Pandemic Potion Event (Tuesdays in May 2020)

I am so honored to be a part of this FREE online training series by a group of 18 Nurtured Heart Approach® Certified and Advanced Trainers, taking place on Tuesdays in May!

From the event page: "Use the the power of the Three Stands™ of the Nurtured Heart Approach®, as an antidote for stress. This seminar invites you to set an intention and learn skills to help yourself manage the intense emotions that are emerging due to our global pandemic."

More information here:
https://pandemicpotion.eventbrite.com/

Online Event for Relationships During COVID-19!

I am so excited to be a Guest Speaker in the upcoming "Love On Lockdown" experience! I'll be inviting people who are in relationship and quarantined together to try a fun date idea. 
Mine is infused with some Nurtured Heart Approach® concepts! 

My friend, Eri Kardos, is hosting the event for 2 weeks x 3 dates a week = 6 dates in total, plus the guest speakers. Every date can be done in just 30 minutes in your own home. We'll transform your experience of what it means to be in lockdown with your significant other(s). It's FREE... So let the fun begin!

-->On Monday mornings (April 27th & May 4th) you will get an e-mail from her. Each e-mail will contain 3 individual date instructions with exactly WHAT TO DO on your dates, along with a video sharing tips for getting the most out of these dates.

Are you up for a little mystery? Want to be surprised by what you can experience by dedicating half an hour (or more if you want!) each time you go on one of my “mystery dates”?
-->Make things FUN and PLAYFUL
-->Go deeper TOGETHER
-->SHARE ownership & balance
-->(Re)live those BUTTERFLIES you felt at the beginning of your relationship
-->Spark some MYSTERY

>> This is a FREE Experience, but you must register here to join —>>> https://loveonlockdown.eventbrite.com/

5 years "off" (but not wasted!)

Wellllp, if I thought my last post was preceded by a long pause in blogging (7 months), I’ve blown that out of the water by then not posting for…. Oh, about 5 years. No big deal, was just off in the trenches of child-rearing.

Thankfully, that time provided ample opportunities to practice living the Nurtured Heart Approach in my parenting and spousing and daughtering, and I’ve been collecting little moments over the years that can help illustrate some of the concepts of NHA®. So stay tuned for those posts (especially once my son starts Kindergarten this fall and I’ll have a bit more time to write)!

My kiddo, representing my intention to make like an elephant and “never forget” to blog here. :p

A (happy) explanation for the radio silence!

Hello again!

I was realizing today that I have not blogged here for something like 7 months and should probably explain that.  The main reason for this is that I have been busy birthing and raising a human!

Our first child, Avery Benjamin, was born at home in early February, and the particulars of his care have consumed just about every ounce of spare (hah) time I might have had for blogging, coaching, etc.  

While some things have slowed down and relaxed, other things have revved up (read: He's almost crawling now), which means that I still am not totally sure when I will be getting back into the world of coaching/trainings in the Nurtured Heart Approach®, although I am certainly getting a lot of practice using it with myself, my husband, and my son.  Parenting counts as field research for a parent coach, right?  ;)

I will try to keep this page a little more updated with blog posts, other available trainings both online and in-person, but my truth is that right now, my son gets priority and the primary focus of my time, energy, and presence.  Also, and this may be TMI for some, I am still producing milk for him as his sole source of nutrition so that has kept me (willingly) homebound so far.

Stay tuned for updates, and thanks for reading this! 

Link round-up: Dancing (and posing) into each other's hearts

Hello again!  I hope your holidays were fulfilling and refueling for you.  I'm back with a very brief "link round-up" to help me get back into the swing of blogging as my pregnancy nears its end (!).  
Both of these links are relatively old by now, in internet terms, but they have stuck with me as having potent characteristics of how I have experienced the Nurtured Heart Approach.

Flash Mob in the Operating Room:

This first video was featured in the Huffington Post (check it out here), documenting the contagious and loving energy of double mastectomy patient Deborah Cohan.  Cohan was about to go into surgery, but not before recruiting her medical team into a 6-minute Beyonce-fueled dance party -- I was so drawn to her complete joy, abandon, courage, and fierce welcoming.  
She "hijacked" her medical providers into a moment of connection, just as the Nurtured Heart Approach equips us to "hijack" others into similar opportunities to challenge our typical roles and step into a new way of seeing ourselves and each other.  Check out the dance party here:

A Strange Way to Stop Being a Stranger:

That same dynamic was at work in this second link, wherein photographer Richard Renaldi approaches strangers on NYC streets in order to pose them together as though they are intimate acquaintances or even family.  As Sean Levinson wrote at Elite Daily, "The subjects are only asked to look like they are showing a brief amount of affection, but the facial expressions and body language within the photos make it seem like these strangers not only know each other, but also share some sort of genuine bond.  This unorthodox recipe for truly magical moments speaks volumes about both art and humanity."  
See the CBS piece about the project here:

I was moved by the moment in the accompanying video (above) in which one of the participants (well, several, actually) noted that by adopting these poses they developed genuine feelings of good will and caring toward their photo partners.  
I see that as similar to the way that Nurtured Heart has inspired me -- an introvert much of the time -- to step or leap out of my comfort zone and approach relative strangers in order to call out the greatness I've observed in their behavior, or to begin a sentence with "Let me tell you what I see in you" and not know ahead of time where it will end up because it comes from the heart.  Leaps of faith that lead to genuine closeness; much more potent than either faking courtesy or remaining closed off.

It Matters What We Believe

I learned about this poem today, and it is resonating loudly and deeply with me.  We all have a right to our beliefs, but they are not all the same and they do impact others.

Some beliefs are like walled gardens. They encourage exclusiveness, and the feeling of being especially privileged.

Other beliefs are expansive and lead the way into wider and deeper sympathies.

Some beliefs are like shadows, clouding children's days with fears of unknown calamities.

Other beliefs are like sunshine, blessing children with the warmth of happiness.

Some beliefs are divisive, separating the saved from the unsaved, friends from enemies.

Other beliefs are bonds in a world community, where sincere differences beautify the pattern.

Some beliefs are like blinders, shutting off the power to choose one's own direction.

Other beliefs are like gateways opening wide vistas for exploration.

Some beliefs weaken a person's selfhood.  They blight the growth of resourcefulness.

Other beliefs nurture self-confidence and ignite the feeling of personal worth.

Some beliefs are rigid, like the body of death, impotent in a changing world.

Other beliefs are pliable, like the young sapling, ever growing with the upward thrust of life.

~ Sophia Lyon Fahs, "It Matters What We Believe"

Our beliefs become our actions and our lenses for viewing the world.
What are the qualities of your beliefs?

The greatness of others...in ourselves

This past summer I came across a passage about greatness, written by Madisyn Taylor, called "Recognizing Our Own Greatness: The Greatness In Others."  It was part of an email series from the Daily Om website, and I have reproduced it below:

A person who is said to possess greatness stands apart from others in some way, usually by the size or originality of their vision and their ability to manifest that vision. And yet those who recognize that greatness, whether they display it themselves or not, also have greatness within them; otherwise, they could not see it in another. In many ways, the achievements of one person always belong to many people for we accomplish nothing alone in this world. People who display greatness rely upon others who are able to see as they do, to listen, encourage, and support. Without those people who recognize greatness and move in to support it, even the greatest ideas, works of art, and political movements would remain unborn.

We are all moved by greatness when we see it, and although the experience is to some degree subjective, we know the feeling of it. When we encounter it, it is as if something in us stirs, awakens, and comes forth to meet what was inside us all along. When we respond to someone else's greatness, we feed our own. We may feel called to dedicate ourselves to their vision, or we may be inspired to follow a path we forge ourselves. Either way, we cannot lose when we recognize that the greatness we see in others belongs also to us. Our recognition of this is a call to action that, if heeded, will inspire others to see in us the greatness they also possess. This creates a chain reaction of greatness unfolding itself endlessly into the future.

Ultimately, greatness is simply the best of what humanity has to offer. Greatness does what has not been done before and inspires the same courage that it requires. When we see it in others, we know it, and when we trust its presence in ourselves, we embody it.  
(Madisyn Tyler; July 16, 2013)

This phenomenon of possessing the very greatness we see in others, because we can see it, is ingrained in the Nurtured Heart Approach as well.  While Ms. Taylor may be referring particularly to the Greatness that sparks big changes and wide recognition, the kind of greatness that the NHA helps to cultivate may be thought of as a bit more ordinary, a bit smaller-scale, and accessible to everyone; the little moments that could certainly one day become world-wide movements or achievements, but which for now are simple, small acts that still deserve celebration.

The NHA equips practitioners with a new lens for viewing everyday moments, so that tiny "molecules" of greatness can be harvested from what might otherwise be deemed a completely mundane or expected behavior.  

In practice, embodying the lens and spirit of the NHA is such a reciprocally nourishing process.  
In such a process, we (1) claim that lens and take a stand to see the greatness in a given instance or action, we (2) call out the greatness that we see (and tell the person who is demonstrating said greatness, if at all possible!), and then we (3) get to realize that by having seen that greatness in someone else -- whether it takes the form of "respect," or "courage," or "patience," or any other great qualities -- we get to claim those qualities as our own, too!  
We wouldn't be able to see it in others if it were not also within us.

Kind of a fancy version of "it takes one to know one," really.  

What qualities of greatness have you noticed (and, therefore, embodied) lately?
 

Kid President strikes again...

Just a brief post today -- Given the power of our words to build up or tear down (or just plain confuse, depending on when we choose to use them), I loved the sweet wisdom of this little guy and his simple-but-not-always-easy-but-sometimes-easy-too suggestions for living a more responsive and meaningful life.  
Check out his list, via Soul Pancake, of "20 Things We Should Say More Often":

Have a great week trying these out!
Since the list starts with "Thank You," what are you thankful for today?

The ugly (and beautiful) truth about parental power

In this video, Dr. Shefali Tsabary shared some brief but profound wisdom in her talk at TEDxSF: 

"We could blame psychiatry, education, Big Pharma, and the government.  And chances are, we may be right, but our influence in these spheres is relatively limited.  But let me tell you where we hold indubitable power: That is, in the relationship we nurture with our children-- our children and us, moment after moment after moment.  [...]  
There is real science behind this, to show how the parental relationship impacts not only our emotionality and our psychology, but also our neurobiology."

In my experience as a therapist, I found that out of all the techniques and methods and trials and errors in my practice, the Nurtured Heart Approach emerged as truly the most potent way to take advantage of the "moment after moment after moment" opportunities that Dr. Tsabary mentioned.  The NHA® is itself an in-the-moment approach that allows for fresh chances throughout one's day (as a parent or as a child) to step back into connection over what's going right, rather than connecting in the context of problems.  

Shifts in perspective

I don't have much, if anything, to add in terms of commentary on this video.  I just wanted to share it with you and invite you to let the message really infiltrate you and make its way into your cells.  
Looking at the positive and stepping fully into gratitude has real, measurable benefits for your brain (and thus, your mind).  
Thank you for setting aside 10 minutes to take this in:

Invocation

Today is my 30th (!) birthday, and I wanted to share a piece of writing and some artwork.  I created the poem and imagery as part of a visual journaling workshop taught by wonderfully talented artist Constance Pierce, which I attended (and loved) back in June 2009.  
Although this poem was written long before I became pregnant -- almost 4 years earlier, to the month -- when I looked at it again the other day, it could not have felt more relevant given my impending shift into parenthood.  
The "assignment" at the time was to meditate on the journal we were about to forge out of paper and intuitive art, and to write something that would welcome the viewer to explore the results.  This was my offering, and it remains my offering to any who read it today and beyond:

Invocation

This page rested, blank, overnight.

I now see gathered around it the Me’s and Others who have been on journeys similar to the one I am about to take.

I see the Me who mourns, creating visual memorials to the lost.

I see the Me who stubbornly persists, deciding at three years old to make a bow with three loops.

I see the Me who reflects, journaling in fits and starts, but always pondering in the pauses between pages.

I see the Me who laughs, daring tears to accompany the intensity of the joy.

This page is also flanked by motherness.

My mother, and her two mothers—
closeness not restrained by “in-law.”

How will I sense the presence of
my other selves,
my mother selves?

I listen, and one word appears:  Acceptance.

Sometimes I misread “scared” as “sacred.”

Accept it all.

Sometimes I misread “worrier” as “warrior.”

Accept it all.

All that works for my good:
Turn this “scared worrier” into a “sacred warrior.”

© Leah F. Marcus 2009

There's no contest: Everyone wins in this "mompetition"

This brief but sweet video (from Elevation Church in Charlotte, NC) has been circulating on Facebook for a little while, but it's stayed in my mind and heart so I feel compelled to process it a bit further.   If you haven't seen it, check it out first:

While I probably would have loved this project at any point in my life, it holds a unique power for me right now, mid-way through my first pregnancy.  I've also been a historically anxious person with a historically active inner critic.  Yet I feel confident in being able to say "historically" instead of "currently" because of the tools instilled in me by the Nurtured Heart Approach and related elements of positive psychology and neurobiology (for example, the information in Dr. Rick Hanson's new masterpiece, Hardwiring Happiness ).  If "pre-Nurtured-Heart me" had been asked to respond to the prompt that these mothers were given, I guarantee that I would have brought out my figurative list (or if I'm honest, I would have unfurled one of those crazy-long old-timey parchment scrolls), cleared my throat, and unleashed a torrent of long-studied and nuanced faults, gathered in the name of "self-awareness" and "improvement" but really amounting to a one-woman self-bullying committee.

It was only through learning Nurtured Heart that I was able to clearly see and experientially *know*, down to my bones, how much accidental damage we do to ourselves by keeping inventories of things we'd like to improve upon without, at the *very* least, balancing it with a chorus of great qualities we're already demonstrating each moment.  We embody incredible parental successes both by what we choose to do and what we refrain from doing.
(For example, while you're reading this, you're likely not berating your child, harming yourself, yelling, hitting, texting while driving, spilling something on yourself, risking your life while evading arrest, kicking a puppy, you name it.  You're your own person so you could easily be choosing to do any of those, regardless of how likely that is.  And I want to congratulate you, truly, on your choice to just be mindfully reading in this moment.  You have just done your brain a favor by choosing not to multitask, not to mention what you're doing for your mind and your family).

The mothers in this video are not overtly negative people, it appears.  I'm sure we all know people who can do a pretty good inadvertent Eeyore impersonation (heck, maybe we're that person), but these moms seem incredibly well-intentioned in their efforts to describe their mothering "accurately."  However, as Dr. Hanson writes in his above-mentioned Hardwiring Happiness , we have evolved a negative bias in our brains that ultimately means that numerous positive actions and qualities often get left out of such parenting descriptions.  When that bias first appeared, it helped us avoid getting eaten by lions, but it persists despite the relative scarcity of prowling predators today.

It is probably much more accurate for these mothers (or any of us) to say something like, "I can describe myself, in part, as a parent who shows a lot of wisdom and forethought, based on how I plan meals for my family, battle traffic and tiredness to seek out quality ingredients for those meals, and choose to keep focusing on how I can nourish my child(ren)'s bodies and minds with this food instead of just going for cheap and easy most times."  But what would our broader society think of such a statement?  Would we label that person as someone wonderfully in touch with their greatness (like I would, now, thanks to my Nurtured Heart lens), or as a narcissist, a brag, full of oneself?  Society often reinforces and rewards modesty (genuine or false), but the cumulative effect of this persistent downplaying of our worth and our efforts has a physical, measurable impact (and cost) on our brains themselves (see again Dr. Hanson's work), not to mention our self-esteem and other elements of our self-concept.

If it takes, as Dr. Hanson states, approximately five positive experiences to equal the neurological and psychological impact of a negative experience, then I say we have quite a bit of catching up to do.  I think what happens in this video is a brilliant beginning in terms of shifting that (im)balance and reacquainting parents with how utterly valued and valuable they are.  I would go a step further and say that part of what makes Nurtured Heart so potent (and I know I'm risking sounding infomercial-y by continuing to bring things back to NHA again and again, but hear me out) is that it teaches and activates and entire language of greatness that only broadens with practice and fluency.  

I would *love* to get my hands on these children in the video and teach them to give even more vibrant voice to their love for their mothers, to ramp up their vocabulary far beyond "she's pretty and beautiful" (aren't we all more than that?) and equip them to be as specific and amplified as possible in pointing out what makes their mothers so precious to them.  Because I saw it in them; I know the feeling is there, but our current methods of social-emotional learning don't always teach children how to give voice to their hearts.  

I wish I'd had that vocabulary as a child, to communicate to my mom how much I loved how she mothered (and more importantly, how much I just loved her for being her).  The best I could do at the time was try to dress just like her.  She doesn't know exactly what was up with the wardrobe mimicry, unless she's just read the previous sentence (which she probably has -- Hi, mom!).  Conveniently, she and I are now both Nurtured Heart Advanced Trainers, so we can speak vividly and with attunement about the beauty in each other's choices moment to moment (and no moment is too small).  The "good job"s and "thank you"s and "you rock"s and other such phrases uttered in so many homes and schools today just don't quite lead to the kind of transformations that I've seen over and over in the world of Nurtured Heart.  

As a mother-in-waiting myself, I am committed to starting *now* with celebrating each loving choice and each great quality that I show in my pregnancy.  I am committed to seeing myself as my child sees me (or will see me; I don't think he or she can actually even see yet), because if I can't see that version of me, it is so much harder to live up to it.

So, moms (and dads) out there... now that you've seen this video and read this post, how would *you* describe yourself as a parent?  
(I'm really asking, too -- Feel free to comment below!)

NHA UK CTI 2013

It's been a while since I updated the blog-- apologies and thank you for tuning back in!

What might look like alphabet soup in the title of this post was in reality a profoundly powerful week of stepping into more of a leadership role as I took my Nurtured Heart learning to the next level: Advanced Trainer!

This opportunity, the Nurtured Heart Approach (NHA) United Kingdom (UK) Certification Training Intensive (CTI) (whew!), took place in Norwich, England in early September.  I attribute the fact that I survived the week despite 20 weeks of pregnancy and a nasty cold to the deep nourishment such a training provided.  

The venue itself deserves some attention; it was an absolutely stunning place to learn:

Our training room was in a more modern structure built into the side of Norwich Cathedral, called the Hostry: 

We got to have one of our morning leadership meetings in the cloisters of the cathedral (see below), although that particular day was blustery and reminded me more of what I dislike about camping outside and less of being enrolled at Hogwarts.  Ah, well.

 I was only a little nervous about the Leadership Track that had been built into the structure of the CTI since I first attended it.

I ultimately knew that I wanted to gain skills in leadership and practice with helping teach the approach, since trainings and personalized coaching are what I want to do more and more in my community anyway! 

The week simultaneously flew by and allowed time to savor; I am always amazed at how this type of training can not only unite a group of relative (or complete) strangers, but bring them closer than they may have other felt to another human being.  

I was blessed with a small group and a co-leader who were so welcoming to me-- a relief because I was the only one in that group not from the UK!  

I must say, I did draw upon my love for British television and my experience as a therapist in order to begin forming connections with my fellow group members.  Their written and spoken feedback for me as a leader (which was requested at the conclusion of the training) was profoundly moving and motivating for continued leadership in my own community.  

When I arrived home, brimming with new levels of NHA knowledge, I capitalized on my nesting urges and gathered all my materials from each training I'd attended (the one-day training, Global Summit, both CTI's, etc.)  and organized them into one binder.  

As I await the release of the new Trainer Network and accompanying Visual Training Modules (including official presentation slides), it is so energizing to know right where I need to look in order to get a "boost" of information and inspiration!

Check your lens

Recently, I encountered a blog post by Glennon Doyle Melton at Momastery.com that was so hilarious and held such poignant truth about the dangers of comparing ourselves and our choices (particularly parenting choices) to others.  It also offers great wisdom for avoiding the trap of taking others' behaviors personally (hence the post's title: Quit Pointing Your Avocado At Me). As Glennon observed: 

"I believe differently now. I know that nobody’s parenting at me and nobody’s living at me. [...] Everybody’s just doing the best she can, mostly.
Other mamas are just weaving together families using what the unique gifts and challenges and interests they have. Just like I am. They are much too joyful and scared and fulfilled and empty and tired and inspired and busy living their brutiful lives to concern themselves too much with what I’m doing."

This is so aligned with the power of the Nurtured Heart Approach® to help parents, therapists, caregivers, teachers, and others to consider, unlock, and unleash the tremendous qualities that each of us show in everyday moments.  Qualities that are at once intensely personal and intimately universal, with the NHA® acting as simultaneous microscope and telescope, bringing powerful new lenses to the scene in order to realize the beauty that might be either too far off or too close to really see otherwise (credit to fellow NHA® trainer Shirley Faleer for that telescope/microscope image).

Glennon concluded her post with a striking story which again happens to strongly relate to the Nurtured Heart concept of being the editor, director, and interpreter of the "raw footage" we encounter in each moment.  I've reprinted it below:

 A Folk Tale About Worlds

A traveler came upon an old farmer hoeing in his field beside the road. Eager to rest his feet, the wanderer hailed the countryman, who seemed happy enough to straighten his back and talk for a moment.

“What sort of people live in the next town?” asked the stranger.

“What were the people like where you’ve come from?” replied the farmer, answering the question with another question.

“They were a bad lot. Troublemakers all, and lazy too. The most selfish people in the world, and not a one of them to be trusted. I’m happy to be leaving the scoundrels.”

“Is that so?” replied the old farmer. “Well, I’m afraid that you’ll find the same sort in the next town.”

Disappointed, the traveler trudged on his way, and the farmer returned to his work.

Some time later another stranger, coming from the same direction, hailed the farmer, and they stopped to talk. “What sort of people live in the next town?” he asked.

“What were the people like where you’ve come from?” replied the farmer once again.

“They were the best people in the world. Hard working, honest, and friendly. I’m sorry to be leaving them.”

“Fear not,” said the farmer. “You’ll find the same sort in the next town.”

 ***********

We see what we expect to see, what we train ourselves to see.  
I'll wrap up this post with a final, related quote; it's a lyric from a song by Sara Groves, called "Loving A Person":

"If we go looking for offense, we're going to find it. 
If we go looking for real love, we're going to find it."

Why wait for the funeral?

"Most people only hear about greatness...at funerals." 
-Howard Glasser

That quote from the creator of the Nurtured Heart Approach® was in the context of an online course in the Foundations of the Nurtured Heart Approach® (NHA®), which I was a part of in Fall 2012. I recently revisited my notes from the class and found that great observation.

Why wait until our funeral to have our greatness reflected upon, observed, amplified, and shared? Especially when (depending on your belief system) you probably won't even get to hear all those reflections! 

How would you like to be remembered, what qualities do you want to spring to others' minds when your name is spoken? 

Within the context of the Nurtured Heart Approach®, if you can notice and appreciate a quality of greatness in someone else (i.e. integrity, peacefulness, self-control, tolerance), then you also have some degree of that quality within yourself at that moment. To me, a big part of the NHA® is about refusing to appreciate in silence, and instead choosing to eulogize each other and ourselves long before any of us reaches our funeral!

Take a few minutes today to think about how you would want to be eulogized, and then identify specific ways you have already embodied those qualities. 
This can be so simple, such a tiny step.

For example, I would love to be remembered in part as someone who embraced life. Perhaps one way that I demonstrated that embrace of life was to physically get out of bed today! Sometimes even choosing to stay awake can be a tremendously life-affirming and courageous choice, even if we don't notice it as such within ourselves or generally take awakeness for granted.

I'm only just starting to put my Nurtured Heart® musings into writing, so stay tuned to this blog for more in the future, but I hope that for all of you who read all the way to the bottom (thank you!), you realize that your presence on this page is celebrated (you could have clicked away, ignored it, sent me a mean message, etc. but you didn't!), and your support is felt. 

Let me know in the comments how you would like to eulogize yourself today, just as you are!

My experience of the 2013 Global Summit of the Nurtured Heart Approach®

In late June of this year, with the blessing of my husband, I took my 8-week-pregnant self to Albuquerque, NM with my mom (a fellow NHA® Certified Trainer) to bask in a several-day smorgasbord of presentations about the Nurtured Heart Approach®.  Beyond the jam-packed information sessions, keynotes, and other presentations, one of my primary tasks was to handle random nausea and to vomit as infrequently and discreetly as possible.  I could not have been in a more loving and understanding group of people, though!

Presentation topics ranged from using NHA® in schools, with parents of preschoolers, finding a community niche for an NHA® business (and logistics of launching said business), combining NHA® with family budgeting, NHA® with foster/adopted populations, NHA® and attachment, neurobiology of NHA®, NHA's pathway to becoming evidenced-based, and so so so many more!  I was salivating when I first looked at the list, and now I'm salivating looking at the pile of notes and resources I came away from the Summit cherishing.

It is so exciting to see how this approach is branching and weaving into new territories every day.  Not surprising, though-- at its core, NHA® has a strong element of the yogic term "namaste," or honoring the soul of another with reverence.  When I am in tune with the NHA® and am acting out its tenets, the phrase "my heart sees your heart" comes to mind.  At this Global Summit (as was the case in every other NHA® training/event I've been to), many hearts were seeing many other hearts, fully and openly.  I have never been in quite such a nourishing community as this, and many fellow Trainers share that sentiment. 

Since the Summit, I have (until recently) still been wrestling with the effects of "morning" (read: "all day") sickness and other pregnancy treats, but I have also been gestating ideas for two different books and other ways to bring NHA® to my community.  I can't even believe I just typed that (never in my LIFE would I have thought to write a real live actual BOOK), but such is the power of the NHA® in convincing me of my own capabilities and supporting every little inching out of my comfort zone!

I'll post more as it comes to me, but I'll wrap up by adding a couple photos of me with two of my biggest inspirations in this whole endeavor.  To the left is Howard Glasser, creator of the Nurtured Heart Approach®, founder of the Children's Success Foundation, international speaker and author of many books about harnessing and igniting inner greatness and success.

Pictured below is his partner-in-crime, Lisa Bravo, writer of the original companion workbook to Howard's "Transforming the Difficult Child" book and co-trainer at NHA® events around the world.  She also conducts in-home and office-based parent coaching using the NHA® in her Arizona-based private practice.  

 They are truly brilliant examples of approachability, transformation, and encouragement, and I am so honored to know them!

Learn more about Howard at www.childrenssuccessfoundation.com, and about Lisa at www.parentworx.com!

A video introduction to the Nurtured Heart Approach®

​This is a wonderful video released by the Childrens Success Foundation, highlighting some of the major tenets of the approach and featuring powerful testimonials from people whose lives have been transformed by the Nurtured Heart Approach®.  Visit www.childrenssuccessfoundation.com to view the 20-minute version of this film and to gain a deeper sense of the impact of the NHA® in clinics, homes, and schools.