fixing to connecting

Conversation with Special Guest Margaret Paul
Margaret Paul, PhD, is a co-creator of “Inner Bonding ®, a 6-step spiritually based therapeutic modality that heals shame, and the resulting self-abandonment, that is often the root cause of anxiety, stress, depression, low self-worth, addictions and relationship problems.” Dr. Paul is a relationship expert, noted public speaker, workshop leader, educator, chaplain, consultant, author, and artist. 

In this episode, Anat Baniel and Margaret Paul discuss:

• the Inner Bonding process and how it can positively change you and your relationships with your children, your spouse, and others;
• what it means to be present in heart and soul, and to love yourself;  
• how to uncover false beliefs and overcome parenting challenges of children with special needs; 
• the importance of learning to take responsibility for yourself;
• how to be open to feeling and learning in order to access higher levels of knowledge. 

At the end of the podcast, Margaret demonstrates the Inner Bonding process with a volunteer.  

A Conversation with Special Guest Shelly Lefkoe
Shelly Lefkoe is a co-founder and Vice President of Lefkoe Institute, a San Francisco Bay Area firm whose mission is “to significantly improve the quality of life on the planet by having people recreate their lives and live as the unlimited possibilities they are.” Shelly has had the privilege of helping thousands of people examine and eliminate limiting beliefs, and one of her passions is working with parents.

In this episode, Anat Baniel and Shelly Lefkoe discuss:

• the importance of acknowledging what is happening right now with your child;
• observing and asking yourself: what did your child conclude from your interaction?; 
• it is okay to not know; not knowing can open up new possibilities; 
• moving from fixing to connecting with your child;
• events don’t have meaning; the “meaning” you give something is in your mind; 
• related questions from the audience.

Whether home schooling or sending your child to school under the Covid-19 requirements and restrictions, there are ways to calm yourself and your child, reduce stress and anxiety, and create inspiring and effective learning processes for your preschool child.

In this episode, Anat Baniel discusses:

• how we are born with a brain that is built to learn;
• that no matter what is going on, your child is learning;
• the importance of following the interests of your child, and not “forcing” learning by drilling; 
• how to look for opportunities in daily life to use the 9 Essentials, like the Variation Essential; 
• related questions from the audience.

We Are the Medicine: Prioritizing Possibilities to Mitigate Childhood Trauma and Promote Healing and Flourishing
Christina Bethell, PhD, MBA, MPH, is a professor in the Bloomberg School of Public Health University. She also serves as the founding director of the Child and Adolescent Health Measurement Initiative (CAHMI). Dr. Bethell established and leads the National Data Resource Center for Child and Adolescent Health.

In this episode, Anat Baniel and Christina Bethell discuss: 

• the science of thriving and the human potential for flourishing;
• the qualitative data Christina has developed to revolutionize systems for measurement;
• how childhood trauma affects parents, as well as children’s development; 
• the whole person (whole child, whole family) approach to help children and parents heal and flourish;
• moving from fixing to connecting with families in order to give them what they want and need;
• related questions from the audience.

How to Apply Positive Brain Change Principles for Success
Schooling will most likely still be affected by the impact of Covid-19 in the fall. Homeschooling will either be a necessity or a choice for many families. In this episode, we address some of the challenges facing children, parents, teachers, and caregivers as education is moved to the home and online. Anat discusses:

• the huge challenges with schools being closed during the pandemic;
• a new NeuroMovement® Online at Home Coaching program developed to help children with special needs, their families, and caregivers during this time at home;
• learning at home, with a short demonstration of how parents can work with their children;
• how the special project with a school system in Canada has changed—training teachers, aides, and staff to apply the 9 Essentials;  
• the importance of moving from fixing to connecting with the focus on learning, not drilling or specific goals;
• related questions from the audience.

It’s an exciting time for children, parents, and teachers as the new school year begins. In this episode, we answer questions from parents and teachers, and discuss how the 9 Essentials can be applied in the classroom to help promote learning for all children.

In this podcast, Anat Baniel and Neil Sharp address:

• their recent experience working with a school system in Canada—a special project to train teachers, aides, and staff to apply the 9 Essentials in the classroom;  
• what teachers teach and what children learn are two independent processes—recognizing this leads to a revolution in the way we think about and approach teaching and academia; 
• the importance of using the 9 Essentials to create new possibilities and learning, NOT as a way to get an immediate outcome or to try to “make” a child learn a specific skill;
• “If he could, he would; if she could, she would.” The best way to facilitate learning and progress is to start where children are at, using the Essentials to connect with them and to provide the best conditions for learning;
• specific tips and examples of how to use the Essentials to move from fixing to connecting, and to provide learning opportunities for children on the autism spectrum, children with cerebral palsy, and children with other special needs.

We’ve all heard the expressions “no pain, no gain” and “try harder,” expecting these ways to provide us with the desired outcomes. As counterintuitive as it may seem, the reduction of force and of intensity is what the brain needs to get new information to help us, and the child with special needs, change for the better in powerful ways. 

In this podcast, Anat Baniel and Neil Sharp discuss:

• the focus of NeuroMovement is to upgrade the ability of the brain to do its own job well, and the 9 Essentials can provide the conditions to help make this happen
• how Subtlety, the reduction of force or intensity, can enhance the brain’s ability to perceive differences and receive new information for learning
• practical tips on how to use Subtlety and other Essentials with children with special needs
• how to use the Essentials and to observe what happens with your child—and be open to the possibilities!
• related questions from the audience 

It took Jill Bolte Taylor eight years to fully recover from her stroke. That was before she met Anat Baniel and discovered NeuroMovement® and the 9 Essentials. Jill states: “Anat applies the exact same principles when helping people overcome limitation that I used to recover my brain and body from stroke. She understands that for any meaningful change to happen in the way we think, move, and use our body, the change has to happen in the brain.”

In this podcast, Anat Baniel and Jill Bolte Taylor discuss: 

• Jill’s experience of having a stroke and what it was like to learn skills she had lost
• the importance of connection in recovery and learning (from “fixing” to connecting)
• the need for sleep and safety in the healing and learning process
• how stroke recovery is similar to working with children with special needs
• why Jill supports NeuroMovement and how it can help a variety of conditions 

The most normal and common response to a child having a challenge or limitation is to try and “fix” the child. However, the human being cannot be “fixed.” It is through learning and the brain creating new possibilities, that the child can move from his or her impossible to the possible.

In this podcast, Anat Baniel and Neil Sharp discuss:

• the ways in which adults try to “fix” children with special needs
• what it looks like when you are trying to “fix” and how to choose differently
• the brain is an information system, requiring a different approach 
• what it looks like to “connect” with your child and how connection affects the brain
• related questions from the audience