Bonus: Self-Compassion for Busy Parents

Every parent knows that moment—when you suddenly realize it's been weeks, maybe months, since you've pursued something just for yourself. Between managing household chaos, attending school events, nursing sick children, and preparing for family travel, your personal journey quietly slips to the background.

This guided meditation episode creates a sanctuary for parents who've lost themselves in the beautiful but consuming journey of raising sensitive children. Through a gentle hand-on-heart practice, you'll reconnect with your innermost desires and remember that nurturing yourself isn't optional—it's essential. As you visualize your path through serene landscapes, you'll rediscover what truly calls to your spirit right now, whether it's learning, creating, connecting, or simply resting.

We explore the profound question many parents avoid: what are you building for yourself when your children grow more independent? The meditation guides you to breathe in universal energy and exhale readiness for your next step, however small. This practice serves as a compassionate reminder that you're living a valuable, amazing human experience that extends beyond your parenting role.

Give yourself the gift of this short meditation when parenting overwhelms, and remember: it's not selfish to create something for yourself in 2024 and beyond. Your journey matters too. If this resonates with you, please leave a five-star review and share your thoughts. Connect with us at our new website hearttoheartlife.com or check out our "Conscious Family Travels" YouTube channel for mindful travel tips with sensitive children.

Send us a text

Quiz time! Take my new Spiritual Parent Vibe quiz and meet your magical type:

https://www.tryinteract.com/share/quiz/683e320bf64af70015fae432

New! Conscious Family Travels Channel on YouTube with Carrie:
https://www.youtube.com/@consciousfamilytravels

Connect with Carrie:
*Website: https://hearttoheartlife.com/
*Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thespiritualparent
*YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TheSpiritualParent
*Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/people/The-Spiritual-Parent/61554482625081
*Email: [e-mail]

**Please remember that the information shared on this podcast is educational in nature and does not constitute licensed mental health advice. If you need such advice, you should speak with a licensed professional about your unique situation. Thanks so much happy listeners.

© 2024-2025 Heart to Heart Life LLC

Episode Transcript

Carrie Lingenfelter (00:00):
give yourself compassion, as a mom or
dad, when you're going throughthese busy periods, because it
can be feel so hard to focus onourselves and to have the energy
for our own projects, our ownself-growth, our own
self-journey, our own healing,our own journey.

(00:20):
All of these pieces that add upinto things that we do for
ourselves can all be thrown bythe wayside as we are focusing
on our kids and maybe ourpartners or our work or our
house or those types of things.
So I would like to think abouta little meditation that I would
love to walk you guys through,and I'm going to do it with you

(00:41):
guys as well.
So today, we're going to putour hand on our heart.
We're going to put our otherhand.
You can choose, and I'm goingto do it with you guys as well.
So today, we're going to putour hand on our heart.
We're going to put our otherhand.
You can choose if you feeldrawn to put it on your tummy or
on your head.
Sorry, tummy, former teacherhere I'm going to put it on my
tummy today so I can feel myselfbreathing in and out.
Hi Conscious Parents.
It's Keri here and I am herewith a little info about raising

(01:06):
our mindful kids.
I've got some tips and tricksabout breaking free of the box
and becoming who you are andteaching your kids how to do
that.
Along the way, Join us.
Hi there, happy listeners.
It's Keri here and I'm soexcited I have a new project
called Conscious Family Travelson YouTube.
It's all about mindfullytraveling with our highly
sensitive kids.
We love to give tips and toolsabout how you can pack, how you

(01:28):
can prepare and traveling withdietary restrictions.
We love to share in-depthguides of certain areas that we
are traveling to, as well assome of the actual items that we
use along our journey.
So join us on this consciousfamily travels journey.
Hi there, conscious parents,and welcome back.
It's Carrie, your friendly mama,here, and I am here with

(01:50):
another bonus little Fridayepisode, and I wanted to share
with you guys something that'snear and dear to my heart this
week.
It's something that I have beenworking on.
It's something that I've beengoing through.
We've had a week of illnessesand preparation for travel and
just a lot of things going on inour house oh, my goodness, I

(02:13):
forgot like conferences arecoming up with my kids.
They're having poetry readingsand wax museum live wax museum
sessions.
It's been really cool at ourschool as well, so it's just
been a little bit chaotic.
It's not been our normal time,and one thing is I wanted to
share to give yourselfcompassion as a mom or dad when

(02:36):
you're going through these busyperiods, because it can feel so
hard to focus on ourselves andto have the energy for our own
projects, our own self-growth,our own self-journey, our own
healing, our own journey All ofthese pieces that add up into
things that we do for ourselvescan all be thrown by the wayside

(02:59):
as we are focusing on our kidsand maybe our partners, or our
work or our house or those typesof things.
So I would like to think abouta little meditation that I would
love to walk you guys through,and I'm going to do it with you
guys as well.
So today we're going to put ourhand on our heart.
We're going to put our otherhand you can choose if you feel

(03:21):
drawn to put it on your tummy oron your head.
Sorry, tummy, former teacher,here I'm going to put it on your
tummy or on your head.
Sorry, tummy, former teacher,here I'm going to put it on my
tummy today so I can feel myselfbreathing in and out.
We're going to take a deepbreath in and a deep breath out.
We're going to feel Our eyelidssoftly closing.
We're going to feel the weightof our hand and the beating of

(03:44):
our heart underneath it.
We're going to feel ourshoulders loosen up and calmly
fall down and back where theyare resting.
If you're like me, maybe youfeel energy and you start to
sway.
That's a sign of connection andit's sometimes embarrassing out
in public, but that's me.

(04:05):
We're going to feel our feetcalmly resting on the floor and
we're going to picture ourselveswalking along a path.
The path is meandering andwindy.
Maybe your path is headed ontoa beach windy, maybe your path
is headed onto a beach.
Maybe your path is headed inthrough the woods.

(04:26):
Maybe your path is climbing ahill to the top of a mountain.
As you turn the last corner,you look out into a scene either

(04:48):
a large tree in front of you,you see a beach, you see a view
looking out over the mountains,a view looking out over a
mountain lake, whatever feelscomfortable to you right now.
As you look at that serenesetting, you can feel the peace
and calmness washing over you.
You can then feel in your heartwhat you are drawn to.

(05:09):
Are you drawn toward learningfor yourself right now?
Are you drawn toward sitting onthe sofa and binge watching
some cheesy TV or a sciencemovie?
Are you drawn toward connectingwith your partner.
Are you drawn toward journaling?
Are you drawn toward continuinga project that maybe feels

(05:36):
stale?
Are you drawn toward starting anew project?
Feel it in your heart, breathein and release it.
When you breathe in, pictureall the energy of the universe
guiding you toward this project,this next step, this thing that

(05:59):
you are feeling you need to do.
Next, when you breathe out,picture yourself sending to the
universe saying I'm ready.
I'm ready for my next step uponthis journey.
Now we're going to start toslowly move our toes, our

(06:21):
fingers, our shoulders, slowingour breathing, and you can open
your eyes when you feel readyfor it.
There's a prayer or mantra thatI like to say that I'm thinking
in my mind right now and I wroteit down so I can remember it
for you guys.
It's God's mind.

(06:42):
You can use God source spirit.
God's mind and wisdom direct meevery day and every way to show
me compassion for myself andstrength to follow my own dreams
.
I'd like to follow up withwhere this is coming from in my
heart.
Today.
I've been thinking about howmuch, as a parent of highly

(07:09):
sensitive kids, how much ofmyself is given toward raising
those kids, and it's a lot, andsometimes we need to think about
the future, the future and whatthat looks like.
What are we building forourselves as we get older?
There's going to be a day whenour kids are in high school

(07:30):
Maybe they're still at home alot in high school.
There's going to be a day whenour kids are in college.
There's going to be a day whenyou retire.
What are you going to have leftfor yourself?
Is it something that you arecreating as a project?
Is it something that you'rehoping to learn and grow in?
Now?
I just want you to remindyourself that you are a human

(07:53):
too.
You're living this valuable,amazing human experience, and
it's not selfish to createsomething for yourself to heal,
grow and learn this year, in2025, in what you want as a
parent.
I hope you step into this weekand this weekend on a journey

(08:15):
with a little bit of extracompassion, extra strength, to
take a step toward followingwhat is meant to be for yourself
.
Parents Happy day.
Well, that's a wrap.
Thanks so much for tuning inChangemakers.
This is Keri, and if youhaven't done a review for us
five stars and a little fewwords about what you've enjoyed

(08:38):
in our podcast episodes we wouldreally appreciate it If you
guys would like to ever messageme.
I would love any questions youhave or any feedback at info at
hearttoheartlifecom.
We also have a brand newwebsite which we're super
excited to share it'shearttoheartlifecom.
Thanks so much for tuning inand happy life, happy times,

(09:00):
changemaker families.