Podcast

Attachment Parenting and the Evolved Nest with Dr. Darcia Narvaez

I’m joined for a compelling conversation on the wisdom offered by indigenous cultures, past and present, and the benefits of attachment parenting by Dr. Darcia Narvaez, Professor Emerita of Psychology at the University of Notre Dame, researches moral development and human flourishing from an interdisciplinary perspective, integrating anthropology, neuroscience, clinical, developmental and educational sciences. Her earlier careers include professional musician, business owner, classroom music teacher, classroom Spanish teacher and seminarian, among other things. She grew up as a bilingual/bicultural Puerto Rican but calls the earth her home.

Dr. Narvaez’s current research explores how early life experience influences wellbeing and moral character in children and adults. She is a fellow of the American Psychological Association and the American Educational Research Association and former editor of the Journal of Moral Education. She is on the advisory boards of Attachment Parenting International, Your Whole Baby, and the Self Reg Institute.  She has numerous publications, including more than 20 books. A recent book, Neurobiology and the Development of Human Morality: Evolution, Culture and Wisdom won the 2015 William James Book Award from the American Psychological Association and the 2017 Expanded Reason Award. She is president of KindredWorld.org which fosters flourishing for all. She blogs for Psychology Today (“Moral Landscapes”) and hosts the webpage EvolvedNest.org.

We discuss the nine elements of the Evolved Nest and how early life experiences and attachment parenting set the stage for thriving rather than just surviving throughout life.

The Evolved Nest

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LOVE AND RELATIONSHIPS

Romantic and close relationships have the ability to tip the body and mind towards feel good chemistry and energy or towards chronic and acute disease. Learning how to cultivate and maintain healthy relationships is essential to creating wellness.

LYMPH

The lymphatic system is among the most overlooked systems of the body. It’s role in removing cellular waste and regulating the immune system is imperative to building a healthy, balanced body. Stagnant lymphatic fluid leads to build up of toxins and weakened immunity.

PELVIC FLOOR HEALTH

Pelvic floor health extends far beyond sex, pregnancy, and bladder control. The pelvic floor is the seat of health for so many bodily functions for both women and men. In many Eastern medical traditions, the pelvic floor is the “root” of our energy flow. Leaving the pelvic floor out of any holistic health regimen is akin to expecting a tree to flourish with damaged roots.

SELF CARE

In our busy world filled with family and work responsibilities, many of us find ourselves to be the lowest priority on our lengthy to-do lists. When we recognize that putting our own needs at the top of the list improves our availability to show up and genuinely help others, the dynamics of our world begin to shift. The rewards extend beyond just how we feel and manifest in all aspects of our relationships, work life, and finances.

CONSCIOUS MOVEMENT

The caloric model of weight management is dead. Exercising in the wrong way can often add to hormone imbalances that perpetuate unhealthy weight and chronic disease. Learn to exercise smarter, not harder, and exercise your mind in a deliberate way at the same time.

DIGESTION

Digestion is the cornerstone of good health. You aren’t what you eat, you are what you digest. If your digestive system is in a state of imbalance, which is true for most Americans, you will not be able to sustain health in other systems of the body. The gut is considered the second brain and its health is imperative to the production of hormones and neurotransmitters. Learn to love your gut and balance your body and mind.

DETOX

Any efforts to add elements that nourish our bodies and minds can be futile as long as we are exposed to toxins that continue to cripple our bodies ability to assimilate healthy food, clean water, mindful exercise, and healthy relationships. Removing those forces that impair our bodies is critical to allowing nourishing factors to rebuild and maintain health.

DENTAL HEALTH

Although insurance companies have deemed the oral cavity to be something completely separate from the rest of the body, the beginning of the digestive tract is one of the most important locations in the body to creating optimal health. Poor diets that create dental caries, toxic materials that poison the body and block energetic flow, and procedures that allow decaying tissue to remain in the body heavily contribute to imbalance and chronic disease. Employing biologic and holistic dental strategies can be the missing link for many people’s quest for wellness.

HORMONE BALANCE

Hormones are the messengers that help our bodies’ systems run smoothly and communicate with one another. When hormone production or balance is off due to many lifestyle factors, stress, trauma, nutrition, and relationship factors, the result is often disease. Understanding how this magnificent symphony works can be the key to creating beautiful music in your body.

SEX

Healthy sexuality is a largely overlooked aspect to maintaining optimal health, so much so that it, perhaps, should be at the top of the feel-good list. The hormones, endorphins, and neurotransmitters manufactured with sexual expression inside of healthy, connected relationships is not a bonus feature of our biology but an imperative that extends beyond just reproduction. Cultivating sexual health reaps benefits that extend well beyond the bedroom.

BREATHE

The way we breathe is very often neglected in modern models. Yoga and breathwork use the power of breath to facilitate true healing in the body without pharmaceuticals and surgery. Breath goes beyond just the exchange rates of oxygen and carbon dioxide; it also serves as a modality to move energy and even shape the body.

SLEEP

Good sleep hygiene and alignment with the natural circadian rhythms of day and night is imperative to achieving good health. Getting enough quality sleep during the hours of the night that works best with our bodies’ natural chemistry sets the stage for our bodies to maintain homeostasis. Likewise, the emerging field of sleep medicine has shed light on the impact mouth breathing, snoring, and sleep apnea have in maintaining healthy balance of hormones and neurotransmitters in the body. Breathing well and sleeping well are game changers when it comes to feeling good.

NERVOUS SYSTEM REGULATION

Stress and trauma are responsible for 75-90% of all doctor’s office visits, but very few people really understand what stress and trauma are or how they shift the body into chronic stress response perpetuating energy and hormone imbalances that keep people unwell. Learn strategies to take your body out of fight or flight and into rest and digest.

NUTRITION

Clean eating and healthy nutritional habits are usually the entry point into feel good living, holistic wellness, and addressing root causes of chronic disease. Start by crowding out industrial foods, additives, and agrochemicals with organic whole foods and pasture raised meat, eggs, and dairy.