Budding Yoga

04/16/2026

Sometimes the most transformational learning activities are natural, creative, and connect us to each other and to nature.

I'm super excited to share my most recent article with Edutopia - George Lucas Educational Foundation.

A big thanks to Thomas Berger for the opportunity to create social emotional wellness and learning for children with educators and to Danielle Hylton-Kopshinsky for being so supportive and helpful throughout the editing process. It's always a pleasure.

Have other nature ideas? Please share, I'd love to hear them!

Christine Ann Clinton Global Wellness Institute Global Wellness For Children

When young children engage in learning that connects them to the natural world, they experience social and emotional benefits.

04/14/2026

Nature play grows curious minds. 🌿✨

Sometimes its hard to just sit back as an educator, we have a job to do! But what if our job is to give kids time ⌛ and space 🌳 to lead, collect, and discover? Outdoor play sparks creativity, builds problem-solving skills and turns nature into the ultimate STEM playground. From exploring textures to experimenting with balance and motion, every moment outside becomes a hands-on learning adventure naturally!

The benefits? Stronger thinking skills, more creativity, and a deeper connection to the people and world around them.💡 🌎

02/09/2026

Why cold-weather walks are surprisingly powerful. Having the right mindset can add to your winter wellbeing! Here are a few reasons to get outside and take your kids with you:
🌿 Nature nourishes body, mind, and spirit
🎈 Keep it playful; curiosity, novelty, and lighthearted movement support mood, resilience, and balance
🦟 Fewer bugs, 💦 less sweat, 🤫 quieter trails
❄️ Snow sparkles, icicles glisten, animal tracks tell stories
👀 Look up! Un-cramp that computer posture and open the chest with breath
✨ Awe + wonder reminder: you’re part of something bigger
🧬 Activates brown adipose tissue (BAT), supporting metabolic health
🚶‍♀️ Walking improves circulation, joint mobility, and glucose regulation
⚡ Cold air = natural neurochemical alertness (hello clarity!)

⚠️ A few safety reminders:
🧥 Layer for warmth
🧤 Cover extremities + sun protect
🧊 Mind the ice
💧 Hydrate

Cold temps doesn't put nature on pause, it’s nature in a different physiological language 🤍 Bundle up & step outside. Nature’s still showing up for you.

01/06/2026

New Year Kindness Challenge 🎉 Think you can fill the board this month?

Grab this Free Random Acts of Kindness Bingo and challenge yourself to complete as many acts as possible this month. Work on your own or work together to fill it faster! Perfect for your family, classroom, or team.

✔ One square at a time

✔ Big hearts, small actions

✔ Endless ways to make a difference

Kindness adds up, see how far we can grow! 🪴

Free PDF for the RAK Challenge:

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1T41zJ_lCmn6uS8MhIuxF6YB9us9CH0-x/view?usp=sharing

01/06/2026

Winter blues? ❄️ Sometimes they are beautiful! Especially when the blues include sky, water, and ice!

Walking with someone, breathing cold air, moving your body, talking without rushing.

Take a moment and get outside! Sometimes it looks like motion. At other times it looks like a quiet pause to be in awe.

12/29/2025

When sensory input overwhelms the nervous system, the body may shift into a stress response, showing up as anxiety, shutdown, or fight-or-flight.

These responses aren’t choices or behaviors to “fix,” but natural physiological signals asking for support.

Thoughtful and well designed environments, grounded in sensory awareness and science can help neurodivergent individuals feel safe, regulated, and ready.

🌱 This is why sensory-informed design matters.

12/26/2025

Proud to be a part of Global Wellness Institute's Global Wellness For Children Wellness for Children's initiative. https://www.facebook.com/share/r/1D9yn2eTea/

12/22/2025

While school breaks are great for recharging, the sudden change of routine can actually increase anxiety and stress for teachers and students alike. 😰 This is sometimes linked to "leisure sickness," where stress hormones drop rapidly after a long period of high demand.

These shifts of routine disruption can contribute to feeling less mentally and physically well during a break or even after returning to school. It’s not uncommon for us to return from a break feeling like we need more time to relax!

This is why mindfulness during school breaks is so important. Mindfulness practices help regulate the nervous system, support emotional awareness, and provide a sense of continuity when external structures change. 🧘

Rather than expecting instant relaxation, mindfulness invites both adults and students to transition gently, supporting wellbeing not only during the break, but long after school resumes. 🙌

12/18/2025

I was asked a bit ago to support a child in an out-of-school program.
Before I could even begin, this child looked at me and said,
“Don’t tell me to breathe. It doesn’t work!”

Through my work with kids and their teachers and families, I hear and see what works in classrooms and at home and how important meeting a child or teen where they are in that moment.

Here's what I've observed:
✨ Kids respond best to breathwork that offers choice
✨ Breath that uses imagery and play
✨ Breath that is modeled and shared

Many kids (and adults 😊) shut down any assistance when they feel angry, misunderstood, or overstimulated. But when breathing becomes an invitation instead of instruction, something shifts.

Science backs this up. The nervous system feels safest when there is predictability, and connection. Breathwork activates the parasympathetic nervous system calming the stress. Imagination , fun, and music 🎶 added to breathwork can help engage the brain in a way that bypasses resistance. And modeling works because kids learn through co-regulation, which can give us adults a moment of peace, as well!

So instead of saying, “Take a deep breath,” we might try:
🌬️ “Want to pretend we’re blowing up a giant balloon? Or "Let's make this pinwheel spin as fast as you can!"
🌬️ Breath with them either in a partner pose or using a breathing script made for children.
🌬️ Letting them choose what feels good in their body.

What kind of breathing actually works for your child or students?
What are your success stories? Drop it in the comments 💬

10/28/2025

Looking forward to offering this free professional development: The 5 Cs to Effective Communication with Parents for Starting Point NEO! This virtual training has lots of time for role-playing and discussion on positive and calm communication! Please join us by registering at: 👇 or scan the QR code! https://forms.office.com/pages/responsepage.aspx?id=-adKgVAHx0il_1mShkEG-C0VFidI4SFKneV4OldvZN9URVlEWktTSzBXVEhYRVlPTjZBUUZaRFBOWC4u&route=shorturl

10/17/2025

I had the pleasure of presenting to an amazing group of school SLPs and educational audiologists on how we can use literature for so much more than telling stories. We brought the outside in, moved, used our breath, communicated, and created art as we experienced some of the best books out there! I will never cease to be grateful and impressed at the love and care educators share with our children. Thank you OSSPEAC for the opportunity to spend time together!

10/10/2025

We are so happy presenting a session on neurodivergent support today at the Starting Point OST Symposium! Stop by and say hi at our booth too!