How can we support our kids to be the most embodied, emotionally intelligent generation ever?
🌍Kids these days are inheriting a planet in the midst of ecocide.
💾Navigating new frontiers in a digital age.
💄With out of control beauty standards & sexualization of bodies ever present.
It worries me no end.
AND I know the best protection I can offer my child is to ensure they hold embodied values through every fiber of their being.
I recently received a request from a podcast listener to speak about embodied mothering.
I’m not an expert in this area, but as a Feminine Embodiment Coach & international founder of a somatic school of training AND parent to two little humans… I do have lots of thoughts on the topic that I’m so happy to share.
Parenting isn’t my body of work. It’s not the space of genius I’m here to contribute to the world. So I haven’t analyzed my parenting in depth to give it language, structures or frameworks (unlike somatic coaching, which I do love to dissect in fine detail!).
Also, I’m a parent to a 8 month old and 5 year old, so there’s a certain level of emotional and physical maturity that my kids have, which might be different if your kids are older, or hold different genders or identities.
Kids learn culture & values from the people they are most securely attached to.
Usually this is their carer, or parent(s). With that said, increasingly kids are finding attachment, culture and values from their peer group… equally immature children and adolescents who are shaping how our children meet the world. Great book on this is Hold On To Your Kids by Gordon Neufeld.
Personally I want to be the one to teach my children their values & an embodied culture in how they relate to themselves, others and the world.
💜I want my kids (two girls) to know their power.
💚To understand their body sovereignty and creativity.
💛To express their pleasure and boundaries.
That’s what today’s podcast, part 1 in a 2 part series is about.
In Part 1 (this episode) we’re diving into embodiment for yourself as a mother or parent.
In Part 2 (coming soon) I’m sharing 10 approaches I use to parent my kids.
We’re doing it in this order because you can’t foster deeper embodiment with your kids if you’re not practicing it yourself.
Kids learn from who we are. Not what book we get them to read or the secret wish we hold in our heart.
They notice you, how you speak, hold yourself, relate to yourself and be in the world.
The person you are BEING is the clearest teacher for your child.
Who you are being is either more, or less, embodied at any given point in time.
That doesn’t make you better, or worse.
I don’t want to present embodiment as this binary concept that you either are, or are not. Also, I don’t want to conflate disembodiment with some type of defection, because it’s not.
Sometimes we move out of our bodies for good reason, for safety, for wellness, for coping with this traumatic world. Sometimes we move more deeply into our bodies, feeling and sensing ourselves, finding safety and a treasure trove of resources within that are our birthright.
I’m not perfect at embodiment, but I practice it.
I do so for my own sanity, and spirituality, and sensuality – but I also do it for my kids.
Parenting presents its own huge sets of challenges when we’re desiring deeper embodiment.
These little humans challenge me like nothing else.
We all have our own set of parenting challenges.
Personally I’m:
🇳🇱In a cross cultural relationship, it adds complicity.
🍼My youngest is still breastfeeding, and these primal demands impact my sleep. Honestly I’m never more rageful then when my baby doesn’t want to sleep.
🔮I’m a creative woman with creative dreams that has very little time outside parenting and worth to pursue them.
📔I run my own business.
I share some of these challenges just to put into context that we’re all got a different equation of parenting to balance. I don’t have it all sorted, but I do have some pearls to share with you today, on the podcast….
Hope you enjoy the episode!
Jenna
Resources
Resources from today’s podcast:
- Hold On To Your Kids by Gordon Neufeld.
- Primal Feminine Flow – at home embodiment practice
- Feminine Embodiment Coaching Certification