Today we’d like to introduce you to Jeri-Ashley DeLeon Bremer.
Jeri-Ashley, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
It’s strange to think about how I got here because there are many seemingly unrelated events that brought me to this place, one of mindfulness and a desire to help other parents, caregivers, and educators to practice this in their daily lives.
I recall a car ride to school one morning many, many years ago. I was probably in middle school, and my dad was in the middle of one of his “teaching moments” (as he called them) when I found myself able to fully tune him out. I wasn’t thinking about anything else in particular, my mind wasn’t wandering elsewhere, I just was. Fast forward ten years and a friend was sharing about their meditation journey. Curious, I asked to know more and made the connection back to that morning car ride from years ago–blissful about the idea of having my anxious mind calm.
About another five years later, I found myself practicing yoga a couple of times a week and again was reintroduced to this idea of meditation, but this time coupled with mindfulness. The idea of being fully focused, present, and aware of what you are feeling, thinking, or sensing in any given moment. I’ve always been very attuned with myself, but the intentionality behind mindfulness brought my attunement to a new level. I found myself feeling less anxious, more grounded in reality, less stressed, and freer–if that makes sense.
I think the moment it really hit me was when I went into labor with my first and then again with my second child. Focusing fully on the moment, my breathing, what I could see/smell/feel around me; not worrying about anything beyond that current moment that I was in. The nurses didn’t even believe that I was in labor because I was so calm. I blinked and that brief moment of discomfort was over. As I stepped more into my role as a mama, I found myself applying so much of what I had been using in my personal life with mindfulness into my parenting. It started with a simple intention to be more present in my own parenting and transformed into a vision of empowering others to show up for themselves through mindfulness, so they could better show up for the children in their lives.
I started The Mindfulness Co. as a way to fulfill a need I saw in my community. I recognize that parents and caregivers struggle to build intentional relationships with their children throughout the various stages of their life. I’m passionate about giving them the knowledge and skills they need to build strong, mindful relationships with their children through research-based, proven practices and strategies that will leave them feeling confident and empowered. The most phenomenal thing about this work is because it’s based on mindfulness practices, the benefits of this aren’t confined to one area or aspect of your life. You will start to see changes in yourself, your relationships with others, the boundaries you set, and so much more!
This year is really taking off with several in-person workshops scheduled in the San Antonio area, as well as a virtual group coaching opportunity opening up end of May / beginning of June. So you’re going to want to be on my mailing list to stay up-to-date with it all!
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
I don’t think there is any road that is smooth, per say, but I believe that when you have a clear idea of where you’re going it makes it easier to choose a path that is less bumpy. With that, my biggest struggle has actually been getting clear on my why. This might not seem like a big deal, but when you’re unclear on WHY you’re doing what you’re doing, it can cause a lot of misalignment in how you move forward from there. I knew I wanted to support parents, caregivers, and educators, I knew that I wanted to focus on relationships and mindfulness. I even knew that I saw a need in my community: a lack of support and resources for parents of tweens and teens, but that wasn’t the CORE of my why.
The mission and vision of The Mindfulness Co. really sums it: To empower individuals with the knowledge and skills to be more present, intentional, and mindful in their day-to-day lives. Creating a path to empowerment.
It’s taken me almost a year to get here, but now that I have this clarity, I’ve found that there’s much more alignment in everything that I do. From creating content to identifying potential partners for in-person workshops to opening myself up to opportunities, I hadn’t even imagined. I don’t think I’m alone in this struggle, as I’ve seen many friends face the same struggle, but honestly, diving in was the best way to get past that because it’s what brought me the clarity that I needed. If you find yourself lacking clarity or are facing uncertainty, dive in!
Great, so let’s talk business. Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
The Mindfulness Co. serves a wide range of partners, from individuals and small coaching groups to non-profits and school districts. My focus is to help others build mindfulness practices into their day-to-day lives to help them become less anxious, stressed, overwhelmed and more focused, aware, intentional. I do this through one-on-one and small group coaching, as well as through coaching workshops, which are different from other workshops as participants not only have the opportunity to practice the skill they’re focusing on but are also coached through the process during the workshop itself.
One of the biggest things that set me apart is my commitment to authenticity. So much of what we see on social media is filtered down to slight glimpses into authentic moments. Even in workshops and trainings, we often are met with personas instead of real people. I don’t know it all, and I don’t claim to know it all. I struggle, I stumble, and I share from the heart and hold a brave space for others to share with no judgment because we are all just trying to do the best we can with what we know.
When working with me, we use mindfulness techniques to work through generational patterns, emotional regulation, mindset, and making the connection between perception and what lies beneath the surface. We do this to bring about a greater sense of awareness that makes it easier to identify triggers, explore root causes, and shift your mindset to one which acknowledges your past and empowers your future.
I offer a 12-week empowered parenting group coaching program, as well as a limited number of one-on-one coaching opportunities for parents, caregivers, and educators. I also provide coaching workshops and trainings for school districts, non-profits, and businesses on topics including: basic mindfulness practices, emotional regulation, and having connected conversations. You can inquire about any of these opportunities via the contact page on my website: www.jerithemindfulmama.com/contact or reach out to me via email: jerithemindfulmama@gmail.com.
What are your plans for the future?
What I’m most looking forward to are the partnerships I’ll continue to create with organizations across the state of Texas. Oftentimes people hear “mindfulness” and think it’s just some hoity-toity junk that people in yoga pants do, but it could easily be one of the most transformational practices in a person’s life if they opened themselves up to it. I’m excited to help others see the practicality of it and supporting people in their growth.
I have my first group coaching program of the year starting at the end of May / beginning of June that will be open to anyone as this will be a virtual offering. I’m also working on creating an online course on parenting and mindfulness that I plan to have launched by January 2023. I have a few other exciting things up my sleeve that I’ll be sharing out in the upcoming months in my Mindful Moments monthly newsletter (you can subscribe through my website).
Contact Info:
- Email: jerithemindfulmama@gmail.com
- Website: www.jerithemindfulmama.com
- Instagram: www.instagram.com/jerithemindfulmama
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/jerithemindfulmama
- Other: www.instagram.com/themindfulnesscotx
Image Credits
DiAnne / Daringly She Photo
