Ashley Williams is the founder and CEO of Clymb, an emotional wellness software for school-
aged children. Ashley shares her personal experience of suffering from clinical depression in college and how she was introduced to mindfulness as a proactive approach to managing her emotional experiences. She also talks about how Clymb approaches emotional wellness for young people and how it can help increase social-emotional learning competency over time. Ashley emphasizes the importance of finding and sticking to mindfulness practice, as it not only uplifts and transforms the individual but also those around them.
Ashley Williams has dedicated her career to helping individuals and organizations increase their overall happiness and satisfaction in life. As an emotional wellness advocate, Ashley has shared her insights and strategies with audiences around the world.
Ashley is the 2022 Culture Builder of the Year for Baltimore, which honors her work to make children’s happiness a policy priority.
Ashley is an avid meditation practitioner who is passionate about sharing the transformative power of mindfulness with others and believes that it has the ability to improve the quality of life for anyone willing to commit to the practice. She is a student of Swami Nithyananda of the Awake Yoga Meditation community.
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Contact Info
- Website: https://clymbup.io/
- Related Website: https://awakeyogameditation.org/
Most Influential Person
- Swami Nithyananda has been a powerful mindfulness influence in her life. So
Effect on Emotions
- [00:25:30] Mindfulness has helped Ashley deal with her emotions by accepting them and self-regulating in a healthy way. She suggests using meditation to master yourself. So
Thoughts on Breathing
- [00:26:26] Ashley discusses the importance of breathing and shares her heart-opening exercise, where she imagines breathing in and out of her heart. So
Suggested Resources
- Book: The Gospel of Ramakrishna by Swami Abhedananda
- App: Meditation Timer and Log App to track meditations and create a consistent practice.
Bullying Story
- [00:22:22] Ashley talks about how bullying is a result of a lack of emotional intelligence and how mindfulness can help teach these skills to children and society as a whole. So
Related Episodes
- Your Presence is a Superpower; Elizabeth Tripp
- Mindfulness is My Diet Focusing On Nothing But Positive Thoughts; Olympic Boxer Daniel Hayes
-
Myung Sung: The Korean Art of Living Meditation with Dr. Jenelle Kim
Time Stamps
What is mindfulness? [00:01:19] Ashley defines mindfulness as peace in chaos, being still while everything is moving, and being protected from assaults. She also talks about the importance of being grounded and rooted in what's true. So
Experience with mindfulness [00:03:19] Ashley shares her personal experience with mindfulness, including her struggle with clinical depression in college and how she started practicing meditation. So
Incorporating mindfulness in the classroom [00:05:14] Ashley talks about how she incorporated mindfulness and meditation in her classroom as a middle school teacher and leader, and the instant impact it had on the school's climate and culture. So
Creating Clymb [00:06:06] Ashley's journey of creating Clymb, an emotional wellness software for school-aged children. So
Challenges in Tech Space [00:07:52] Ashley talks about the challenges she faced as a black woman in the tech space and how she overcame them. So
John Hopkins Social Innovation Lab [00:09:59] Ashley explains what John Hopkins Social Innovation Lab is and how it helped her refine her product. So
Clymb Goes Live [00:10:55] Ashley talks about when Clymb went live and how it is used by schools and companies. So
Clymb App Experience [00:11:52] Ashley describes what it's like to use the Clymb app for children and their families. So
Clymb's personalized treatment plan [00:12:02] The Clymb App's approach to emotional wellness for young people is compared to a doctor's approach to physical health. The platform provides personalized resources to increase social-emotional learning competency.
Usage of Clymb during school day [00:13:23] Children use Clymb during the school day, typically for 10 minutes during homeroom or advisory. The platform is available as a web app and is also integrated with Clever. So
Challenges in releasing Clymb [00:14:44] The process of gathering data and studies to prove the efficacy of Clymb was a challenge. Clymb partnered with the American Heart Association and published white papers to show the growth that young people experience and how Clymb impacts school climate and culture. So
Benefits of Clymb [00:15:34] Clymb helps reduce stress, improves focus, and provides coping skills and mental exercises for children. Studies show that 62% of young people felt more focused and 55% showed emotional wellness growth after using Clymb. So
Social Self-Awareness [00:17:58] Ashley explains how Clymb measures social self-awareness in children and how it manifests in healthier relationships and increased self-awareness.
Meditation and Yoga [00:19:21] Ashley discusses the benefits of yoga in increasing mindfulness and awareness and shares her experience with meditation. So
Meditation for Emotional Regulation [00:20:51] Ashley shares a recent story of how meditation helped a friend regulate their emotions and feel better. So
Bullying and Emotional Intelligence [00:22:22] Ashley talks about how bullying is a result of a lack of emotional intelligence and how mindfulness can help teach these skills to children and society as a whole. So
Final Words of Advice [00:29:09] Ashley encourages listeners to find and stick to mindfulness practice, as it not only uplifts and transforms oneself but also those around them. So
Special Offer
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