Hi, I'm Ela Compton
What our world needs is thriving parents of small children.
I gave birth to my daughter in my hometown - Warsaw - in Europe. I cared for her on my own (friends/family nearby) for 3 months. It was hard at times, but we found our flow. Even in the freezing cold winter (the kind with squicky snow) that year.
I was high in hopes of sharing the load with my partner once we join in Seattle.... Although I lived far from home before (in North Italy) this time I hit the wall... I remember this vividly: feeling depleted, overwhelmed and isolated taking care of my infant daughter 24/7 with no support within 5000 miles.
I was craving opportunities to calm down my nervous system, recharge, reconnect with myself, and connect with humans. Other than my daughter (or my not very supportive partner).
I already had 15 years of meditation practice under my belt, and I knew self-compassion could save me. But… I never had time for self-care!
Inspired by near-desperation, I decided to try (modified) meditation with my daughter in arms. To my surprise, it worked. Not only did I feel recharged, calmer, more present, and connected, but my daughter seemed to benefit. Wow! I discovered a way to replenish while caring for my daughter!
It soon became clear to me that many other moms feel isolated and stressed out just like me. Craving emotional support and a break. That's when the Parents' Pause started.
Cultivating the grounded, kind presence for ourselves while caring for our children seemed to do the trick. I started digging in hundreds of articles, research studies, and done many courses. Let me assure you - a list of benefits of meditation is long. Reducing the feeling of isolation and negative self-talk, preventing burnout, helping with emotional regulation and coping, improving mood, immune system, reducing stress, reducing Post Part Depression, even unconscious bias etc.
So we rolled out programs and tailored tools that deliver those benefits to exhausted, sleep-deprived, and overstressed parents (I've been there, I know.)
Did you know: your baby reflects your inner states, recreates your emotional patterns from day one. Infants mirror the primary caregiver's brain waves, synchronize heart rate, stress hormones, oxytocin, etc.
It means that your transformation and new skills create conditions for your kids to grow in a truly nurturing environment - giving them advantage for life. Emotionally resilient mom is modeling essential coping skills and healthy patterns via osmosis (not literally, but you get the idea). The first 3 years of life are foundational.
Scientific research on mindfulness, self-compassion, child development, human attachment forms the foundation of our programs. The practices are trauma-informed. We offer in-person and online programs tailored for new and early parents.
I am excited to invite YOU to this journey of self-discovery, presence, and emotional self-tuning.
Thriving together rather than surviving.
Ela Compton MA
Founder of Parents Pause
Trained Mindfulness and Mindful Self-Compassion (MSC) Teacher
My professional life has revolved around helping people and organizations embrace change as an opportunity to step up their game. I'm on the mission to help parents be well to show up at their best during their child’s most critical developmental years.