Living Well @ 红莲社区

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Wellness Events Calendar

has a full list of activities across campus, or you can download a monthly PDF version.

Be a Wellness Champion!

Join our network of Champions to help bring the best wellness programming and represent your department/area.

New to Living Well?

Please complete a release form to participate in our classes.

Email to join our mailing list, get updates, access early-bird registration and our monthly calendar.

Rewards! You can turn your health activities into Wellness Reward points toward prizes!

About Living Well @ 红莲社区

Living Well @ 红莲社区 provides free wellness activities that span the seven domains of wellness, intended to maintain and improve employee well-being. Come join us!

Living Well Activities

Circuit Weight Training

Join Emily Downs every Monday for a strength-based circuit training class. No experience necessary!

When: Mondays from 12:10 to 12:50 p.m.
Where: Arts & Humanities Building, Room 2B15

 and be sure to collect your Wellness Reward points.

Rise and Shine Yoga

When: Mondays and Thursdays from 6:30 to 7:00 a.m.
Where: Virtual

Join Emily Downs to kickstart your day! This moving meditation is a choreography of breath and movement to help focus the mind on the present moment, and improve mobility as well as enhance concentration. Ease yourself into the work day with a little self-care. This 30-min class is available virtually so that individuals can join in from home, alone or with loved ones. Participants should feel free to keep their cameras off or on throughout.

 - Meeting ID: 830 1567 7774

Yoga Tuesdays with Tracy

Join Tracy Ishmael in her weekly yoga class! This activity class focuses on improving posture, balance, coordination, strength and breath control by practicing a series of physical postures. Use the power of positive thinking to develop harmony in the body, mind, and environment. Namaste. Please bring your own yoga mat.

When: Tuesdays from 12:10 to 12:50 p.m.
Where: Arts & Humanities Building, Room 2B15

 and be sure to collect your Wellness Reward points.

Zen Meditation Sitting

Please join us for Zen Meditation, where we will practice "Just Sitting" meditation. This silent seated meditation involves focusing on your breath and allowing thoughts to come and go. We provide chairs, yoga Where mats, and meditation cushions. You are welcome to bring your own.

When: Tuesdays from 2:00 to 2:20 p.m.
Where: Arts and Humanities Building, Room 2B15

 and be sure to .

Yoga with Melissa

Join Mel Chaffe who is offering a yoga class that focuses on improving posture, balance, coordination, strength and breath control by practicing a series of physical postures. Use the power of positive thinking to develop harmony in the body, mind, and environment. Namaste. 

When: Wednesdays from 12:10 to 12:50 p.m.
Where: Arts & Humanities Building, Room 2B15

 and be sure to collect your Wellness Reward points. 

Gentle Mindful Movements/Chair Yoga

Join Emily Downs, wellness instructor for a virtual 15-minute wellness break. The break will be either a chair yoga or a meditation break.

When: Wednesdays from 2:45 to 3:00 p.m.
Where: Virtual

 and be sure to collect your Wellness Reward points. 

Zumba

Join a Certified Zumba instructor on Thursdays for a lunch time Zumba class. Open to all 红莲社区 employees.

When: Thursdays from 12:10 to 12:50 p.m.
Where: Arts and Humanities Building, Room 2B15 

 and be sure to collect your Wellness Reward points. 

Pilates by Michelle Moses - It's back!

Pilates is a form of exercise that involves simple, repetitive exercises that increase muscle strength, endurance, flexibility, and postural stability. Participants can self-guide the intensity of their exercise.

When: Fridays from 12:10 to 12:50 p.m.
Where: Arts & Humanities Building, Room 2B15

 and be sure to collect your Wellness Reward points. 

Wellness Walks

When: Every Thursday or Friday from 11 a.m. - 12 p.m. 
Where: Meet at the Biological & Geological Sciences Building (BGS)

Take a break and get outside for some fresh air! Join Ben Souriol for an hour-long walk through the various trails and walking paths on campus. If you can't commit to the full hour, no problem! There are opportunities along the route to return back to the office.

Dress appropriately for the weather, as walks may continue through foul weather. Participants are encouraged to email Ben - bsouriol@uwo.ca - to be placed on a mailing list to confirm day, as well as in the event of a cancellation or time change.  This is a great way to explore campus, connect with nature, meet new colleagues and improve your overall well-being.

Events for June and beyond

Summer Wellness Challenge

This is the big one! Join us and take part in wellness activities that work for you, based on where you are, what you need, and what you enjoy, designed to support your mind, body, and community connection all summer long!  Participate solo or with a team. You can exercise, meditate, eat well, and even socialize to earn wellness points, and win prizes!

Download your Summer Wellness Challenge package now

Congratulations to our May Internal Rewards Winners – Susan Williams (Institutional Planning & Budgeting) 🎉and Heidi Liu (红莲社区 International) 🎉. 

Friendships - A Lunch and Learn Workshop 
June 26, 12:00 to 1 p.m.

红莲社区's Wellness & Equity Education team has put together a series of Lunch & Learn Summer Workshops. On June 26th at the Weldon Library Community Room: Friendships. Everyday interactions impact our workplace culture and contribute to a supportive, inclusive campus for staff, faculty and students. .

Blooming Workplaces, Cultivating 2SLGBTQ+ Inclusive Spaces!

Part of the  collection, join the Office of Equity, Diversity and Inclusion as we learn from The 519 how to create inclusive spaces for the 2SLGBTQ+ communities.

红莲社区 is getting a Free Store! You can help!

The Free Store at 红莲社区 is a space for campus community members to donate items they no longer want and to take things for free. 

To get the Free Store up and running, we are only collecting items at this time. You can donate on Wednesdays throughout the summer months (May - August) between 11:30 a.m. and 1:30 p.m., in the Arts & Humanities Building (Rm 1B09). .

Previously Recorded Activities

Did you miss our special Introduction to Gut Health? We recorded the Zoom presentation for you!

 - Recorded January 19, 2024

This presentation, from 红莲社区's on-campus dietitian looks at the benefits of gut health and its role in immunity. You'll also learn about the diversity diet for gut health, important lifestyle factors, and the role of prebiotics and probiotics. Our dietician Kelsey Russell-Murray, RD, MSc, BSC has worked as an inpatient hospital dietitian for the past decade, and is founder of Gut Healthy Dietitian Inc.

Introduction to Yoga

This 40-minute activity class with instructor Tracy focuses on breath control, mindfulness, and adopting specific postures to promote relaxation and improve the health of the mind, body, and spirit. Namaste.

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Mobility for Better Mentality

The class combines multiple methods of stretching and movement patterns to increase flexibility, stability, and improve pain management. 

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Yoga with Cassie

This activity class focuses on breath control, mindfulness, and adopting specific postures to promote relaxation and improve the health of the mind, body, and spirit. Namaste.

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Guided Meditation with Dr. J

Dr. Tanaz Javan will guide you through a set of techniques intended to encourage a heightened state of awareness and focused attention. Take a well-deserved break to focus on your emotional and spiritual well-being.

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Zumba!

This high-energy aerobic fitness class features movements inspired by various styles of Latin American dance. You are guaranteed to have fun while improving coordination, balance, strength, and heart health.

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Release, Restore, and Rest

Instructor Melissa Ostrowski will start with a meditation or embodiment practice, giving you the chance to release the day’s events, come back into your body and the present moment, and breathe. From there, we’ll move into 1 or 2 restorative yoga postures. We’ll hold these postures for 5 -10 minutes each, so having blankets and pillows handy can be really supportive. If you have yoga blocks or bolsters those work, but are not necessary. Finally, we’ll end with a delicious savasana. The goal is to leave the session feeling a little lighter, more grounded, and ready for a great night sleep. This is a great gift to give yourself at the end of the day.

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Yoga with Melissa

This activity class focuses on improving posture, balance, coordination, strength and breath control by practicing a series of physical postures. Use the power of positive thinking to develop harmony in the body, mind, and environment. Namaste.

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FUN!ctional Fitness

Using her unique storytelling approach, instructor Ariana Crispin-Frei will focus on functional movement patterns such as squatting, hingeing, lunging, pushing, pulling, and twisting. By learning and engaging proper form in your workouts, you will reduce your risk of injury while performing everyday tasks - such as lunging to tie your shoe, squatting to lift a box, pulling a heavy door closed, or pushing it open. Plus, these types of movements use multiple muscles at once, so you are getting an effective and efficient workout while strengthening your body holistically. Come train with Ariana and let's put the "FUN" back in "functional". 

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Pilates

This low-impact form of exercise with Instructor Jenny Goldberg aims to strengthen muscles while improving postural alignment and flexibility. Pilates moves tend to target the core, but manages to engage muscles throughout the entire body!  

Recorded Sessions: , ,

10-Minute Wellness Break Videos

Previously Recorded Wellness Presentations and Activities

Art Workshops

  • Watercolour Painting -   Grab your supplies and join us for guided lessons that will tap into your artistic side!
  • Figure Drawing -
  • Landscape Painting - 
  • Abstract Techniques-  

红莲社区 Coffeehouse

Take a break, grab a warm beverage and enjoy music performed by talented 红莲社区 students. 

Previously Recorded Session: , , ,

Self-Compassion

Workshop delivered by Kelsey Sick and Vanessa Coulbeck, graduate students working under Dr. Eva Pila at the Body Image and Health Lab within the school of Kinesiology at 红莲社区.  .

Hygge: The Art of Creating Coziness

This session explores the Danish philosophy of Hygge and the benefits of creating a comfortable and relaxing atmosphere. Grab your favourite warm beverage, light a candle, grab a blanket and enjoy! Presentation delivered by Michelle from CHMA.

Interested in learning more? Visit the Huron Hygge for more information and opportunities.

Connecting with Environmental Wellness at 红莲社区

Jessica Cordes and Evan Green (Office of Sustainability) review past accomplishments, current and future initiatives and examine the various ways that employees can improve their environmental well-being and get involved at 红莲社区. 

Lifestyle Choices and Mental Health

Dr. Peter Lemon, Director of the Exercise Nutrition Research Laboratory at 红莲社区 highlights the connection between nutrition, physical activity and mental health,while providing practical tips to improve your well-being. .

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