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Mothering Ourselves Mindfully

Sarah Lowell Harmon

Welcome to Mothering Ourselves Mindfully with me, Sarah Harmon. I am the founder, head teacher, and forever student at The School of MOM. I invite you to take a walk with me to hear insights, inspiration, and practical tools to help you navigate the everyday challenges of raising kids while nurturing your own well-being. Whether you’re deep in the trenches of parenting or looking for a moment of calm amidst the chaos, this podcast is your space for reflection, affirmation, and growth. Let's create new intergenerational patterns for ourselves AND our kids together.

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  • 28 episodes
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  • Avg 23 min
  • English

Episodes 28

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  • S1 · E104
    Thursday · 21 min

    104. Let's REWIRE...Our relationship with our body.

    In the third episode of our Let's REWIRE series, I'm taking on the loaded topic of our relationship with our bodies. I'm recording on day two of my cycle, low energy and all, and I start by asking you to check your "relationship status" with your body. Then I look at how that status got programmed: through what our mothers modeled, the moments that stuck with us, and a culture with very loud opinions about women's bodies. I share parts of my own story, from my grandmother's first words at the door to being sent to ride the bike at gymnastics. I also talk about how I've rewired my way to a relationship built on respect, and why what we model for our daughters matters far more than anything we say. Key Points A three-part reflection to start: What's your current relationship status with your body? What relationship do you want your daughter to have with hers? And what was modeled for you in your mom's relationship with her body? Why so few mothers I meet describe their relationship with their body as healthy. It's much more often "complicated," critical, frustrated or resistant. How your relationship with your body today comes from programming you took in as a kid, before you had any say in it My story: my grandmother greeting me with "Oh, you're fat," being one of two girls made to ride the bike after competitive gymnastics practice, and years of journals full of discomfort in my own skin Where I am now at 44, in perimenopause and post-kids: a relationship built on respect, trust and appreciation, and how that came from rewiring Why our kids co-regulate to what we embody. My physical reaction when my girls ask "Mom, are you pregnant?" says more than my words ever could. Why the body is our only guaranteed, forever home, and how that inspired the name change from the School of MOM to the Home of MOM The period "talk" I got (a box of Tampax and a closed door), and how learning about cyclical living changed how I see the female body Being honest about limits: even with the healthiest modeling at home, culture and social media will still reach our kids. We can still make what they see at home the stronger programming. The dual process of REWIRE: we rewire away from the old pattern and rewire for respect, trust, love, appreciation and confidence Quotes "Your relationship with your body today is a product of that programming that has been taught to you back when there was no consent available to you." "This pervasive programming around self-hate, self-criticism, resistance with our bodies, not trusting them, judging them, not feeling safe in them is reprogrammable." "My body and what I model and what I embody is going to be… significantly louder than anything that comes out of my mouth." "It is the only guaranteed relationship we have while we are alive on this planet. It is our only and forever home." "We are given this body… What we do have choice with is how we decide to be in relationship with it." "It is the biggest honor of my lifetime to rewire my relationship with my body, not only for me, but for the lineage of my family." Resources Mentioned Learn more about REWIRE: https://theschoolofmom.com/rewire Earlier Let's REWIRE episodes: our relationship with time and our relationship with anxiety Previous episodes on cyclical living: SPOTIFY: https://open.spotify.com/episode/0p0KL9s8pTo2OkDmgTLewy?si=175813f711724c5f or APPLE: https://podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/18-embracing-your-timeline-not-the-calendars/id1771757923?i=1000682124913 Send me a voice note: Send Sarah your voice note right HERE: https://www.speakpipe.com/theschoolofmom Get on our WAITLIST to hear what's changed with our upcoming program: https://theschoolofmom.com/waitlist Self-awareness Trap: https://theschoolofmom.com/trap Not sure where to start? Take the Discover Your Dominant Inner Voice Quiz: https://theschoolofmom.com/quiz What's Coming Next In the next (and likely final) episode of the Let's REWIRE series, we're diving into our relationship with money. Thank you for tuning in to this episode of "Mothering Ourselves Mindfully." We look forward to sharing more insights and inspiration in the upcoming episodes! www.theschoolofmom.com Instagram @the.schoolofmom Book a breakthrough Call

  • S1 · E103
    Tuesday · 21 min

    103. Let's REWIRE...Anxiety

    In this second episode of the Let's REWIRE miniseries, I'm talking about one of my favorite topics: anxiety. What if anxiety isn't the enemy? I explain why we don't want to get rid of anxiety, why I actually worry more about people who have none, and how to tell the difference between anxiety that keeps you safe and anxiety that keeps you from living. I also share the Yale study that shows how much our own relationship with anxiety shapes our kids, a personal story about the dead trees in our yard, and the timely message about playfulness from an ancestor session that changed how I think about rumination. Key Points The anxiety pattern: thought loops, catastrophizing, rumination, and trying to get a certainty we'll probably never get Why anxiety thinks it's being responsible, and thinks you're irresponsible if you don't play out every outcome Anxiety is here on purpose. We wouldn't be alive without our ancestors' anxiety Why I'm done arguing about whether anxiety is "technically" an emotion, because it's happening in our bodies either way How anxiety lives in the sympathetic nervous system, and why staying stuck there wears us down The close relationship between anxiety, perfectionism, and the shame underneath them "We work locally and we act globally": when we work with one pattern, we work with many You're not causing your daughter's anxiety. She was born with a nervous system. What you model is how you relate to it The Yale SPACE study: training only the parents worked just as well as CBT for the anxious child Anxiety thrives on avoidance, and why over-accommodating our kids' anxiety backfires Anxiety means you care about something. Where is it pointing you? Turning anxiety into purpose and action (like finally cutting down the dead branches over our yard) The two parts of the REWIRE process: getting to know and tending the pattern, and strengthening what lives on the other side of it Why playfulness lives in a state where anxiety can't, and why we turn up the volume on one and turn down the other Quotes "What if anxiety isn't the enemy?" "We want to have enough anxiety online to keep us alive, but not to keep us from living." "You are not causing your daughter's anxiety, because she was born with a nervous system. Don't give yourself that much credit, honestly." "Helping our children handle their anxiety differently begins with changing what we do when their anxiety activates us." "I worry more about the people that have no anxiety." "When you awaken playfulness, the ruminating will fall away." "The goal isn't to eradicate anxiety. It is to understand the role anxiety plays, where it lives in your nervous system, and how we can use it for good." Resources Mentioned REWIRE: What You Keep Repeating, my seven-week program starting in late October 2026: https://theschoolofmom.com/rewire Anxious Kids, Anxious Parents by Lynn Lyons: https://www.lynnlyons.com/anxious-kids-child-anxiety/ The Yale SPACE study (Supportive Parenting for Anxious Childhood Emotions): https://iocdf.org/about-ocd/ocd-treatment-guide/space/ Yoga Tune Up therapy balls (part of the REWIRE welcome gift) Episode 102: Let's REWIRE... Time: SPOTIFY or APPLE Podcasts Send me a voice note: Send Sarah your voice note right HERE: https://www.speakpipe.com/theschoolofmom Get on our WAITLIST to hear what's changed with our upcoming program: https://theschoolofmom.com/waitlist Self-awareness Trap: https://theschoolofmom.com/trap Not sure where to start? Take the Discover Your Dominant Inner Voice Quiz: https://theschoolofmom.com/quiz What's Coming Next The Let's REWIRE miniseries continues with our relationship with our bodies. Thank you for tuning in to this episode of "Mothering Ourselves Mindfully." We look forward to sharing more insights and inspiration in the upcoming episodes! www.theschoolofmom.com Instagram @the.schoolofmom Book a breakthrough Call

  • S1 · E102
    September 24 · 23 min

    102. Let's REWIRE...Time

    “I don't have time. There's never enough time. I'm always behind.” If any of that sounds familiar, this episode is for you. I'm kicking off a new podcast miniseries called Let's Rewire, where we're digging into the hot-button patterns so many of us as mothers are desperate to change — starting with the big one: time. This series is launching right alongside open enrollment for the very first cohort of REWIRE, our seven-week life lab designed to help you close the gap between the mom you know you want to be and actually being her. Because here's the truth I keep coming back to — our daughters aren't inheriting our intentions. They're not inheriting what we know we should do or wish we could do. They're inheriting what we model and embody. And so much of that modeling happens below the level of words. In this episode, I talk about: Why time is at the forefront of almost every conversation I have with moms — and why "I don't have time" is so often really about anxiety, resentment, or self-abandonment in disguise The research on communication that stopped me in my tracks: 55% of our impact is body language, 38% is tone, and only 7% is actually our words — which means our nervous system state is doing most of the talking, especially with our kids The difference between a perceived lack of time and a real lack of time, and why looking at your screen time is such an uncomfortable (and clarifying) place to start My own inner "Polly" — my type-A inner planner — and how getting to know the parts of us that manage time can shift us out of victimhood and into ownership Why "when I slow down, time slows down" isn't just a nice line, and how our worth-through-busyness programming keeps us stuck What actually happens when women are given a full free day (spoiler: it's rarely peaceful at first) and what that reveals about our relationship with rest How to start rewiring this pattern — by turning toward what your nervous system is asking for, instead of trying to white-knuckle your way to more hours A line I keep coming back to: "Our nervous system creates the lens in which we see the world." Same calendar, same to-do list — completely different experience depending on the state we're viewing it from. If you're feeling time scarcity on the daily, I want you to bring that pattern into Rewire with us. That's exactly what this seven-week life lab is for. Resources Mentioned Learn more and enroll HERE: https://theschoolofmom.com/rewire-waitlist Send me a voice note: Send Sarah your voice note right HERE: https://www.speakpipe.com/theschoolofmom Get on our WAITLIST to hear what's changed with our upcoming program: https://theschoolofmom.com/waitlist Self-awareness Trap: https://theschoolofmom.com/trap Not sure where to start? Take the Discover Your Dominant Inner Voice Quiz: https://theschoolofmom.com/quiz What's Coming Next Next up in the "Let's REWIRE" miniseries, we'll dig into another hot pattern moms bring into this work. If time scarcity is a pattern that's alive for you right now, that's exactly what we want you to bring into the Life Lab — theschoolofmom.com/rewire. The time is now. Thank you for tuning in to this episode of "Mothering Ourselves Mindfully." We look forward to sharing more insights and inspiration in the upcoming episodes! www.theschoolofmom.com Instagram @the.schoolofmom Book a breakthrough Call

  • S1 · E101
    September 17 · 26 min

    101. Introducing... REWIRE!

    In this episode, I'm finally ready to talk about the big thing that's been cooking behind the scenes: our waitlist doors for REWIRE are opening, and I'm walking you through exactly what this seven-week life lab is and why it's the next evolution of our Mothering Ourselves Mindfully work. I share the backstory on how this program came to be, why insight alone never changes anything, and how you can bring your own pattern — whatever it is — into this process with us starting October 27th. Key Points The backstory: this program started as a general Mothering Ourselves Mindfully waitlist and has evolved into REWIRE, a seven-week life lab, as part of the shift from the School of MOM to the Home of MOM Why the only thing we can actually change right now, in the middle of so much collective overwhelm, is ourselves Why REWIRE is a "life lab" and not another course to half-consume — closing the gap between insight and integration How to pick one pattern to bring to the program — body image, anxious rumination, exhaustion and not resting, reactivity with a partner, defensiveness with a mother or mother-in-law, the "A+ student" need to do it perfectly The idea of content vs. process (borrowed from therapist Lynn Lyons): it doesn't matter what your specific pattern is, because the process of rewiring is the same for all of us Why this work happens in the body and nervous system first, not just cognitively — and why talking about triggers isn't the same as rewiring them in real time What the seven weeks actually look like: one live call a week (Tuesdays at 1pm Eastern, starting October 27th) plus an ongoing community space between calls Waitlist bonuses: $100 off, plus two sets of yoga tune-up therapy balls and a cell phone sleeping bag for everyone who joins the waitlist before doors open to the general community Quotes "We cannot give out what we can't give in." "The only thing that we know we can change is ourselves." "Insight is not the same as integration and action." "Your life is your laboratory." "When you learn this skill... you have the skill to be able to apply it to any other pattern." Resources Mentioned Join the REWIRE waitlist for $100 off + a bonus cell phone sleeping bag: https://theschoolofmom.com/rewire-waitlist FAQs on the REWIRE page — including "can I actually change a lifelong pattern in seven weeks?" and "what kind of pattern should I bring?" REWIRE begins Tuesday, October 27th, weekly at 1pm Eastern Send me a voice note: Send Sarah your voice note right HERE: https://www.speakpipe.com/theschoolofmom Get on our WAITLIST to hear what's changed with our upcoming program: https://theschoolofmom.com/waitlist Self-awareness Trap: https://theschoolofmom.com/trap What's Coming Next Over the next few weeks I'll be sharing more about REWIRE before doors open to the wider community. If you're on the fence, get on the waitlist now to lock in the lowest price this program will ever be and grab your welcome gift before everyone else gets access. Thank you for tuning in to this episode of "Mothering Ourselves Mindfully." We look forward to sharing more insights and inspiration in the upcoming episodes! www.theschoolofmom.com Instagram @the.schoolofmom Book a breakthrough Call

  • S1 · E100
    September 9 · 15 min

    100. The 100th Episode... It all started with this.

    Here we are … at 100 episodes of Mothering Ourselves Mindfully! In this milestone episode, I'm sharing the real story of how I got here: one podcast at a time, no batching, no big master plan, just showing up week after week. I dig into why we convince ourselves something's too daunting to start, why perfectionism keeps so many of us stuck, and what actually got me from zero to 100. Plus, I'm sharing why I ditched the "everyone else's podcast" formula, what's changing with our upcoming program, and why community — not willpower — is the real key to consistency. Key Points Why reaching 100 episodes never felt possible when I thought about it as "100" — I only ever had to do one The trap of needing to do things to the Nth degree or not at all, and how that perfectionism keeps us from starting Letting go of doing things "the way everyone else does them" — ditching the polished interview format for real, unedited walks in the woods Two reasons fear kept me from starting a podcast in the first place: not wanting to add to mom overwhelm, and not wanting to sound like everyone else Why community and accountability — not motivation alone — are what actually sustain change (the "plank club" story) An invitation to start with just one: one minute, one day a week, made fun and brought into community A heads-up that our upcoming program has evolved since it was first announced — details coming soon Quotes "I never got to 100 without just doing one." "Set the bar so low you can trip over it. Just one." "It's not just me. It's not about me, it's about us." Resources Mentioned Send me a voice note: Send Sarah your voice note right HERE: https://www.speakpipe.com/theschoolofmom Get on our WAITLIST to hear what's changed with our upcoming program: https://theschoolofmom.com/waitlist Self-awareness Trap: https://theschoolofmom.com/trap What's Coming Next As we head into the new school year, I'll be recording a series of episodes on exactly what we're opening the doors to here in the Home of Mothering Ourselves Mindfully — so stay tuned. Thank you for tuning in to this episode of "Mothering Ourselves Mindfully." We look forward to sharing more insights and inspiration in the upcoming episodes! www.theschoolofmom.com Instagram @the.schoolofmom Book a breakthrough Call

  • S1 · E99
    September 3 · 24 min

    99. The maternal assertiveness we all need

    I recorded this episode in real time, mid-struggle with a whole lot of pain following a tooth extraction that turned into a bigger deal than expected. What went down with my aunt around my pain led to this unscripted look at what happens when someone else steps in with "maternal assertiveness" - and how it’s so important for all women/daughters, no matter how old we are. In This Episode The backstory: a routine tooth extraction, a family trip, and pain that got worse instead of better What happened when Sarah's aunt and uncle stepped in — and why it hit so differently than she expected Fierce compassion: the "mama bear" side of compassion, and why it matters as much as the tender side The mother bucket — the container only your mom was ever supposed to fill, and what happens when she can't How we unconsciously try to fill that hole (numbing, scrolling, overworking, other people) — and the one person who can actually fill it Why receiving maternal assertiveness from unexpected sources — an aunt, a friend, even a stranger on a plane — is allowed, and healing A full-circle moment with her daughter, who needed to be truly heard in her own pain An invitation: if you carry this gaping hole, you are not alone — and there are ways to start filling it Quotable Moments "There's two sides of compassion. There's tender and there's fierce. Tender is the loving, nurturing type of compassion. Fierce is that more mama bear, like, 'Uh-uh. Nope. Like, this is not okay. You need to get help.'" "That just because we may not have a mother who is capable, able, available to offer that for us doesn't mean that we still, A, don't need it, and B, can't get it." "The next best person to provide that, to fill that mothering bucket, is you. It is you." Mentioned in This Episode Aunt Melissa — the "fierce compassion" presence at the center of this episode Jamie and Emily from NAPS / Nurture by NAPS — the prenatal and postpartum support team Sarah credits for teaching her assertiveness years ago: https://www.nurturebynaps.com/ Connect With Sarah Self-awareness Trap: https://theschoolofmom.com/trap Join the WAITLIST: https://theschoolofmom.com/waitlist Send Sarah a voice note: https://www.speakpipe.com/theschoolofmom Thank you for tuning in to this episode of "Mothering Ourselves Mindfully." We look forward to sharing more insights and inspiration in the upcoming episodes! www.theschoolofmom.com Instagram @the.schoolofmom Book a breakthrough Call

  • S1 · E98
    August 27 · 18 min

    98. Before You Can Become the Mother You Need

    In this episode, I'm sharing highlights from a recent interview I did on the Can We Say That Out Loud podcast with Kara and Greer — a conversation that went deep into estrangement, grief, and the mother-daughter relationship. If you have a strained or nonexistent relationship with your mom, or you're stuck waiting for her to become someone she may never be, this one is for you. I unpack why grieving a mother who's still alive is one of the most necessary and overlooked steps in mothering yourself, and I share a deeply personal hypnotherapy story I've never fully told before. Key Points Why an unrealistic "hope cycle" — waiting for your mom to change — keeps you stuck in resentment, frustration, and unmet needs The difference between accepting the mother you have and grieving the mother you don't, even while she's still living How releasing that hope creates space to awaken your own inner "flourished mother" Why every mother was a daughter first, and remains a "forever daughter" no matter her age Unlearning the belief that worthiness has to be earned A personal story from a pivotal hypnotherapy session on releasing my own mom from a role she couldn't fulfill The three layers of why this grief work matters: escaping the hope cycle, becoming your own mother, and modeling this for your daughter An update on the upcoming program (formerly Mothering Ourselves Mindfully) launching this fall, and our transition from The School of Mom to The Home of Mom Quotes "Grieving a mother who is still alive is so powerful and potent and necessary for so many of us." "Before she was a mom, she was a daughter, and she's a forever daughter." "We are actively rewiring the blueprint." Resources Mentioned Listen to the full interview on the Can We Say That Out Loud podcast with Kara and Greer: https://open.spotify.com/episode/6R9ZweGohK65o8MVVDf880?si=fO9ukXnrStuIt1Q4unGGig Join the waitlist: https://theschoolofmom.com/waitlist The Self-Awareness Trap — free audio resource: https://theschoolofmom.com/trap Send Sarah your voice note right HERE: https://www.speakpipe.com/theschoolofmom What's Coming Next More on the new program taking shape this fall — join the waitlist to be the first to hear as details unfold. Thank you for tuning in to this episode of "Mothering Ourselves Mindfully." We look forward to sharing more insights and inspiration in the upcoming episodes! www.theschoolofmom.com Instagram @the.schoolofmom Book a breakthrough Call

  • S1 · E97
    August 20 · 21 min

    97. An 11-mile hike + the power of believing

    Recorded mid-vacation on the last leg of our family road trip — Maine to New Hampshire to Lake George — this episode is a fresh-off-the-trail reflection on the two-day, 11-mile hike up Mount Washington my family and I just completed, totally green and totally underprepared on the research front. What I really want to talk about isn't the hike itself, but what made it work: my husband and I believing, from the start, that our kids could do it. That belief becomes the thread connecting this hike to two other places I've had to practice it — sleep training my first daughter and the early, rocky years of my marriage — and the invitation is the same across all three: where in your life are you one foot (or two feet) out the door on an outcome you actually want? Key Points The backstory: an 11-mile, two-day hike up Mount Washington, booked with minimal research, based on "if their kids could do it, ours can too" What was actually foundational to the day's success wasn't fitness or weather — it was belief How belief changes your nervous system state, which changes your feelings, your tone, your posture, and how the people around you co-regulate to you The sleep training parallel: believing your child is capable changes your own posturing, even when it's still hard The marriage parallel: how couples therapy and the Gottman work reframed the idea that you have to be "all in" for it to work The moment on the trail Sarah almost gave in to doubt — and what pulled her back Applying this to manifestation: believing an outcome is possible vs. believing you're worthy of it The engagement ring story — what happened when Sarah almost talked herself out of wanting something because she didn't feel worthy of it An older woman's blunt wisdom on a plane: "There is no such thing as too much bling" The invitation: practice believing an outcome is inevitable, in parenting, in relationships, and in what you desire for yourself Quotes "Whether you believe you can or you can't, you're right." "It changes your nervous system state, which changes the feelings, which changes the thoughts, which changes how you show up." "We have to turn up the dial on the voice, the belief, that actually it will work out, and it is possible." "Girl, there is no such thing as too much bling. You wear that ring and you wear it proud." Resources Mentioned The Self-Awareness Trap — free audio resource: https://theschoolofmom.com/trap Community waitlist — mentioned as the place I "roll up my sleeves" with this work daily: https://theschoolofmom.com/waitlist Discover Your Dominant Inner Voice Quiz: https://theschoolofmom.com/quiz Send Sarah your voice note right HERE: https://www.speakpipe.com/theschoolofmom What's Coming Next Sarah returns to her regular routine next week and leaves listeners with a question to sit with: where are you not fully believing in an outcome you want — for your kids, your relationship, or yourself — and what would it look like to turn the dial up on that belief? Thank you for tuning in to this episode of "Mothering Ourselves Mindfully." We look forward to sharing more insights and inspiration in the upcoming episodes! www.theschoolofmom.com Instagram @the.schoolofmom Book a breakthrough Call

  • S1 · E96
    August 13 · 11 min

    96. Self-care is NOT selfish, but it IS this...

    Recorded on a walk in Maine (same outfit, five days running, this episode takes on one of the beliefs that I get the most fired up about: the (couldn’t be more far from the truth) belief that self-care is selfish. I break down why that line is a lie, why attuned presence - not constant self-sacrifice - is what our loved ones actually need from us, and introduce a new framework born out of Mothering Ourselves Mindfully: self-care isn't selfish; it's selves-ish - selves in steady harmony. Key Points Why "self-care is selfish" is programming, not truth What our loved ones (and our kids especially) actually need from us: attuned presence, not self-sacrifice How self-care builds the nervous system capacity to show up the way we want to The reframe: it's not taking care of yourself that's actually selfish Why Sarah changes "self" to "selves" throughout Mothering Ourselves Mindfully — we are not just one self Naming our internal parts (anger, shame, anxiety) as a tool for selves care Selves care in action: the primal scream for anger vs. rest and softness for sadness or overwhelm The new framework: selves-ish = selves in steady harmony Integration and wholeness — all parts of us are welcome Quotes "Self-care is selves-ish, and selves-ish is selves in steady harmony." "It is not taking care of yourself that is selfish." "The biggest present you can give is presence." "All parts of you are welcome here." Resources Mentioned Mothering Ourselves Mindfully waitlist - opens September 2026, program starts October 2026: https://theschoolofmom.com/waitlist The Self-Awareness Trap — free audio resource: https://theschoolofmom.com/trap Discover Your Dominant Inner Voice Quiz: https://theschoolofmom.com/quiz Send Sarah your voice note right HERE: https://www.speakpipe.com/theschoolofmom What's Coming Next Sarah invites listeners to carry this new belief forward — self-care is selves-ish — and to start noticing when the old "this is so selfish of me" story pops up, replacing it with the truer one: this is my selves learning to be in steady harmony. Thank you for tuning in to this episode of "Mothering Ourselves Mindfully." We look forward to sharing more insights and inspiration in the upcoming episodes! www.theschoolofmom.com Instagram @the.schoolofmom Book a breakthrough Call

  • S1 · E95
    August 6 · 24 min

    95. This Is Me: My Story, and How I Can Support You

    Recorded on a walk before heading off on vacation, this episode is Sarah's continuation of last week's big reveal — The School of Mom is becoming The Home of Mothering Ourselves Mindfully, and Sarah is stepping fully into her own name, Sarah Lowell Harmon. Equal parts backstory and welcome mat, this episode traces the winding road that built her body of work — from a Psychology 101 class in Ohio to event management in New Zealand, from 3,300 supervised clinical hours to the 3am download that became The School of Mom — and lays out exactly how to step into the work now, whether you're brand new here or six years deep with her. Key Points The quick-and-honest version of Sarah's story: Denison University, a few lost years in San Diego, a working holiday visa in New Zealand that turned into running a women's duathlon series with Ironman NZ, yoga teacher training in NYC, and a graduate certificate in clinical mental health counseling Why she's sharing her clinical hours and credentials — and her honest take on the difference between lived experience and formal training in a coaching-saturated industry The 3am lightning-bolt download that led to opening The School of Mom in May 2020, and the eventual closing of both her private practice and Parent Wellness Group The pivotal conversation with her business strategist — "what got you here won't get you there" — that set the rebrand in motion Why stepping out from "The School of Mom" is really about stepping out from behind the safety of a role (therapist, teacher) and into being fully, simply herself A full breakdown of the offer path: Mothering Ourselves Mindfully (the year-long foundational program, opening for enrollment September 2026, starting October), Radical Flourishing (eight-month intimate small-group program, October–May), one-on-one work, and Untethered (returning soon, for women — "the apples" — with a hard or nonexistent relationship with their mother) Why Mothering Ourselves Mindfully is intentionally a year-long container — spaciousness for real mom-life, and honesty about the fact that nervous system and lineage healing doesn't happen in four weeks The garden metaphor for this work: tending your own soil, roots, and weeds at a realistic, spare-time pace — weeds and all Sarah's own lived experience as an adult child of divorce and daughter of a mother with significant mental illness — including estrangement — as the root of why this work exists Quotes "I am just me. I am me. Yes, I am a teacher, and I am a therapist, and I am a wife, and I am a mother — but I am me." "The home of Mothering Ourselves Mindfully is your body. It's our bodies, it's every body." "It's actually a question of how could I not?" "I bring the clinical background, the mindfulness and yoga background... and obviously the lived experience, which personally I think is equally if not more important." Resources Mentioned Episode 94: Coming Out From Behind the Curtain: Reclaiming Sarah Lowell Harmon: SPOTIFY (https://open.spotify.com/episode/2jQIkIzYogjiUaRirVy5fu?si=5lvqSKUXRsab9WqulqyTbA) or APPLE (https://podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/94-coming-out-from-behind-the-curtain-reclaiming/id1771757923?i=1000778974511) Mothering Ourselves Mindfully waitlist - opens September 2026, program starts October 2026: https://theschoolofmom.com/waitlist The Self-Awareness Trap — free audio resource: https://theschoolofmom.com/trap Website: The Home of Mom: https://theschoolofmom.com/ Send Sarah your voice note right HERE!: https://www.speakpipe.com/theschoolofmom Thank you for tuning in to this episode of "Mothering Ourselves Mindfully." We look forward to sharing more insights and inspiration in the upcoming episodes! www.theschoolofmom.com Instagram @the.schoolofmom Book a breakthrough Call

  • S1 · E94
    July 29 · 36 min

    94. Coming Out From Behind the Curtain: Reclaiming Sarah Lowell Harmon

    Some announcements can't be planned — they just have to come out. In this episode, recorded on a walk (dogs, snakes, and all), I share a big reveal I’ve been sitting on: stepping out from behind the curtain of The School of MOM and claiming my name, Sarah Lowell Harmon, and the brand itself is transitioning from The School of MOM to The Home of MOM. This episode is part backstory, part permission slip — for trusting your own timeline, reclaiming your name (literally and figuratively), and understanding why the body is the only home we've ever really had. Key Points Why Sarah decided to stop waiting for the "right" timing to make this announcement — and the dating-life pattern that helped her recognize she was doing it again The identity evolution happening behind the scenes: moving from hiding behind "The School of MOM" to fully claiming authorship of the Mothering Ourselves Mindfully framework Changing her Instagram name after six years, and why reclaiming her maiden name, Lowell, matters as much as the brand shift The backstory connecting her parents' 2013–2014 divorce, her own marriage that same year, and losing her name right as her family foundation "bottomed out" Why closing Parent Wellness Group and stepping away from the therapist identity was the first visible thread of this bigger shift The meditation that delivered "The Home of MOM" — and the realization that home isn't a website, it's the body How this connects to inner child work, lineage healing, and the "unflourished daughter" pattern many women are unconsciously passing down Why Sarah is claiming her lane more specifically: supporting women in becoming the mother for their daughters they always needed — by becoming the mother for themselves first An invitation to notice your own self-imposed (or externally imposed) timelines — and permission to trust your body over "doing it right" Quotes "When my whole body knows something, I can't pretend that it's not here or true." "You do what your body and what your heart wants to do... at this stage in life, my friends, there are no grades." "Home is where the heart is. Home is our body. It is the only home you have ever had and will always have." "We do that through becoming the mother for ourselves first." Resources Mentioned The Self-Awareness Trap (free audio): https://theschoolofmom.com/trap Mothering Ourselves Mindfully waitlist (revamped program opening soon): https://theschoolofmom.com/waitlist Send Sarah your voice note right here: https://www.speakpipe.com/theschoolofmom What's Coming Next Sarah will be sharing more on this transition — from The School of MOM to The Home of MOM — as it rolls out across the brand, along with details on the revamped Mothering Ourselves Mindfully program as the waitlist opens up. Thank you for tuning in to this episode of "Mothering Ourselves Mindfully." We look forward to sharing more insights and inspiration in the upcoming episodes! www.theschoolofmom.com Instagram @the.schoolofmom Book a breakthrough Call

  • S1 · E93
    May 26 · 23 min

    93. Radical pauses: an update and invitation

    Sometimes the most aligned thing you can do is stop. In this episode, Sarah records something unplanned — a voice note from the woods — to share a message she couldn't wait to package properly: she's pausing the podcast. Not because things aren't working, but because they are running on automation — and she's not here for mindless loops. This episode is a real-time invitation to notice where you might be due for your own hard stop, and why pulling off the highway is sometimes the only way to actually choose your next destination. Key Points Why Sarah is pausing The School of MOM podcast — and why "it's working" isn't always a reason to keep going The difference between a routine that supports you and one that has you on cruise control without your consent The concept of the "hard stop" — and the places Sarah has applied it in her life (social media, alcohol, and now content creation) Why we can't change direction while we're already in motion — and what Einstein has to do with it The powerful internal shift happening for Sarah: her people-pleasing, perfectionism, and anxiety-driven parts are moving to the back seat — and her flourished mother parts are finally staying at the wheel What behavioral congruence means, and why it requires actually pausing, not just thinking about changing The "full charge + system update" metaphor — and what the one-on-one retreat women coming to Sarah's home this week understand about deep resets Radical Flourishing closing retreat coming end of May — and why there's never been a better time to get in A gentle prompt: Where in your life are you stuck in a mundane loop? What would your hard stop look like? Quotes "I'm not here to be part of mindless loops. So pauses are important. Resets are important." "We can't solve a problem with the energy that created the problem — we have to pull off, regroup, and ask: where are we actually going?" "My people-pleasing, anxiety, perfectionism — those parts used to be first ones to the wheel. Those parts are taking back seats." "My hope is that when I come back after this pause, you're going to feel, sense, and hear the upgrade in me." Resources Mentioned The School of MOM Quiz — take Sarah's quiz to identify the dominant parts in your nervous system: https://theschoolofmom.com/quiz Radical Flourishing — Sarah's most intimate 8-month container (small group + one-on-one + in-person retreats). Closing retreat happening end of May. DM Sarah or visit The School of MOM to learn more.: https://theschoolofmom.com/radical One-on-one in-person retreat days at Sarah's home — message Sarah directly if you feel the pull: hello@theschoolofmom.com What's Coming Next The podcast is pausing — and that's the point. When Sarah returns, expect something upgraded, more aligned, and more her than ever. In the meantime, explore the back catalog, take the quiz, and ask yourself: what's your hard stop? Thank you for tuning in to this episode of "Mothering Ourselves Mindfully." We look forward to sharing more insights and inspiration in the upcoming episodes! www.theschoolofmom.com Instagram @the.schoolofmom Book a breakthrough Call

  • S1 · E92
    May 19 · 57 min

    92. Overcoming overwhelm with Katie Grimes

    Sarah met life coach, business coach, and podcast host Katie Grimes through Women's Business League, and after spending an hour walking before even hitting record, they had to cut themselves off just to start the podcast. This conversation covers it all — nervous system regulation, the link between our relationship with our moms and our relationships with everyone else, why "regulated" might be the wrong word, the power of play (and pleasure) for mothers, and why conscious parenting happens mostly outside the moments you're actually with your kids. Key Points How our earliest relationships — especially with our mothers — create the programming that shows up in our parenting, our partnerships, and our businesses The four rungs of the nervous system ladder: joy/contentment → fight or flight → freeze/fawn → trauma response — and how to recognize which rung you're on Katie's five-step process for regulating emotions in the moment: naming the feeling, identifying the driving thought, using movement, deciding how you want to feel, and shifting the story Why Sarah has officially retired the word "regulated" — and what the "flourished mother" offers as a more honest, embodied alternative The biology of play: why play is a nervous system state, and why accessing it outside of your kids is actually what makes you more playful with them The powerful link between pleasure, fun, and co-regulation — and why resistance to play is the exact place to get curious Why conscious parenting is 95% of the work happening outside the moment you're in with your child — and why the scripts don't work if your nervous system isn't there first The Carl Jung quote that anchors it all: "Until you make the unconscious conscious, it will direct your life and you will call it fate" Why women tend to take care of everyone else first — and how that pattern gets directly inherited from our caregivers A gentle, realistic approach to movement and self-care: set the bar so low you can trip over it Quotes "Kids don't need a regulated mom — they need a flourished mom. She's fully expressed. She owns and celebrates the full spectrum of her human experience." — Sarah "We don't need to feel better. We need to get better at feeling." — Gabor Maté (shared by Katie) "Until you make the unconscious conscious, it will direct your life and you will call it fate." — Carl Jung (shared by Katie) "It's not what's wrong with you — it's what happened to you." — referenced by Katie "You can't solve a problem in the energy that created it." — Einstein (shared by Katie) "The trigger is the gift." "Set the bar so low you can trip over it." Resources Mentioned Katie Grimes' podcast: Anything for Love — available on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2DHP2FUvbp0IYYouSZ8oLM?si=51b071dcbc3c4e9d and Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/anything-for-love-katie-grimes/id1490607022 feelingswheel.com — a tool for naming emotions (referenced by Katie): https://feelingswheel.com/ The Body Keeps the Score — referenced in conversation: https://a.co/d/0ct3m4AQ Inside Out (Pixar) — used as an analogy for the nervous system ladder: https://www.pixar.com/inside-out The Flourished Mother Map: https://theschoolofmom.com/map Send Sarah a voice note right here!: https://www.speakpipe.com/theschoolofmom What's Coming Up The Scream is happening again — and ABC is covering it! If you want to join Sarah for a primal scream event at her home, watch for details. And if Radical Flourishing has been on your radar, doors are opening soon. This is the premium container for women who are ready to stop circling insight and start living it.

  • S1 · E91
    May 12 · 18 min

    91. What do you WANT Mother’s Day to be?

    Mother's Day has come and gone - so how did it actually feel? In this final episode of our impromptu three-part Mother's Day series, Sarah reflects on her own evolving relationship with the holiday, shares the surprising and somewhat heartbreaking origin story of Mother's Day, and invites you into a post-holiday inquiry that matters far more than any bouquet or brunch. Because if there was any charge, resentment, or pressure wrapped up in this week for you - that's not something to push past. That's the gift. Key Points Why Mother's Day has become "just another day" for Sarah — and what that shift actually signals about her inner work The surprising origin of Mother's Day: created by Anna Jarvis for personal reflection and intimate family connection, then commercialized so aggressively that Jarvis spent her life savings trying to abolish the holiday she created The $25 billion commercial juggernaut Mother's Day has become — and why that matters for how we relate to the day Why being triggered by Mother's Day is often a direct reflection of needs that aren't being met on a regular basis (not just one day a year) The powerful insight from a mom in The School of MOM community: "I'm only triggered by Mother's Day when I feel burned out or I'm not making time for myself" How resentment is an expectations-in-waiting — and what your Mother's Day feelings are actually pointing toward An invitation to design your family celebrations on your own terms, not Hallmark's A post-Mother's Day reflection framework: How did it feel? How do you want to feel next year? What needs to shift between now and then? Celebrating six years of The School of MOM — launched on Mother's Day 2020 Quotes "The trigger is the gift. If you're coming into Mother's Day and there's a lot of pressure on it, that means those needs are not getting filled outside of this one day a year." "I don't need a day to be appreciated. I don't need a day to advocate for time for myself anymore — because that is just part of my being now." "Expectations are resentments in the works." "I'm not waiting around for someone else to give me permission to go for a walk or get a massage. It's just part of what I do now." Resources Mentioned Episode 89: The Grief for a Mother Who's Still Alive SPOTIFY: https://open.spotify.com/episode/4kP528ObM87oS9uZhHQ9bH?si=pkUYRBr5QoiL8QOiYZ1OBA or APPLE: https://podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/89-the-grief-for-a-mother-whos-still-alive/id1771757923?i=1000763998127 Episode 90: When Mother’s Day Is a Trigger (and Why That’s Not a Bad Thing) SPOTIFY: https://open.spotify.com/episode/3MRgYiDvClmZlE16NVjpVH?si=KliK-l2VQHeqtxfHLgEZJw or APPLE: https://podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/90-when-mothers-day-is-a-trigger-and-why-thats-not-a-bad-thing/id1771757923?i=1000766202575 Flourished Mother Map: https://theschoolofmom.com/map Radical Flourishing — doors opening end of May: https://theschoolofmom.com/radical What's Coming Next If this episode stirred something in you, sit with it. The post-Mother's Day reflection is where the real work begins. And if you're ready for support in tending to what came up — Radical Flourishing doors are opening at the end of May. This is the container where the shift Sarah described actually happens. Thank you for tuning in to this episode of "Mothering Ourselves Mindfully." We look forward to sharing more insights and inspiration in the upcoming episodes! www.theschoolofmom.com Instagram @the.schoolofmom Book a breakthrough Call

  • S1 · E90
    May 5 · 18 min

    90. When Mother’s Day Is a Trigger (and Why That’s Not a Bad Thing)

    Mother's Day stirs up something different in all of us - warmth, grief, indifference, or something in between. In this episode, we get real about what Mother’s Day can bring up, and why we can still celebrate all of it, and why — counterintuitively — having a strained or non-existent relationship with your mom might actually be your greatest gift. This is a Mother's Day episode for every kind of mother, every kind of daughter, and every woman doing the inner work to claim a new level of worthiness. Key Points Why Mother's Day triggers such a wide spectrum of feelings — and why all of them deserve to be honored A celebration of "the apples" — women in the School of MOM community whose strained or non-existent relationship with their mother is actually their biggest doorway to healing How the relationship we have with our mothers (for better or for worse) is foundational to our self-worth — and why self-worth is at the nucleus of everything we desire The connection between your subconscious sense of worthiness and your ability to receive, desire, and expand what you think is possible for your life Sarah's personal journey with her own mom — and the shift from "I would give all this up for a healthy mom" to genuine gratitude for the doorway her mom became An introduction to Radical Flourishing — Sarah's most intimate support container — and why doors are opening at the end of May The question that guides the work: How good can it get? Quotes "The trigger is the gift. What is on the other side of that is really claiming what you desire — but more than that, it is claiming new levels of what you desire to unfold." "If you desire something in your life but your subconscious doesn't think you are worthy of it, it is going to be nearly impossible for that thing to come to fruition." "I would never be where I'm at today in terms of my ability to meet and tend to and love and mother all parts of myself mindfully — if it weren't for the mother that I have." "Let's all collectively decide to step into a new level of worthiness and self-worth — no matter what our relationship is with our mom." Resources Mentioned Episode 89 — Grieving a mother who is still alive: SPOTIFY: https://open.spotify.com/episode/4kP528ObM87oS9uZhHQ9bH?si=pkUYRBr5QoiL8QOiYZ1OBA or APPLE: https://podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/89-the-grief-for-a-mother-whos-still-alive/id1771757923?i=1000763998127 Radical Flourishing — Sarah's most intimate support group (small group + one-on-one + in-person retreats). Doors open end of May — limited space. DM Sarah or get on the newsletter to be notified.: https://theschoolofmom.com/radical Flourished Mother Map: https://theschoolofmom.com/map Newsletter: https://theschoolofmom.com/newsletter What's Coming Next However Mother's Day lands for you this year — with joy, grief, or something messier — you belong here. The school is a place where all of it is welcome, and where the healing happens in community. Reach out, get on the list, and keep going. Thank you for tuning in to this episode of "Mothering Ourselves Mindfully." We look forward to sharing more insights and inspiration in the upcoming episodes! www.theschoolofmom.com Instagram @the.schoolofmom Book a breakthrough Call

  • S1 · E89
    April 28 · 18 min

    89. The grief for a mother who's still alive

    Mother's Day is coming — and for some of us, it lands with a kind of grief that's almost impossible to explain. This episode was inspired by a deeply moving session with our Untethered alum group: a community of women navigating dysfunctional or estranged relationships with their moms. If you're a mom who has a hard relationship with your mom, this one's for you — and it might be the most important thing you share this season. Key Points What it means to be an "Apple" — and why having a space where you don't have to explain yourself is everything The bucket that only your mother can fill (unconditional witnessing, love, and acceptance) — and what to do when she can't Why even the most well-meaning partners often make it worse — and what to ask for from the people in your life instead Why the School of MOM community exists: to be the circle where you are deeply seen, without explanation The two ends of the spectrum: numbing/compartmentalizing vs. fully insourcing your own mothering — and what to do when you're somewhere in the middle The first practice to reach for in a hard moment: the mindfulness of struggle ("This is really hard" + hand on heart) Introducing FMF — Feel My Feelings — and why carving out intentional time to be with your feelings (not alone) is the practice The power of non-human resources: trees, rocks, bodies of water, candles, pets — as steady companions in your FMF moments How naming the struggle brings your prefrontal cortex online and opens the door to the nervous system's safety and connection state An announcement: Sarah is opening a rare one-on-one coaching spot for a mom of daughters who is ready to close the gap between knowing and embodying Quotes "I am honestly ready for my mom to die — and all I want is my mom. And there's not a lot of groups where you can say something like that and people are nodding their heads." "Your relationship with your mom is so foundational, so profoundly foundational to everything in your life — how you mother, how you relate to yourself. It creeps in." "The next best resource, ultimately, is you — to learn how to insource what you are seeking from your mom." "This is really hard. Hand on heart. This is hard. That's the first practice." "What we practice, we get good at." Resources Mentioned Untethered alum community — for women with dysfunctional or estranged mother relationships: https://theschoolofmom.com/untetheredwaitlist Send Sarah a voice note Flourished Mother MAP: https://theschoolofmom.com/map One-on-one coaching inquiry: http://theschoolofmom.com/private-coaching What's Coming Next If this episode spoke to you, don't keep it to yourself — share it with a mom in your life who struggles around Mother's Day. And if you're ready to stop white-knuckling it alone and start doing this work with support, reach out about the one-on-one spot or explore the Flourished Mother Map as your first step. Thank you for tuning in to this episode of "Mothering Ourselves Mindfully." We look forward to sharing more insights and inspiration in the upcoming episodes! www.theschoolofmom.com Instagram @the.schoolofmom Book a breakthrough Call

  • S1 · E88
    April 21 · 3 min

    88. The Non-episode Episode: A Permission Slip

    This week, I'm doing something a little different - recording a non-episode episode as a gentle reminder that we are not meant to be on all the time. I’m away with my kids on school vacation week, and I invite you to consider this your official permission slip to rest, to tap out, to stop producing at the pace you think you should. Because you are a cyclical being, which means you are meant to ebb, flow, and be consistently inconsistent! Quotes "We are not meant to be on all the time — in business, in life, in motherhood, in our relationships, in and with our bodies." "We are cyclical beings and women are part of nature. We are not meant to be on the same 24-hour cycle that men are on because our hormones don't work that way." "Cut yourself some slack, sign out, and get some rest." Resources Mentioned Previous episode on cyclical living (link to relevant episode when available): SPOTIFY or APPLE Flourished Mother Map: https://theschoolofmom.com/map What's Coming Next Sarah will be back next week with a brand new episode. In the meantime, take this week's episode for what it is - permission to rest. Thank you for tuning in to this episode of "Mothering Ourselves Mindfully." We look forward to sharing more insights and inspiration in the upcoming episodes! www.theschoolofmom.com Instagram @the.schoolofmom Book a breakthrough Call

  • S1 · E87
    April 14 · 20 min

    87. There's no such thing as mental load

    You've heard of the mental load — but what if we've been calling it the wrong thing all along? In this episode, I'm making the case that there's no such thing as just a mental load, and why getting the name right is the first step toward actually getting relief. I go deep into the brain-body load, the MOMsight framework, and why real change doesn't happen by shuffling tasks around — it happens in the body. Key Points Why "mental load" is a misnomer — and what the more accurate (and more useful) term actually is How our thoughts, emotions, and nervous system are inextricably linked — and why treating the load as purely cognitive leaves us without the right tools The difference between emotions and feelings — and why understanding this distinction is foundational to being a human who can flourish Why 90–95% of our experience (including the choices we make under load) is unconscious — and what that means for real change How the same event (a child's fever, a doctor's appointment) lands completely differently depending on what's happening in your nervous system Why conversations about mental load often spiral into frustration, blame, and resentment — and what to do with that instead The MOMsight framework: a map of the play between your nervous system, body, emotions, feelings, thoughts, and lived experience Why offloading the brain body load isn't just about task redistribution — it's about shifting what's happening at a root level in your body Resources and research Sarah loves: Brené Brown's emotion research, Mark Brackett's Permission to Feel, and the Mood Meter/How We Feel app An invitation: Sarah has a one-on-one coaching spot open (May through year-end) for a mom ready to do this root cause work Quotes "Mental load suggests it's just thoughts in our head — and it's not. So we need to call that out." "Each of these tasks comes with a different emotional load. It lives differently in your body. The real estate that it takes up is different." "So often we are in thoughts and emotions and making choices from an unconscious place — which means we actually don't have control. Our programming is running the show." "It's not so simple as moving tasks around. And the more we see it that way, the less we support ourselves and shift what's happening at a root level in our bodies." Resources Mentioned Permission to Feel by Marc Brackett: https://a.co/d/08Q0oNFq The Mood Meter / How We Feel app (Marc Brackett): https://marcbrackett.com/how-we-feel-app-3/ Fair Play card deck (task mapping for couples): https://fairplaypolicy.org/the-cards One-on-one coaching with Sarah (May–December 2026): reach out at http://theschoolofmom.com/private-coaching or DM on Instagram @the.schoolofmom: https://www.instagram.com/the.schoolofmom Send Sarah a voice note here!: https://speakpipe.com/theschoolofmom What's Coming Next If this episode stirred something in you, you're ready to go deeper. Take the first step with the Flourished Mother Map at https://theschoolofmom.com/map — and if one-on-one support feels like the right next step, Sarah would love to hear from you. Thank you for tuning in to this episode of "Mothering Ourselves Mindfully." We look forward to sharing more insights and inspiration in the upcoming episodes! www.theschoolofmom.com Instagram @the.schoolofmom Book a breakthrough Call

  • S1 · E86
    April 7 · 13 min

    86. What You Actually Have Control Over

    In today’s episode, I'm calling out one of the most repeated lines in coaching and personal development, and offering you something that's actually true instead. Spoiler: you have more control than you think - it's just not where you've been told to look for it. Key Points Why somatic work moves the needle in ways talk therapy can't — I spent years as a therapist talking through problems with women. Insight is valuable — but it's limited. When I discovered what was possible through body-based work, it changed everything. 90–95% of our experience is driven by unconscious programming living in our nervous system, and you simply can't talk your way out of that. What actually happens in a somatic session — Whether a client is brand new to this work or has been doing it for years, the experience is consistently the same: I can't believe what just came through. The body holds wisdom, intuition, and real-time healing that the mind can't access alone. Calling out the line everyone repeats — "The only thing you can control is your reaction." It's everywhere in coaching culture. And it's not quite true. If your unconscious nervous system is running the show — and for most of us, it is — you don't actually have control over your reactions in the moment. Telling yourself you should is just adding shame to the pile. The truth about control — You have very limited control over your in-the-moment reaction, especially when you're tired, triggered, or dysregulated. But you do have real, meaningful control over something: the support you choose, the practices you commit to, and the nervous system work you do in advance of those moments. That's the real lever. What the Flourished Mother actually looks like — She's not always calm. She's not always grounded. She feels the full spectrum of her humanness — including the anger — but she has the capacity to be with it. With presence, with grace, with compassion. And that capacity is built over time, through practice and support. Quotes "90 to 95% of our experience — the lens through which we see the world — is coming from our unconscious, which lives in our body." "You will be surprised. I am surprised every time — I didn't think anything was gonna come through. And wow, I am so grateful I did that." "You actually don't really have control over your reaction in the moment. But you do have control over the support that you decide to get." "What you do have control over is the reprogramming and the tending and the grounding you did to be in a body that supports you to react in the way that you want to." "Talking around in circles about the thing you wanna do is not going to help you change it in the moment." Resources Mentioned Flourished Mother Map — A personalized session with Sarah to map your patterns and path forward: theschoolofmom.com/map Flourish Community — Monthly membership for ongoing nervous system support and integration: http://theschoolofmom.com/flourish One-on-one somatic sessions with Sarah — Reach out directly to book: http://theschoolofmom.com/private-coaching Send Sarah a voice note: https://www.speakpipe.com/theschoolofmom What's Coming Next If this episode stirred something in you, the next step is simple: choose the support. Whether that's a Flourished Mother Map, a one-on-one session, or joining the Flourish community — the work you do before the moment is what changes the moment. Thank you for tuning in to this episode of "Mothering Ourselves Mindfully." We look forward to sharing more insights and inspiration in the upcoming episodes! www.theschoolofmom.com Instagram @the.schoolofmom Book a breakthrough Call

  • S1 · E85
    March 31 · 29 min

    85. What's the point?

    What's the point? It's a question that can feel heavy — or become one of the most grounding, clarifying inquiries of your life. In this episode, I'm zooming way out on the School of MOM exists, the personal through-lines that have shaped this work, and what I truly hope for every mother who walks with me here. If you've ever found yourself swirling in the "why" of it all — around mothering, your life, your work — this one's for you. Key Points How to ask "what's the point?" from a place of curiosity rather than shutdown — and why the difference matters (nervous system style) The two personal through-lines behind the founding of the School of MOM: not becoming her, and becoming the mother to yourself that you never had Why Sarah is estranged from her mother — and how that painful, personal reality became the heart of this work The "Apples" community: women who carry the weight of estranged or dysfunctional mother relationships, and why they don't need to explain themselves Why the goal isn't to learn more — it's integration: closing the gap between what you know and what you actually live in your body The two roots of integration: embodied application of what you're learning, and wholeness — welcoming and tending to all parts of yourself Flourish State Journaling: a powerful (and a little creepy-magical) practice for inhabiting your flourishing life as if it's already here Why community is the secret ingredient that makes integration sustainable A real-time moment from right before recording: what it looked like to actually be the Flourished Mother for her daughter — and why that's the whole point Quotes "What's the point? Not from the lens of 'what's the point' — that's very dorsal vagal, very shutdown. But what is the point?" "The next best person to fill the hole that's left when your mom can't fill the bucket is you." "Mothering Ourselves Mindfully was really about me becoming the mother to myself that I always needed and I never had." "I don't want my 30-something-year-old daughter attending a workshop on how and why she needs to make more time for herself." "Integration means closing the gap between what you know and what you feel and you're doing in your life." "This is it. This is what I've been working for — being that sturdy, compassionate, patient, loving human for her." Resources Mentioned Flourished Mother Map — a personalized zoom-out experience with reflection questions and a custom video from Sarah. All Sarah, no AI: https://theschoolofmom.com/map Discover Your Dominant Inner Voice Quiz — discover your dominant inner voice (anxiety, shame, negativity, or perfectionist): https://theschoolofmom.com/quiz FLOURISH Community — where Flourish State Journaling and other integration practices live, including live co-working calls on the community calendar: http://theschoolofmom.com/flourish What's Coming Next Keep asking the question. Whether it feels clarifying or a little jarring — that's the work. Come share how this episode lands for you, grab a Flourished Mother Map, and keep walking toward the most flourished version of yourself. Thank you for tuning in to this episode of "Mothering Ourselves Mindfully." We look forward to sharing more insights and inspiration in the upcoming episodes! www.theschoolofmom.com Instagram @the.schoolofmom Book a breakthrough Call

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