Nurture Studios opened its doors this past summer to provide a place of self-compassion, inclusivity, and empowerment. This fall it will be offering sensory-friendly yoga classes for children.

Bri and Luke Luginbill recently uprooted their lives and moved to Dimondale, Michigan—spurred on to change things during the pandemic. They both quit their day jobs to return to Luke’s small hometown. Much of this was inspired by the diagnosis of their now 6-year-old son, Soren, who has autism. They wanted to spend more time with him while creating a space for others like him.

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This fall, Nurture Studios will offer sensory-friendly yoga classes for children, classes sponsored by a neighboring business, Babycakes Boutique, so that they are free to all families who have children with sensory friendly issues.

The studio is designed to be a safe place for children and adults on the autism spectrum. Guests can control the intensity and colors of the lights with a phone app, quiet places are situated where people can take a break from yoga classes, and there is a collection of toys and props designed for people with sensory sensitivities such as PopIts, sensory scarves and soft, neutral-colored bean bags.

For the sensory-friendly classes, a caregiver joins a child in the class. They’ll start out on the mat doing breathwork, the way Bri would run a normal kids’ class.

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“But if they want to get up and move around, they’re welcome to,” Bri says. “If they want to go to the corner with the two different couches, they can. We will probably have the lights dimmed and will probably have no sound or very, very gentle music and low-volume sound.”

Sensory toys will be on or near the mats as a tool for participants to use. Most importantly, the class will be relaxed and accommodate anything the individual children need in terms of movement or focus.

Even before the birth of their son, Bri had explored the sensory-friendly realm. During college she worked in a home as a support aide for children with autism for three years. She learned a lot about how to communicate with children on the spectrum and the importance of making room for them to talk, acknowledging that it may take them a little longer.

“It’s amazing how when you allow people to have that space, there’s a lot of communication there,” Bri says. “So I’m really thankful for that experience.”

It also introduced her to communication tools and apps that can be used on a tablet or iPad to help children communicate. It allowed her to intervene early with her son and it is information she wants to share as she builds a community in Dimondale that supports those with autism.

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Nurture Studio offers private yoga sessions, yoga for children, vinyasa, yin yoga, and muscle relaxation meditation. Health, wellness, and nutrition coaching is available. Yoga classes are available in-person and live-streamed.

Bri offers free online yoga and breathwork here, as well as a resource library with audio meditations, yoga videos, and affirmation journals. She is also a certified compassion coach, health and nutrition coach, yoga instructor, breathwork expert, and photographer.

Other services the studio offers are empowerment photography sessions, sessions for individuals or families that encourage them to feel more confident about their body. Bri specializes in photographing people with special needs, including for high school senior pictures.

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Bri says she recently had a photo shoot with a woman and her 3-year-old daughter. The mother was very interested in communicating body-positive messages to her daughter.

“She wanted to really instill that confidence and love of oneself,” Bri says, explaining that everyone, but especially women, face intense pressure with body image issues. “It was really cool to see the fun they had and the confidence in themselves as well as having a mom extend that experience to her daughter.”

Bri says a photo session can encourage people to practice positive self-talk or even neutral self-talk, especially when the photographer is able to hold space that is non-judgmental, compassionate and flexible.

“It correlates really well with yoga because yoga is also a practice that is great for relieving anxiety,” Bri says. “It correlates to the body and its confidence in feeling comfortable. That can be a step in an empowerment session as well, so it’s kind of a fun combination.”

Luke, who now teaches at Michigan Connections Academy, a free online public school, says his experience with his son has helped him become a better teacher as understanding special needs is important even as a general population teacher.

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He says he’s learned from his son how to sometimes be quiet and to give space and time to people to communicate. He is hoping that over the upcoming months he will be able to take a more active role in the studio where he plans to teach classes.

“No matter what we’re doing, whether it’s photography, yoga or other educational sessions, we want to promote a sense of feeling like (clients) understand who they are and their purpose and place in the world,” Luke says. “Things like physical exercise and photography reveal who you are. It wasn’t until my wife started getting me doing yoga that I realized, wow, I have a body. I’m not just a brain and empty vessel, but my body exists. It’s similar with photography. As I get more pictures of me, I understand that my body is one of many ways of existing. It gives me a sense of purpose and understanding of what I want to do in life. I hope that everyone who comes to our place walks away with that understanding.”

Nurture Studios is located at 257 S. Bridge Street, Dimondale, Michigan 48821. For more information, visit the website and follow on Instagram: @bri.luginbill

[Photos courtesy of Nurture Studios]

Bridgette, who is a second-generation journalist, fell in love with spas and travel while working as a writer and editor for 16 years at the Educational Institute of the American Hotel & Lodging Association. As a freelancer for the International SPA Association, she co-wrote two textbooks, nine workbooks, and numerous case studies on spas. Her freelance career began in the 80s and she has written for publications in Michigan, Arizona, California, and Texas along with several regional and national publications. She is a committed storyteller who loves sharing narratives which improve people's quality of life and build community. Born and raised in Michigan, she currently lives in Lansing with her husband and son. See more of her writing at bridgetteredman.com.