In the midst of what feels like a whirlwind in my home and family life, it's a pleasure for me to share this encore episode with mindfulness educator, corporate trainer, podcast host and author of “Mindful Parenting in a Messy World,” Michelle Gale. I have a 7-year-old birthday party coming up for my little guy, Jacob on Saturday, my parents have just arrived, we're still integrating our brand new puppy into our home, and things are just feeling, like - a lot. This is true for so many of us at this time of year as we are helping our kids settle into their new school environment, tackling homework, and all the things. I remembered that I have this conversation with Michael Gale on the podcast this time last year when we were in a similar flurry which I could really benefit from listening again, and could also possibly be what you need this season and help light your way. Please check in next week when I'll have a brand new episode with my dear friend, new mother, and incredible philanthropist Pia Infante.  Also, would love for you to join us in the Mother's Quest Facebook group where I'll be making announcements about a workshop I'm going to be doing in early October about reflecting on the chapter behind us and setting intentions for the new school year which for so many moms really feels like the beginning of a new year. I hope that you enjoy this conversation with Micheal Gale, either for the first time or listening to it again as an encore! Much appreciation, P.S. Know someone who would love this conversation? Click forward now to pay this forward to a friend who may be interested. Ep 51: Equanimity & The Calm In the Storm with Mindful Parent Michelle Gale This conversation, rooted in how to bring more equanimity to our lives–finding our center of calm in the storm–came to me just when I needed it most, during a start to my fall season marked by big school transitions for my children, travel away from home, and supporting my family after my father’s bypass heart surgery.  In the midst of all of that, it was such a gift to have this time with Michelle, whose journey brought her from working in technology startups like Twitter to a deep dive in mindfulness training. Michelle draws on that training today as an advisor to organizations like Wisdom 2.0, in trainings with corporations like Disney and Google, for summits and workshops for parents that she organizes, and as a parent with her own two boys at home.  An awareness of our impact in the day to day, through being a mindful parent, is something that Michelle embodies in her own parenting, in the appreciation she describes for her own mother, a single parent who adopted Michelle at the age of four months old, and in the ways that she makes mindfulness relatable and accessible to those she teaches.  I learned so much from Michelle in the time we spent together, about answering our own calls for life-long learning, about slowing down, raising our awareness and making the implicit explicit, of the importance of bringing compassion, especially during times of transition, and how to draw on our experience as mothers as a source of learning and transformation.   When we began, I asked Michelle to lead us through a Three Breath Practice which I heard her share about on Deborah Reber’s TILT Parenting Podcast. The practice became the bookends for this episode, the opening that allowed us each to make intentions for our time together, and the challenge that Michelle invites us to integrate into our lives.  As you listen to this episode, I invite you to slow down by taking your own three breaths with us, tap into Michelle’s intention for finding “equanimity,” your center in the midst of chaos, and open yourself to Michelle’s wisdom. If you do, I’m certain you’ll find more of your calm in the storm and connect more fully to your own mindful parenting in a messy world.  In This Episode We Talk About: The Three Breath Practice and how I’ve begun using it to help me make better d