"I am so happy you are interested in provided our youth with this important and life saving information! There has never been a time when this work was more needed."

-Selena Jane Wilson

The Art and Science

of

Well-being

*a UCOP approved a-g course

course objective

This course introduces students to the benefits of nutrition, lifestyle, and meditative exercises and how these practices can improve academic performance, relationships to self and others, and enhance overall well-being. In today’s fast paced culture, people are becoming more and more susceptible to anxiety and other disorders that result from an overall lack of balance, and neglect of personal well-being. This course will give students practical tools and knowledge to navigate the academic and emotional rollercoaster which defines young adulthood with more confidence and self control. Throughout the course, students will use collaboration processes, oral communication, presentation and creative problem solving to strengthen and apply their knowledge of course content and how it relates to their health and learning capacities. Students will take an online survey of their overall sense of well-being at the beginning and end of the course for signs of transformation.

course rationale

“We need all of our emotions for thinking, problem solving, and focused attention. We are neurobiologically wired, and to learn anything, our minds must be focused and our emotions need to "feel" in balance. Emotional regulation is necessary so that we can remember, retrieve, transfer, and connect all new information to what we already know. When a continuous stream of negative emotions hijacks our frontal lobes, our brain's architecture changes, leaving us in a heightened stress-response state where fear, anger, anxiety, frustration, and sadness take over our thinking, logical brains.”-Dr.Lori Desautels.

Through stress management techniques, proper diet, and self regulation and reflection, our students will be better able to achieve peak performance in any and all endeavors.

course description

The Art and Science of Well-being is a one year interdisciplinary elective course that integrates physical and biological sciences, social sciences, and the arts to explore stress management and peak performance techniques. Well-being , including stress management, is critical for students capacity for learning, thinking critically, and taking action. Through active learning techniques, students will explore scientific research, applied physical practice, reflective journaling, hands-on projects, readings, and cooperative learning activities; students will acquire tools for achieving balance in life. Studies will include mindfulness and meditation, yoga, the power of language, and food as medicine. An emphasis on the relationship between well-being and the ability to learn effectively be woven throughout the course.

Taking a holistic view of wellness, students will examine the results of meditation and mindfulness practices, yoga, the power of language, connection to nature, and artistic engagement on physiological health.

Students will learn about the science of learning and peak performance and anatomical systems in order to understand the impact of their environment, lifestyle, and thought patterns on their ability to learn and thrive. Knowledge of anatomy will also assist them in adopting a safe and effective personal yoga practice. Stress management and health enhancing techniques will include:

Power of Language: thought patterning through intentional use of language, exposure to media and personalities of influence, language as energy, personal mantras
Meditation and Mindfulness Practices: Qigong, gratitude cultivation, visualization, negative thought cessation, yoga, tai-chi
Intuitive Arts: mandalas, doodling, zen garden building, coloring, self portraits, color fields
Food and Nature as Medicine: studying common useful plants, connecting to nature, nutrition for brains and hormones

* You can find the course outline online at the UCOP under the course abbreviation WellB. If you would like to consult with me about planning, pacing, assessing, customizing, or any other support in integrating this course, please send an email and we can schedule a time to review your needs.