I’ll never forget the defining moment in 2005, my twelfth year working as a school social worker in the Minneapolis Public Schools. In total exasperation, I looked at the group of 5th grade girls I was leading and stated quite assertively “We are done talking. We are going to do Yoga!” Giggles of excitement filled the room as the girls got fully engaged in sharing all the movement they wanted to learn. I, in turn, got to expand their experience and share the yoga-based movement and breathing practices that could help them when feeling stressed, worried, and sad. At the same time I began integrating the mind-body connection into my adult fitness/wellness classes. From that day forward my two careers merged.

Two years later, my colleague, Occupational Therapist Julie Hutubise and I were granted a full year sabbatical to research the intersection of mindfulness, movement, and mental health. As part of our sabbatical, we ventured to Portland, Oregon to participate in the Yoga Calm® wellness trainings offered by founders Jim and Lynea Gillen. I was excited to explore ways to integrate mindfulness and movement practices into the school day and the impact it might have on teaching and learning.

Halfway through the first training I felt a deep sense of calm along with the excitement of realizing we must work with the WHOLE SYSTEM: mind, body, and heart! It was so clear that our teachers needed the integration of these strategies to manage their stress and that our students needed these tools and practices for self-regulation and connection.

Knowing Julie and I had to return to our school district for two years following our sabbaticals, the compelling questions in our minds became “What would this look like in the classroom and beyond?” and “What’s possible if students and staff could really incorporate simple mindfulness and regulated movement practices into their day? As a result of our sabbatical and implementing Yoga Calm into our school, we were able to collect data on the positive impact of these practices which included increase in time on task during Drop Everything and Read, decrease in behavior referrals, and decrease in noise (decibel) level in classrooms.

Feedback from educators attending the Yoga Calm training was overwhelmingly positive and showed without a doubt that we were impacting their physical, mental, and emotional well-being. Comments like “This is the best training I’ve had in 30 years” was typical or “I love having tools I can use for my students and for myself” or “I walked away with so many tools I can use right away,” and “Our district works with many students who struggle with self-regulation so teaching them strategies to manage their bodies as well as their strong emotions has been valuable.” Overall, the feedback we received confirmed that these trainings were giving educators a concrete way to incorporate practices of self-regulation and co-regulation strategies into their day. After leading public trainings in the Twin Cities we began to work with entire schools, building cultures of wellness through simple visual tools. From these experiences our residencies and consultations evolved providing opportunities for us to work more intensely with schools and hospitals. Over time, the movemindfully Card Decks and Permission to Pause Posters were developed. These visuals were so easy to follow that educators intentionally used mindfulness, movement, and rest practices to meet their students needs throughout the school day.

The progression from 1000 Petals LLC to movemindfully was a natural one, as it allowed us to integrate our vision, mission, and core values into our work in a way that invited transformational change within our communities.

With gratitude for our mentors, collaborative partners, and for your interest in creating cultures of well-being.