The telesummit includes interviews with parenting specialists including:

You can here one or all of these interesting and inspiring interviews by registering at http://relationshipbasedparenting.com

Tell us about yourself!

I’m a mother of 3 divine little beings, striving to live to my highest potential. As a parent I try to be conscious with my children as much as I possibly can. As I’m sure many of you would know, this is no easy feat! I have a website  ‘Being The Tree Of Life’ which is all about health, wellness and creating an amazing life for yourself.. Based on the teachings from the Tree Of Life, as well as many other ancient and modern teachings. I totally belong to the Angel kingdom, and I connect with them every day.

Why do you do what you do?

I am so passionate about living the best version of yourself, whatever that may be in this particular moment. I am a student of life, and constantly opening up to new ways of thinking and seeing the world.  I want to pass on all the knowledge I have gathered over the past 5 years, and I absolutely love empowering women to see their true potential. Then embracing it to move forward into a life they never thought was possible.

Tell us about the Tree of Life and what it means:

The Tree Of Life is a metaphor for so many things, but mostly it’s about accepting where we have come from(our roots) in order to move into the amazing life that is waiting for us (our branches).  A Tree is so grounded, it is strong but flexible, easily moving with the winds of change.  A Tree never stops growing, and it never tries to change ‘What is’ – it simply goes with the flow of the universe.  This is possible for each and every one of us,  We are all trees; we just need to remember.

What’s your biggest dream?

Hmm.. that’s a good one! I have so many dreams, but my biggest dream would have to be reaching my highest potential.  Achieving all that I came to earth to learn and to help as many people as I can along the way.

What’s the first thing you do in the morning?

Umm… Do I really confess to this one? Once I am out of bed I have to say, it’s terrible but I check my emails! However, because it’s winter I do my meditation while I am still in bed.  So this is always the first thing for my day*most* days!

Who inspires you?

So many people inspire me, but essentially they all share one common trait.  They are all living there truth.  They are in total alignment with themselves, never compromising who they are in order to please others.

Can you share 3 of your top self love & self care tips with us?

1.When your first starting out – saying ‘I love you *yourname*’ to yourself in the mirror.  This is something I learnt from Louise Hay, and can be a bit of a toughie! I still shudder sometimes when I do it… but finally I am starting to believe it.

2. Never compromising who you are for someone else.

3. Doing at least one thing every day to fill your cup up. Whether that’s a hot bath (no kids around!), sitting quietly with a nice cup of (herbal) tea, or whatever works for you. I think as mums we really struggle with putting ourselves first, but the truth is – if we don’t fill ourselves up first, we can’t be the best mum that we want to be.  Self-love & self care is so important, and is still something I am learning to incorporate consistently into my day!

Carlee is a mother of 3, a Holistic Wellness Coach, Naturopath in training and absolutely passionate about, Health, Wellness and Spirituality.  Her  website ‘Being The Tree Of Life’ is all about creating an amazing life for yourself, by first looking back, in order to move forward. Based on the teachings from the Tree Of Life, as well as many other ancient and modern teachings, She will show you how you to can embody The Tree of Life.

]]> http://www.mindfulparentingmag.com/2013/08/12/interview-with-carlee-modra-being-the-tree-of-life/feed/ 1 http://www.mindfulparentingmag.com/2013/08/09/new-issue-out-now/ http://www.mindfulparentingmag.com/2013/08/09/new-issue-out-now/#comments Fri, 09 Aug 2013 12:29:02 +0000 mindful parenting http://www.mindfulparentingmag.com/?p=2141 The newest issue of Mindful Parenting Magazine is out now!

Jam packed with some fantastic content, here’s some of what you can read about in this issue of the mag:

• Mel Horne of Soul Wellness Kinesiology talks about how the healing modality that is Kinesiology can help parents and children.
• Expert on Real Food and Low Tox Living, Alexx Stuart talks about Low Tox Living, Common Sense and Feeding Kids!
• Naturopath, Kate Harrison sheds some light on GMO’s and their potential impact on our health and wellbeing.
• We’ve included a double page spread on Get Kids Reading, featuring some of the best books out there to encourage kids to read.
• Naturopath, Robert Reeves discusses emotional eating and what parents can be aware of when raising kids.
• Also included: articles on Fear Free Birth, How Tapping Can Help Your Parenting and more!

Grab your copy today.

Instant PDF download straight to your computer for just $4.95.

Can you describe what it’s like to live life as a six sensory person vs a five sensory person?

The difference between a five sensory person and a six sensory person is significant.  A five sensory person is literal and local in their perceptions therefore giving them a limited view of life.  A six sensory person is expansive and universal and therefore far better informed and current in their worldview. Therefore, a six sensory person is better equipped to make the most dynamic, creative, and inspired decisions in life than a five sensory person is. A six sensory person lives in spontaneous flow with the universe, feeling supported, guided and loved at all times. A six sensory person makes subtle connections between things and people in life, noticing the unseen, unspoken, and unexpressed energy that travels between people, therefore has better understanding of others and relationships as a result.  Because of their heightened awareness, and strong inner guidance, a six sensory lives a far more stress-free life, grounded in the natural confidence that comes from being connected to their divine source. This is the way we are designed to live and it is our natural birthright.

What are the best ways to help children stay connected with their intuition and connection to spirit?

There are many way to help you children to stay connected to their intuition and spirit but one of the most vital ways to nurture this connection is actually in the hands of the parents.  Parents set the tone for their children, beginning with how intuition is framed within the own home.  If intuition is looked upon as something negative or strange, then it doesn’t foster a safe environment for their own children’s intuition to thrive. As parents become more comfortable with their own intuition, they create space for their children to do so as well.   Children are expansive and using their intuition comes naturally to them. When parents foster this connection by speaking about their own guidance, it encourages children to get excited, share their intuitive feelings, and recognize that intuition is natural and good. In addition, parents can honor thier children’s intuition and guidance by teaching them to speak about it out loud and respect their vibes. Don’t make intuition something that is intellectual. It’s feeling based, so make a game of asking your kids how they feel in their bellies and hearts about things. With my own children, we played intuitive games such as wondering who is calling on the phone before we answered, or what color car would turn the corner next. It was fun while at the same time helped children check in with their intuition on these things.

If my children had a bad vibe, all they had to do was squeeze my hand twice and I knew they were picking up on something that didn’t feel right to them, and I respected this without question. This gave them the feedback that you don’t have to explain intuition to listen to it, which is very important to listening to your sixth sense. Making it a normal everyday part of life, intuition and spirit come through easily and naturally.

What are the benefits in doing so for children?

I would say the biggest benefit for children is that connecting to intuition and spirit is empowering and sets them up for a more joyful, creative, authentic life that will serve them well into adulthood and beyond.  Intuition means inner teacher – it teaches children to listen to themselves, their inner voice and creativity, which will help them in every aspect of their lives from dealing with everyday life to withstanding peer pressure and making positive decisions in adulthood. When you are connected to your Spirit and intuition, you don’t get caught up in the noise of the world. You’re able to differentiate between your authentic voice and everyone else’s. Fostering this early, teaches life long healthy habits of authentically joyful living.

What are the benefits for parents?

The benefits are for parents are the same as for children. It’s a family affair.  Raising intuitive children creates deep family connections. Children come in knowing who they are – with their own personalities, gifts, and  talents. They are their own unique beings.  When parents honor their children, their spirit and their intuition, they have happier, more productive, creative minded, solution-oriented children who can envision and manifest in their lives with ease. Not only that, creating and honoring your children’s true self, they have happier home and family life.  Parents can fully trust their children in the wider world and know that they are not going to be swayed by peer pressure or public tides.

My own children are participating in meditation, yoga and “wellbeing” classes in primary school – are you also seeing a shift towards educators recognising that total wellbeing (mind, body, spirit) is important? What are your thoughts on this?

There is absolutely a global shift in consciousness that is permeating the mainstream.  As these things become the new normal, the world is catching up to a healthy mind/body/spirit connection that creates happier people who are more balanced in life with leads to stress reduction, more productivity and creating balance.  Happy kids = happy family, happy family = happy community, happy community – peaceful world.

This particular eCourse empowers children to find peace within themselves helps kids navigate through the big and little stresses that kids may face in their lives. I love how there is one video for adults explaining the course and then a separate video tailored to kids, featuring kids themselves. My kids found it very easy to relate to them. The suggestions for finding peace, were really easy for them to comprehend, and fit inline with what I’m teaching them as a parent. But the course also presented some really innovative ways for kids to “find peace” – things that I hadn’t previously thought of like choosing one act of peace to share with the world and then reflect on how that act of peace felt. I needed to step my kids through this by asking them more questions but it really started a rich conversation and some special learning. The eCourse includes some printables, and steps on how to make a “peace pouch” that kids can fill and then reach to when they’re in need  of a dose of peace. I really loved this concept. In line with the Mindful Moments Journal Project eBook I wrote with Cath Connell, my kids found the “I’m Grateful For…” printable exercise familiar (yay!). It took me a while to develop an “attitude of gratitude” with my kids, but with gentle perseverance, it all eventually comes together. And with this course, there is so much to explore, I think it could be done over a few months to really develop a great practice and some valuable skills for encouraging little ones to deal with stress and find a sense of peace. I think it lays a good foundation and I think this course could be very beneficial for lots of kids.

So the verdict? A big thumbs up to the work Playful Learning is doing with their courses. Positive, empowering and innovative. I can only see parents and their kids benefiting from these fun and interactive eCourses. Great for a rainy day, or instead of playing indoor games.

**During the month of August, Playful Learning is going on tour to take children and their families on a learning adventure! They’ve reached out to creative parents from around the world to share their new ecourses and bring their communities together through play. Join in to build leadership skills, awaken creativity, and inspire alove of discovery while meeting new friends. You can follow along and participate by visiting the full list of tour stops http://playfullearning.net/playful-tour/ where you can trial their free Teaching Kids Kindness eLesson. Meet new friends by searching and sharing the #PlayfulTour tag on Instagram or Twitter. Sign up for classes, print out your Playful Passports, and go on tour!

For more info check out:

Playful Learning Ecademy: https://ecademy.playfullearning.net/
: https://www..com/pages/Playful-Learning/89922403903 Twitter: https://twitter.com/playfullearning
Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/playfullearning/
Instagram: http://followgram.me/playfullearning

By Deepak Chopra

These are skills that anyone can learn – and benefit from – even though people casually use “consciousness” and “awareness” in a fuzzy way. Being aware isn’t passive. It’s an action that takes place mentally, and if that action doesn’t take place, you can be awake without actually applying much consciousness. To illustrate, we can begin with the most basic awareness skill, being centered.  The experience of many actors and singers is that they suffer from terrible stage fright until the moment they walk on stage, when suddenly they fall into a groove – despite their nerves, great performers like Olivier and Pavarotti, two notable sufferers from stage fright, showed total command of their art before the public. What causes such an instantaneous transformation? A combination of things:

-       They became self-possessed.

-       Nervousness turned to calmness inside.

-       A practiced skill took over, as if on its own.

-       They found themselves totally focused in the moment.

These are the ingredients of being centered. The last one is probably the most important. Before a performer steps on stage, there’s no demand to be present, to live in the moment. This gives wiggle room for nerves, queasiness, pacing back and forth – all signs of distraction.  But to sing or act before an audience demands that you be present; it’s make or break.  If your mind/body knows this, and if you have learned through repetition to meet the demand of the present moment, getting centered comes automatically.

Most leaders are performers, too – besides public speaking, they are called upon generally to set their personality aside in order to meet the demands placed by other people. A writer who had long-term access to President Obama remarked on how skillfully the president had learned to shift his personal manner as he moved from one event to the next. In an hour’s span he might be called upon to meet with grieving families after a catastrophe, discuss policy with his cabinet, welcome a new appointee, and hold a news conference. Obama remarked that this quick-change didn’t come naturally to him.  He isn’t by nature a performer. But he has trained himself – as every President must – to encompass a job with many facets. How should you train yourself to be centered? First, take an objective look at the traits you’d see in someone who is very good at it already. Such a person

• Puts his entire attention on the job at hand
• Makes other people feel as if they have his entire attention while talking to him (a typical remake: “He made me feel for those five minutes that I was the most important thing he had to attend to that day.”)
• Remains calm in the midst of crisis and chaos.
• Rises to her best under pressure.
• Absorbs new information quickly.
• Keeps his self-possession.
• Doesn’t retreat from the moment.
• Isn’t easily distracted.
• Finds it easy to stay in the flow.

Once you honestly rate how well you are doing, the question is how to improve. First, stop doing the opposite things, which defeat being centered.

Don’t multi-task. Focus on the moment at hand.

Resist being distracted. Close the door, turn off the phone, and have your computer screen go black if you are talking to someone who needs your attention.

Don’t use discussions in a one-sided way, as a sounding board for yourself.  Others can tell when you aren’t interested in them, and one of the surest signs is silent impatience while you wait for them to quit talking.

Avoid obvious signs of a lack of interest, such as tapping your pencil, fidgeting, interrupting others before they finish, glancing out the window, etc.

Don’t isolate yourself in a private space when talking to others. Instead of sitting back behind your desk with your arms crossed, join the other person and lean into them while they talk.

Don’t scatter your attention randomly. Manage your mental time efficiently, so that you can be alone for serious thinking and share your mind at other times without feeling that you are being pulled away from what you’re interested in.

Avoiding these missteps and bad habits will go a long way. But you also need the positive experience of being centered. It begins when you are alone. In a quiet place, close your eyes, take a deep breath, and go inward. Place your attention on your heart, in the center of your chest. Sit quietly and easily let your attention remain there. If it is pulled away by random thoughts, recenter as soon as you notice what has happened. After a few minutes open your eyes. For the next half hour or so, observe yourself to see if you remain centered. Don’t instantly throw yourself into external demands.

Deepak Chopra will be speaking at Melbourne’s I Can Do It! 2013 event . Visit www.hayhouse.com.au for more information and tickets.

Tell us about yourself!

I’m a busy mum based in Sydney with two beautiful children aged 7 and 9. I work for myself as a Health and Lifestyle Coach with a real focus on children’s and family health. I run different programs, including Kitchen Makeovers, Healthy Eating Workshops, Food Tours, Corporate Workshops, One-on-One Coaching and Healthy Kids Cooking Parties.

Why do you do what you do?

I do what I do because I am passionate about educating children from an early age about the importance of health and lifestyle. Ingraining positive health habits helps to ensure a longer, healthier, happier life, and looks after the planet at the same time. I believe that if we educate children while they are still young, they can apply this knowledge throughout their life and then pass it on to their own children.

What’s your biggest dream?

To get some rest! No, really, one of my big dreams is simply to see my children grow up to question the world, to be resilient within it, and to be happy and healthy. I find myself wishing that people would actually wake up and understand what they are eating, what they are feeding their kids and how this can have a dramatic affect on their life.

If you could change one thing in the world for the better, what would that be?

Scrap all additives, preservatives, colouring, flavouring, trans fats, vegetable oils, refined sugars and flours for good…just eat real food.

What’s the first thing you do in the morning?

As soon as I wake up I have a quenching glass of filtered water to purify my system, followed by another glass of water with a splash of Apple Cider Vinegar added. It’s a wonderful tonic which aids in digestion and has many more benefits.

Who inspires you?

So many people inspire me. But to name a few – Dr Andrew Weil and Dr Joseph Mercola who teach natural health even though they have a medical degree. Jamie Oliver who is constantly striving to transform the way we and our children eat. Michael Pollan who endorses eating local and seasonal food to maximise both human and environmental health. Michelle Obama who is using her status to raise a healthier generation of kids.

Can you share 3 of your top self love & self care tips with us?

Self care is a tough one when you are a busy Mumpreneur!

Morning walks – my morning walks around the beautiful local beaches of Coogee, Gordon’s Bay and Clovelly bring me so much peace and joy. On these walks, I get to connect with nature, clear my mind, get some exercise and start my day off on the right foot (so to speak!). With a full work day, after- school activities, cooking and cleaning etc, it’s usually the only time I get to myself in a day, so I make the most of it.

Morning cup of tea – this is a soothing and relaxing ritual which I need to ease me into the day.

Positive self talk – as someone who suffers with anxiety, positive self talk is a powerful tool in keeping my mind healthy.

You can connect with Brenda here:

Website  Twitter Instagram

Want to join in on Instagram? Share your Mindful Moments over there using the hashtag #mindfulmoments. You can follow me at http://followgram.me/vanessacarnevale

So… what are you grateful for?

Anyway last night I thought I’d try my hand at making butter. It was kind of a fun experiment but it was also a nice way to start a conversation with my kids about how food is produced and manufactured and what goes into a lot of our food as part of that manufacturing process. I also want them to appreciate where food comes from and how it gets onto our plates. And most importantly I want them to understand how to make healthy food choices. And that’s something I’m still trying to navigate myself in this big confusing world of mixed messages when it comes to food.

Anyway to make butter all you need is double cream. You can add a little salt to taste, but I chose not to.

I poured it into my Kitchenaid mixer with the whisk attachment on a high setting. In no time, the consistency of the cream changed and turned yellow. Shortly after that you will notice the buttermilk separates from the butter. And that’s when you know it’s done. I then placed the butter onto some greaseproof paper and drained the excess buttermilk from the butter. Some people knead it in ice water to get the excess buttermilk off. After that I simply rolled it up into a sausage in the greaseproof paper. You can then also use the buttermilk for baking! Done.

Stay tuned for my next tips on how to make nut milk…

Everything you think, learn, see and do shapes your brain and changes your life. You are a mind gardener.

This is a message that has transformed the lives of people around the world and one that Mind Gardener® authors, Susan Pearse and Martina Sheehan have been spreading in both the business and personal development fields for decades. They’re running some workshops around the country and I wanted to share their work with you. In their post workshop follow ups the girls are getting amazing results with nearly 100% of people saying it has flowed onto their parenting. So… I’ve asked Susan to share a bit about what their program is about.

**Mindful Parenting readers can get 25% off workshop tickets by using the code “MGFRIEND” at the checkout!**

Why is it important for people to know how to change the way they think?

It is important because your brain determines absolutely everything in your life – whether you have a good relationship with your partner, your job as a parent, whether you will be fulfilled in your career – you name the issue, your brain determines it.  That’s because all of our actions are preceded by thoughts.  Our thoughts drive our actions (even when we are not aware of them!) And sometimes your thoughts are not the ones that will take you in the direction you want to be heading.

You’ve been training your brain since the day you were born (whether you know it or not) and the mindsets you’ve wired up based on your past are not necessarily useful for your future. That’s why knowing how to change the way you think is a critical skill and one that we focus on in our Wired for Life Workshop.

What’s the key to changing the way you think?

It’s all about understanding how to work with your attention.  Attention is your most powerful resource but most of us don’t look after it let alone know how to use it.  Let’s look at one example – parenting.  You often hear people say “I wish I could give my kids more time.”  But it’s not time they are after – it is your attention.  We know this because we have all experienced it.  Those times where you are physically there with your kids (time) but not present (attention) and they are quick to remind you “mummy you’re not listening!”  When you give full attention to your children you see them thrive – they learn, they grow and they flourish.  But these times can be infrequent when we are juggling our mental “to-do lists”, the numerous “what if” scenarios that we obsess about (and they never actually happen) and the unhelpful self talk about our own parenting!

After the Wired for Life workshop where people have learnt how to control their attention and pay full attention, 80% of participants reported an improvement in their parenting (just two weeks after!)  This was a result of 100% of people reporting that they could manage their emotions better, deal with stress more effectively and focus better.  These results were all from learning how to pay attention.  And that’s the thing – it is a skill (that no one ever teaches us!)

What’s one thing I could do every day to change the way I think?

At the workshop we give participants a list of homework exercises to complete each day.  Here’s one of them.  When you wake up, instead of going through your mental “to do” list, let your first thought be this – “I am a mind gardener.  Every day I am cultivating my mind and shaping my life.”

Because we are all mind gardeners and when we focus on stress, worry and busy-ness, we wire up our brain and we create that life.  So reminding yourself in the morning that every thought counts, changes what you choose to pay attention to!

How do I find out more? 

To attend a Wired for Life Workshop find out more here http://mindgardener.com/the-services/courses-workshops/

See the book: Wired for Life, published by Hay House and available in all book stores

Visit the website

Download the “Mind Gardener” app – available on iphone and android

Follow on : Mind Gardener