Well-Being Center Features

Did you know?

Our café uses – you guessed it – organic foods to provide our community with the healthiest and most nourishing options for a busy campus lifestyle.

Wellness Tip:

Organic produce contains fewer pesticides, is often fresher than non-organic options, and does not contain any antibiotics or growth hormones.

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If possible, choose organic options for the “dirty dozen” foods: strawberries, spinach, kale, nectarines, apples, grapes, peaches, cherries, pears, tomatoes, celery, and potatoes. These are the produce items that typically contain the most pesticides in conventional farming.

Enjoy some time socializing or self-care on the patio or around the fire pit! The best source of vitamin D for the body comes from something you might not expect – the sun! When your skin is exposed to sunlight, vitamin D synthesis occurs, which allows your body to absorb calcium. This space also represents utilizing the social dimension of well-being. Bring some friends and enjoy the relaxed atmosphere!.

Did you know?

The best source of vitamin D for the body comes from something you might not expect – the sun! When your skin is exposed to sunlight, vitamin D synthesis occurs, which allows your body to absorb calcium. This is an essential mineral for maintaining strong and healthy bones.

Wellness Tip:

While sunlight provides our body with good amounts of vitamin D, it is also important to wear sunscreen daily with an SPF of at least 30. This can protect your skin from dangerous amounts of UVB rays.

Try This:

Take your studies outside to the Well-Being Center patio. If you’ll be out there for longer than 20 minutes, however, don’t forget your sunscreen!

The demonstration kitchen is committed to promoting lifelong culinary and nutrition skills through cooking demonstrations and classes. These programs encourage and promote healthy eating with fresh, minimally processed ingredients while also building community among students, staff, and faculty. Located in the Well-Being Center, we strive to build strong nutrition habits and create a culture of health and wellness through food.

Participants are empowered to make balanced food choices, understand good nutrition practices, and learn cooking techniques. Demonstrations are taught by the UR registered dietitians, UR chefs and guest chefs from the Richmond area.

Did You Know?

Learning new cooking skills can improve your nutrition. When you cook, you’re a part of the meal process from start to finish and become more in tune with what you’re putting on your plate and in your body.

Wellness Tip:

To create a well rounded meal, aim to incorporate a good source of carbohydrates, a lean protein, a healthy fat, and a fruit and vegetable at every meal. Learn more about how to do this during a class at the demonstration kitchen!

Try This:

Join us for cooking demonstrations, food samples, and fun, interactive classes at our brand new demonstration kitchen!

Mindfulness is the quality of being present and fully engaged with whatever you’re doing at the moment — free from distraction or judgment, and aware of your thoughts and feelings without getting caught up in them. Mindfulness improves well-being, physical health, and mental health. Enjoy some time in the meditation garden to engage in the here and now!

Did you know?

Mindfulness is the quality of being present and fully engaged with whatever you’re doing at the moment — free from distraction or judgment, and aware of your thoughts and feelings without getting caught up in them

Wellness Tip:

Mindfulness improves well-being, physical health, and mental health.

Try This:

Take a seat and set a time limit. Notice your body and feel your breath following the sensation of your breath as it goes out and as it goes in. Notice when your mind has wandered and be kind to your wandering mind.

These rooms have multiple functions that promote well-being. When the room is not utilized for massage, feel free to spend time practicing mindfulness techniques and fining your balance. The room will also offer massage therapy. Massage therapy relieves stress, encourages relaxation, improves posture and circulation, lowers blood pressure, and helps manage pain. Massage therapy also enhances postoperative rehabilitation, improves rehabilitation after injury, and manages fibromyalgia pain naturally.

Did you know?

Massage is regarded as one of the oldest, known to human, health care services. It was used in China, India, Japan and we can even see it on the walls of Egyptian tombs.

Wellness Tip:

Massage therapy relieves stress, encourages relaxation, improves posture and circulation, lowers blood pressure, and helps manage pain. Massage therapy also enhances postoperative rehabilitation, improves rehabilitation after injury, and manages fibromyalgia pain naturally.

Try This:

After a day on your feet, sit down and roll a tennis ball or small rubber ball under the entire surface of the foot including the heel, arch and toes. Roll it back and forth using mild pressure.

The massage chairs are available on first-come-first-serve basis. Located in a quite part of the building, these chairs will provide relaxation and will provide well-being benefits to the body. The sleep pods will also be located in this area. The National Sleep Foundation recommends that young adults (age 18-25) average 7-9 hours of sleep every night for optimal emotional and physical wellbeing. Naps are beneficial, but try to keep them under 30 minutes for a quick energy boost without feeling groggy. Also try to keep a consistent sleep and wake schedule -- even on the weekends!

Did you know?

The National Sleep Foundation recommends that young adults (age 18-25) average 7-9 hours of sleep every night for optimal emotional and physical wellbeing.

Wellness Tips for Better Sleep:

Naps are beneficial, but try to keep them under 30 minutes for a quick energy boost without feeling groggy. Also try to keep a consistent sleep and wake schedule -- even on the weekends! In addition, regular exercise helps reduce the time it takes to fall asleep, and research shows it can provide almost an hour more sleep at night.

Try This:

Figure out what time you need to wake up in the morning to have a productive start to your day. Then, backtrack to figure out what time you need to be in bed (and asleep!) to get your 7-9 hours.

Halotherapy, also known as salt therapy, is a natural therapy that involves inhaling salt-infused air in a controlled environment, typically a salt room or salt cave. The therapy can help alleviate respiratory and skin conditions by reducing inflammation, improving mucus clearance, providing antimicrobial effects, as well as relieving stress. It’s often used as a complementary treatment for conditions like asthma, allergies, bronchitis, and eczema. In the salt room, you are invited to rest on comfortable chairs surrounded by the calming glow of pure Himalayan salt crystals, while breathing in the dry salt aerosol.

Did you know?

Salt therapy, or halotherapy, traces back to ancient times, when people observed the health benefits of salt caves. In the 19th century, a Polish physician noticed the improved respiratory health of salt miners, leading to modern salt therapy practices.

Wellness Tip:

We recommend incorporating regular sessions in the salt room into your wellness routine. These sessions typically last around 45 minutes to an hour, during which you can relax and inhale the salt-infused air. Consistency is key, so aim for weekly or bi-weekly visits to maximize the potential benefits for respiratory conditions like asthma, allergies, and bronchitis, as well as skin conditions like eczema and psoriasis and aiding in stress reduction.

Try This:

Close your eyes, focus on your breath, and allow yourself to relax deeply. The salt-infused air may help enhance your meditation experience by promoting a sense of calmness and relaxation. Try to let go of any distractions and bring your attention inward, allowing the soothing atmosphere to support your practice.

The Mind-Body Studio will provide multiple modalities of instruction for optimal well-being. These will be a combination of instructor-lead and self-guided formats that will increase flexibility and muscle strength, improves respiration, energy and vitality, protects from injury, decreases stress, and relieves anxiety.

Did you know?

Yoga originated in India. Yoga is one of the oldest physical disciplines in existence and is over 5,000 years old.

Wellness Tip:

Yoga combines body postures, breathing and meditation. Yoga increases flexibility and muscle strength, improves respiration, energy and vitality, protects from injury, decreases stress, and relieves anxiety.

Try This:

Cat Pose – Start on your hands and knees in a "tabletop" position. Make sure your knees are set directly below your hips and your wrists, elbows and shoulders are in line and perpendicular to the floor. Center your head in a neutral position, eyes looking at the floor. As you exhale, round your spine toward the ceiling, making sure to keep your shoulders and knees in position. Release your head toward the floor, but don’t force your chin to your chest. Inhale, coming back to neutral "tabletop" position on your hands and knees.

The Peer Educator & Advocacy Suite is designed to accommodate our numerous peer education and advocacy student groups and allow them to meet, collaborate, and coordinate their many events and programs throughout the year. Peer-led education programs play a valuable role in student development by offering opportunities for involvement in leadership, experiential learning, and training or shadowing programs for future health professions. Look for trainings to join one of our peer education and advocacy student groups throughout the year.

Did you know?

The Peer Educator & Advocacy Suite is designed to accommodate our numerous peer education and advocacy student groups and allow them to meet, collaborate, and coordinate their many events and programs throughout the year.

Wellness Tip:

Peer-led education programs play a valuable role in student development by offering opportunities for involvement in leadership, experiential learning, and training or shadowing programs for future health professions.

Try This:

Look out for trainings to join one of our peer education and advocacy student groups throughout the year.

A labyrinth is a walking meditation maze that goes back almost 5,000 years. It only has one path and there are no dead ends. Walking in a labyrinth can help you relax and feel at peace, open the flow of creativity, and cope with grief and loss. While walking in the labyrinth, quiet your mind and be aware of your breath. Allow yourself to find the pace your body wants to go, and allow others to pass you or know that you may pass others.

Did you know?

A labyrinth is a walking meditation maze that goes back almost 5,000 years. It only has one path and there are no dead ends.

Wellness Tip:

Walking in a labyrinth can help you relax and feel at peace, open the flow of creativity, and cope with grief and loss.

Try This:

While walking in the labyrinth, quiet your mind and be aware of your breath. Allow yourself to find the pace your body wants to go, and allow others to pass you or know that you may pass others.

Self-care is any activity that we do deliberately in order to take care of our mental, emotional, and physical health. Although it’s a simple concept in theory, it’s something we very often overlook. Good self-care is a key tool to use to improve your mood and reduce anxiety. It’s also a crucial element to a good relationship with oneself and others. The Self-Care Resource Center will contain elements for the five senses, and provide an opportunity to relax and rejuvenate!

Did you know?

Self-care is any activity that we do deliberately in order to take care of our mental, emotional, and physical health. Although it’s a simple concept in theory, it’s something we very often overlook.

Wellness Tip:

Good self-care is a key tool to use to improve your mood and reduce anxiety. It’s also a crucial element to a good relationship with oneself and others.

Try This:

Have a seat and take your blood pressure every once in a while. If you find that your numbers are consistently above 120/80, consider making an appointment at the Student Health Center.