Conscious Families: Recent Episodes
Erin Vinacco
Monthly conversations with conscious parents, authors and educators to uplift and inspire you in your parenting journey. This podcast is part of the Conscious Families online community which offers support and inspiration to help you awaken your child's true potential. Our program is based on Education for Life, a holistic approach to education that emphasizes experiential learning, spiritual development, and practical skills for living which prepare children to face life’s challenges. You can visit consciousfamilies.org to find out more.
This month's conversation is with Priya Wong who has over 40 years of diverse experience in public education in addition to being both a parent and grandparent. Her interest in innovative education was sparked by the Education for Life schools and she took these principles to charter school education in 2001 and was the co-founder and Executive Director of Forest Charter School in California.
Priya's continued passion for Education for Life is driven by her sincere enthusiasm for seeing every child succeed by acknowledging and nurturing their unique gifts.
In this episode, we discuss:
- Success for every child
- Personalize learning and education beyond academics
- The importance of the parent-school partnership
- Nurturing the joy of learning
- Working with your childs’ gifts and strengths for motivation and success
- How to work with unrealistic expectations
- Using inquiry and conversation to guide your child
Plus much more!
Resources Mentioned in this Episode
- Living Wisdom School, Nevada City
- Ananda Village
- Forest Charter School
- Education for Life
And if you want more tips and inspiration, check out www.consciousfamilies.org and sign up to our weekly newsletter!
This month our conversation is with Gita Matlock, mother of 2, who resides with her family at Ananda Village, the spiritual community in Northern California where she was born and raised. She attended the Living Wisdom School where her children are now students and serves on the Board of Directors for the school as well.
Gita is also an equine-guided life coach and co-founder of Herd Spirit which offers coaching, retreats and even yoga classes with horses. This work with horses, along with her training in yoga and meditation, has not only supported her own personal growth but has had a profound impact on her parenting as well.
In this episode, we discuss:
- developing a love for learning
- tips and tools for working on ourselves as parents/adults
- what gets in the way of parenting consciously
- practices support ourselves as parents
- what's really involved in behavior change
- how to work with big emotions
- communication, body language and working with energy
Resources Mentioned in this Episode
- Living Wisdom School, Nevada City
- Ananda Village
- Individual Coaching with Erin
- Herd Spirit: Healing Equine Reflection and Discovery
- Education for Life
And if you want more tips and inspiration, check out www.consciousfamilies.org and sign up to our weekly newsletter!
This month's conversation is with Gary McSweeney, an Education for Life middle school teacher who has spent the last 20 years with the Living Wisdom School in Palo Alto. He is also the parent of a Living Wisdom School graduate who has since become an Education for Life teacher himself as well as an EFL teacher trainer!
In this episode, we discuss:
- what makes an EFL child unique
- why EFL is a universal approach
- working with expectations
- blending old and new approaches to find the best of what works
- the power of positivity and redirection for "negative" behaviors
- working creatively with conflicts, consequences and challenges
- supporting the middle school and teen years
- clear consistent boundaries and positive challenges
Resources Mentioned in this Episode
- Living Wisdom School, Palo Alto
- Ananda Worldwide
- Ananda Communities
- Education for Life
And if you want more tips and inspiration, check out www.consciousfamilies.org and sign up to our weekly newsletter!
This month's conversation is with Helen Purcell, director of the Living Wisdom School in Palo Alto, California. Helen is veteran educator with over 40 years of teaching experience as well as mother of two grown children. Helen was part of the first team to spread the word about Education for Life and she says the EFL philosophy has informed both her teaching and parenting ever since.
In this episode, we discuss:
- Education for Life as a map for understanding and working with energy
- Creating a solution oriented family culture
- What to do when your child wants to quit
- Releasing expectations and nurturing the individual
- The mistake of over scheduling and how to combat it
- Single parenthood, small families and the need for community
- How to prioritize meditation as a parent
- Developing your child's spiritual life
- Sharing values like kindness and joy
Resources Mentioned in this Episode
- Living Wisdom School, Palo Alto
- Ananda Communities
- Education for Life
- Awake and Ready Exercises
And if you want more tips and inspiration, check out www.consciousfamilies.org and sign up to our weekly newsletter!
✨Parenting Pause ✨This monthly segment includes inspiration and a short guided centering practice to relax, reset and awaken your highest parenting potential.
This month the focus is on letting go of fear and worry and includes a short 10-minutecentering practicewith deep breathing and visualization to help you release anxiety and reconnect to a sense of peace and calmness within.
Centering practice starts at 1:55
To sign up for FREE monthly parent circle:
www.consciousfamilies.org/monthly-circle
For breathing practices to share with your child, check out our YouTube channel
And if you want more tips and inspiration and to find out what's coming next sign up to our weekly newsletter at www.consciousfamilies.org
This month's conversation is with Kshama Kellogg, director of the Living Wisdom High School in Palo Alto California. Kshama is an EFL specialist who has spent the last decade exploring the field of education and consciousness, having taught elementary, middle and high school students. She spent many of her early years at Ananda Village attending the Living Wisdom School there and shares with us the influence and impact EFL has had throughout her life and some of the lessons she's learned as both student and teacher.
In this episode, we discuss:
- travel and service as a way to develop values and life skills
- seeing the best and helping children discover their true self
- the power of cooperation to learn and grow together
- learning to work with habit patterns in a more conscious way
- mentorship and community in developing our abilities as conscious adults
- trusting and embracing the natural process of growth and development
Resources Mentioned in this Episode
- Living Wisdom High School
- Ananda Village
- Education for Life
And if you want more tips and inspiration, sign up to our weekly newsletter at www.consciousfamilies.org.
✨Parenting Pause ✨This monthly segment includes inspiration and a short guided centering practice to relax, reset and awaken your highest parenting potential.
This month the focus is on the importance of relaxation and includes a short 10-minute centering practice with full body relaxation to help you rest, reset and return to your center.
Centering practice starts at 3:26
To sign up for FREE Family Yoga via Zoom:
www.consciousfamilies.org/family-yoga
For breathing practice to share with your child, check out our YouTube channel
And if you want more tips and inspiration and to find out what's coming next sign up to our weekly newsletter at www.consciousfamilies.org
This month's conversation is with Hridaya Atwell, director of the original Living Wisdom School at Ananda Village in northern California where she has been for the past 26 years. She is mother of 2, stepmom of 5 and grandmother.
In this episode, we discuss:
- learning from experience for you and your child
- how to work with fear and worry
- working with each child's unique strengths and challenges
Resources Mentioned in this Episode
- Living Wisdom School
- Ananda Village
- Education for Life
And if you want more tips and inspiration, sign up to our weekly newsletter at www.consciousfamilies.org.
✨Parenting Pause ✨A new segment this month that includes inspiration and a short guided centering practice to relax, reset and awaken your highest parenting potential.
This month I talk a bit about the benefits and challenges around self-care for parents and the power of pausing. Then I share a short 10-minute centering practice to help you to set an intention and tune into what it is you're needing right now.
To sign up for the next Monthly Circle (it's free to register!) go to www.consciousfamilies.org/monthly-circle
And if you want more tips and inspiration and to find out what's coming next sign up to our weekly newsletter at www.consciousfamilies.org
This month's conversation is with Rose Neal, mother of 3 and long time EFL educator. She is currently the Interim Director of the Living Wisdom School in Portland, OR.
In this episode, we discuss:
- the importance of community in conscious parenting
- the challenges and misconceptions
- a focus on the teen years and young adult parenting
- how to work with screen time as a conscious parent
Resources Mentioned in this Episode
- Portland Living Wisdom School
- Energization Exercises
- Ananda communities
- Education for Life
And if you want more tips and inspiration, sign up to our weekly newsletter at www.consciousfamilies.org.
This month's conversation is with Lorna Knox, author, educator and mother of 3 grown children who currently lives and serves with the Ananda Community in Portland, Oregon.
In this episode, we discuss:
- the benefits and challenges of homeschooling
- the need for routines and schedules
- how to have tough conversations with your kids
- how to define and share your values
Resources Mentioned in this Episode
- I Came From Joy!: non-sectarian tool for developing a child's inner, spiritual life—ideal for parents, teachers, and religious educators.
- Scary News: how prepare children for life in a scary world while also protecting their hearts and minds and nurturing their natural inner joy.
- Ananda communities
- Education for Life
And if you want more tips and inspiration, sign up to our weekly newsletter at www.consciousfamilies.org.
This month's conversation is with Nitai Deranja, life long educator, author and co-founder of Education for Life (EFL). In his current role as president of Education for Life International, he oversees a network of ten schools in the United States, Europe, and India. He is also parent to two wonderful adult children and is now a grandfather as well!
In this episode, we discuss:
- what is Education for Life?
- the role of awareness in teaching and parenting
- experiential learning
- and much more!
Resources Mentioned in this Episode
- For Goodness’ Sake: guidance, activities and games for helping children and teens in discovering values such as kindness, concentration and honesty.
- Life Skills Action Charts
- Living Wisdom School of Nevada City
- Education for Life
And if you want more tips and inspiration, sign up to our weekly newsletter at www.consciousfamilies.org.
Our first conversation is with Usha Dermond, EFL educator and author of the book Calm and Compassionate Children: a handbook.
In this episode, we discuss:
- how to cultivate calmness in children
- the role of movement in development and concentration
- mistakes and lessons as a parent
- and much more!
Resources Mentioned in this Episode
- Calm and Compassionate Children
- Portland Living Wisdom School
- Education for Life
- Calm and Compassionate Parenting course
And if you want more tips and inspiration, sign up to our weekly newsletter at www.consciousfamilies.org.