News
Body and SOUL
Health and wellness initiatives in our SOUL program
Shawnigan Lake School’s SOUL (Shawnigan Online Unique Learning) program was developed with care, purposefully designed to deliver a holistic education. An important aspect of regular School Life is the health and wellness of each student and staff member, and our newly branded “Body and SOUL” branch of the SOUL program was designed to address these important needs. This week we saw the launch of two exciting “Body and SOUL” initiatives.
Head of Dance Kelli McLeod identified the need to take care of our bodies at a time when we are out of our regular routines, and is offering a weekly stretching session for the Shawnigan community, aptly named “Stretching from Head to SOLE.”
“If you think about a regular school day at Shawnigan, students move around campus from one building to another as they move from class to class – not to mention activities, practices, inter-house events, running to make sign-in… Our bodies are constantly moving!” says Mrs. McLeod. “However, now that we are spending more time sitting and physical activity has been limited, it is more important than ever to find the time to stretch. Muscles will get sore and tight, which will cause pain and potential future injuries.”
As a dancer, Mrs. McLeod understands the importance of caring for her body, and now she hopes to pass that awareness on to the rest of the School. “We only have one body and it is our responsibility to take care of it,” she stresses. “Stretching is more important than people acknowledge and is not just for athletes! Every single body benefits from stretching regularly.”
Thanks to the power of technology, Mrs. McLeod can lead each session from her home, and students, parents and staff can follow along wherever they may be. The recent sunshine even enabled her to lead the first session from her backyard!
“Once it becomes a habit, stretching improves your quality of life, with stronger, more flexible bodies, less pain and a chance to breathe and release tension and stress,” she concludes.
Athletic therapist Jennifer Massingham is offering another way for our community members to relieve their tension: meditation for anxiety and stress. Ms Massingham, who has her Masters of Sport and Exercise Psychology, has designed these weekly sessions to provide mental training so that students will have more tools to deal with stress and anxiety – important at any time, but of particular relevance in these unusual times.
“I’ve been doing mental training sessions with several of our competitive teams and athletes since 2013,” explains Ms Massingham. “The mental training sessions involve breath work, words and images to evoke feelings of confidence, relaxation and focusing on specific tasks unique to each group or individual. I wanted to open up these sessions to the entire student population for anyone who needs it.”
Whether these practices are new to them or not, there is much for participants to take away from these exercises. “My hope is to provide the students with an opportunity once a week to take a pause, breathe and relax the body and the mind,” shares Ms Massingham. She explains that she will focus on mindful breathing and learning the power of imagery and words on health and well-being during these Zoom sessions.
The importance of calming the mind at this time is not lost on Ms Massingham. “We are currently in a time of great societal anxiety and uncertainty and many are feeling a loss of control in their surroundings,” she says. “Meditation helps us gain a sense of control over our breath, our bodies and our minds. Calming the body and the mind helps our ability to react to change, the uncertainty of what’s to come, and the sadness we may be experiencing from the changes to the remainder of our school year.”
We encourage all Shawnigan students and their families to participate in these nourishing “Body and SOUL” activities!
Head of Dance Kelli McLeod identified the need to take care of our bodies at a time when we are out of our regular routines, and is offering a weekly stretching session for the Shawnigan community, aptly named “Stretching from Head to SOLE.”
“If you think about a regular school day at Shawnigan, students move around campus from one building to another as they move from class to class – not to mention activities, practices, inter-house events, running to make sign-in… Our bodies are constantly moving!” says Mrs. McLeod. “However, now that we are spending more time sitting and physical activity has been limited, it is more important than ever to find the time to stretch. Muscles will get sore and tight, which will cause pain and potential future injuries.”
As a dancer, Mrs. McLeod understands the importance of caring for her body, and now she hopes to pass that awareness on to the rest of the School. “We only have one body and it is our responsibility to take care of it,” she stresses. “Stretching is more important than people acknowledge and is not just for athletes! Every single body benefits from stretching regularly.”
Thanks to the power of technology, Mrs. McLeod can lead each session from her home, and students, parents and staff can follow along wherever they may be. The recent sunshine even enabled her to lead the first session from her backyard!
“Once it becomes a habit, stretching improves your quality of life, with stronger, more flexible bodies, less pain and a chance to breathe and release tension and stress,” she concludes.
Athletic therapist Jennifer Massingham is offering another way for our community members to relieve their tension: meditation for anxiety and stress. Ms Massingham, who has her Masters of Sport and Exercise Psychology, has designed these weekly sessions to provide mental training so that students will have more tools to deal with stress and anxiety – important at any time, but of particular relevance in these unusual times.
“I’ve been doing mental training sessions with several of our competitive teams and athletes since 2013,” explains Ms Massingham. “The mental training sessions involve breath work, words and images to evoke feelings of confidence, relaxation and focusing on specific tasks unique to each group or individual. I wanted to open up these sessions to the entire student population for anyone who needs it.”
Whether these practices are new to them or not, there is much for participants to take away from these exercises. “My hope is to provide the students with an opportunity once a week to take a pause, breathe and relax the body and the mind,” shares Ms Massingham. She explains that she will focus on mindful breathing and learning the power of imagery and words on health and well-being during these Zoom sessions.
The importance of calming the mind at this time is not lost on Ms Massingham. “We are currently in a time of great societal anxiety and uncertainty and many are feeling a loss of control in their surroundings,” she says. “Meditation helps us gain a sense of control over our breath, our bodies and our minds. Calming the body and the mind helps our ability to react to change, the uncertainty of what’s to come, and the sadness we may be experiencing from the changes to the remainder of our school year.”
We encourage all Shawnigan students and their families to participate in these nourishing “Body and SOUL” activities!
We acknowledge with respect the Coast Salish Peoples on whose traditional lands and waterways we live, learn and play. We are grateful for the opportunity to share in this beautiful region, and we aspire to healthy and respectful relationships with those who have lived on and cared for these lands for millennia.
Shawnigan Lake School is an independent co-educational boarding school for ages 13 –18 on Canada’s beautiful West Coast. Our diverse, interdisciplinary and innovative programming helps shape the next generation of global leaders.
