout our lives. And my first tip for parents with any behavior they don't like in their home is to first look in the mirror. 

Nathan had a beautiful insight this past week on rage and how to shift into more grace in our lives. Moving from rage to grace can be tricky when it's become a part of our identity. We share three tips on how to shift your perspective and reset, especially as parents.  

Climate change can be scary and overwhelming...and that's not counting the weather in your own internal climate! How are you weathering...from within?

This week Nathan and I share a bit about how we're learning about ways to support our planet with our kids, as well as sharing the three Ps to navigate the climate we're bringing to our families, and beyond! 

Do you feel a sense of personal responsibility, pride and purpose that creates a "climate of possibility" in your home, as Sir Ken Robinson says? 

I'd love to hear how you and your children are creating an impact beyond yourselves - as we work on our own personal excellence, we're also learning about how we can take our strengths to go beyond our home to a greater impact on our planet.

If you're maxed out with your family and building more resentment and overwhelm than joy, this is the episode for you. We go through four simple steps that can help you truly dance in life (and you have to listen in to hear the analogy we share).

We have complete control over our own perspective - how you are viewing your life?

Have you gotten stuck in a rut of the same old thing every night with your family? Have screens taken over so it seems like that's everyone's "go-to" for down time? Maybe it's time to look for other opportunities to connect as a family vs. a side-by-side family movie night. 

We share 3 ways we replace tech time with together time in our home, and I'd love to hear what you do in yours! 

Are your children following your advice...or your example? How are you processing things mentally, physically and emotionally in your own life? How are your children learning to navigate life like you do? Are you okay with them copying your actions, opinions, habits and values? Maybe it's time to check yourself.

Life has a lot of variables, and disappointment is par for the course. Have you struggled with disappointing your kids? Is that cringe-worthy moment something you want to desperately avoid at all costs, or do you see it as a valuable part of living life together? 

Nathan and I have no issues with navigating disappointment with our kids, and can attest to the benefit of emotional resilience as one of the most powerful things you can foster in a child's life "toolkit". We'll share how we do it in this week's episode. 

Sometimes in our desire to support our children, we let the world revolve around them. And then, at some point, they have to recognize their impact.

This week we're building on the conversation about expectations last week and setting clear boundaries in your home. As Dr. Henry Cloud says, "you get what you tolerate." We talk about oceans, rebellion, and how to course-correct. 

We want our children to feel safe and secure. That also means trusting that you as the parent will call them out on the behaviors that will push others away. What is the ripple effect coming out of your home?

Do you have high expectations and end up disappointed when things don't go your way? Are you disillusioned by the "experts" who aren't really helping you and don't really have it all together? 

We all have expectations - yet a simple reframing of what we hold onto and how we communicate it can make a drastic shift in your joy and accomplishment. 

What do you expect? Start with no expectation. Listen in. And then tell me what you've learned. 

In a country of "united" states, it seems there is division everywhere. It's hard to know what to do, and getting even harder to simply stay silent. So this week, Nathan and I have a raw and unfiltered conversation about what we're seeing and experiencing here in the US - and our first focus on what we're doing to make a difference. 

There are so many ways to make an impact - and this is the first step for every single one of them.