Mindful Moments for Families and Schools Kelly Winkler

In this episode I am joined by psychologist, Marjorie Aunos.  Marjorie begins by telling us her incredible story.  Her life changing experience led her to finding a new perspective and way of approaching life.  We talk about character strenghths, positive pschology, and how they both relate to mindfulness.  The tips Marjorie shares are so valuable for both teachers and parents.  If you would like to learn ways to change your perespective and help your children become resillent and confident then listen in to hear all she has to say and connect with Marjorie to learn even more.
https://www.instagram.com/ninjamarj/

In this episode I speak with yoga teacher, Sophie Spoor.  Sophie shares with us the powerful benefits of bringing yoga to the special needs population.  She also shares how to adapt to reach this population to allow them to find the most benefits from the practice of yoga.  Sophie is a French Yoga teacher, mum of 3, established in Singapore since 2007. She created So Yoga, to teach Yoga to Kids, Families and Adults in Singapore, and aims at bringing Fun and Happiness, Peace and Relaxation through yoga! Sophie specialized in kids yoga, also for children with special needs. She’s a registered MOE instructor. So Yoga School programme is implemented in 14 schools, and Sophie taught over 3,500 hours of yoga.  Sophie wrote and published 3 kids yoga books, boxes of 50 kids yoga cards, mats and accessories to practice yoga from anywhere, under her brand MiniYOGI.
https://www.soyoga.com.sg/
https://www.miniyogi.com/

In this episode I talk to two moms who found themselves on a journey in the special needs  ommunity.  We learn the stories of both Taryn Lagonigro and Jessica Quarello, how their daughters brought them together and ignited a passion in both of them to serve the moms of special needs chidlren.  Jessica and Taryn founded Extra Lucky Moms to create community for all special needs moms, regardless of what diagnosis their kids have. This platform is a place for moms to come to get inspired and fulfilled, laugh and learn and be seen and heard. It's a space to find real moms talking about real life, interviews with people who inspire and to learn about all abilities and disabilities to create a more inclusive world.  We talk about finding community for support, advocating, self care and so much more.  You can learn more about their mission on Instagram @extraluckymoms or at their website extraluckymoms.com.

In this episode I am joined by Nikki Hedstrom.  Nikki is an author of a children's book, A Thought is a Thought, that explores the concept of our thoughts.  We talk about how anxiety showed up for Nikki early in her life and how she used that experience to create a resource for parents, teachers, therapists, and children. 
 Nikki is a first-time author from Vancouver, BC, Canada with a passion for helping people and creating change. She has been working in the advertising industry for the past 15 years, creating immersive brand experiences, using interactive displays and meaningful dialogue to engage and shift minds. She has leveraged this skill to help make the discussion about thoughts tangible and to create activities that help households reduce anxiety. Her methodology and concepts stem from the work of Eckhart Tolle, Bréne Brown, Don Miguel Ruiz, Maya Angelou, Jen Sincero, and stoicism, along with many others whose mission/work is to reduce human suffering caused by our thoughts.
Where to find her:
www.athoughtisathought.com
Instagram: @nikkihedstrom, @athoughtisathought
Facebook: @athoughtisathought
Twitter: @nikki_hedstrom

Today's episode I talk with occupational therapist and yoga teacher, Michelle Amussen. In this conversation we talk about the powerful ways we can utilize mindfulness everyday to prmote wellness.   Michelle graduated in 2009 with her BS in Health Promotion and Education and later in 2013 with her Master’s degree in Occupational Therapy from the University of Utah. As a graduate student, she researched the benefits of Mindfulness-based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT) in helping individuals with depression and co-morbid substance abuse.
Michelle currently works as an occupational therapist in the school district. She is passionate about the therapeutic benefits of yoga and mindfulness both emotionally and physically.
Michelle has received specialized training in teaching mindfulness to children using Dr. Amy Saltzman’s, A Still Quiet Place, Curriculum; and Learning to Breathe: A Mindfulness Curriculum for Adolescent to Cultivate Emotion Regulation, Attention and Performance.  She is a 200 RYT yoga instructor with additional trainings and certifications in trauma sensitive yoga classes and yoga for at risk youth through the Trauma Center at the Justice Resource Center. She is currently in training with Brown University to become certified in Mindfulness-based Stress Reduction (MBSR).
www.incorporatemindfulness.com
 Instagram   @michelles_mindful_moments

In this episode I talk about the fact that I have been feeling overwhelmed with having to make so many decisions over this past year.  The pandemic has made even small decisions into big ones.  I noticed a feeling of exhaustion and overwhelm around decsion making and that had me turning to my mindfulness practice.  I decided to rethink decisions and look at them as a chance to be curious and observe.  I also talk about how we can practice this with our children.