Building student involvement, fostering civic engagement and enhancing community service to advance public health. 

BROUGHT TO YOU BY STUDENT WELLNESS ADVISING

Follow on Instagram @tuftsstudentwellnessadvising

In this issue of the Wellness Newsletter we would love to take time to raise up Black wellness creators, advocates, authors, and leaders. Check out these two articles: Black women in wellness and Black wellness experts for incredible resources, links, and connections to follow-worthy Instagram handles as well as the list below. Black History is American history, and we must  Lift Ev’ry Voice. Check out the community corner section for an art piece by a Gabrielle Milton, D23, and a great recipe from Patrick Lockett, D24.

Yoga Class:

The Underbelly Yoga  with Jessamyn Stanley

Podcast:

Brown Girl Self Care 

Meditational Breathwork:

Black Girls Breathing Podcast 

Book Recommendations:

The Body is Not an Apology by Sonya Renee Taylor 

Blogs to Follow:

Black Girl in Om 

Hippy Potter’s Instagram He posts great “gentle reminders”!

Ongoing Wellness Activities:

Virtual Drop-in meditation – two offerings:

These drop-in group sessions will help you come into the present moment, lower anxiety, reduce isolation, and improve focus/concentration! 

  • The TUSM Mindfulness and Meditation Group is back and is now the Mindfulness, Meditation and Wellness Group (MMWG). The MMWG is open to all students, and we look forward to seeing some new faces! Feel free to reach out to leadership to be added to the listserv (emma.noyes@tufts.edu, alexia.soteropoulos@tufts.edu), and feel free to complete out our anonymous google poll (https://forms.gle/Xmw9Zn5MkVZeA3AE8) with feedback!
  • The next sessions will be held on Wednesday 2/24, Thursday 3/04, and Tuesday 3/09 @ 12pm:

Join Zoom Meeting:

https://tufts.zoom.us/j/94039606817?pwd=cDVkbnIvNG5hWkQ5Y0QralJtR2g2UT09

Meeting ID: 940 3960 6817

Passcode: 001232

  • Every Thursday at 12:30pm, Dr. Christina Pastan, Director, Mind-Body Wellness, School of Dental Medicine offers a 20-minute session which begins with a short talk about an aspect of meditation followed by a guided experience. 

 Join Zoom Meeting:

https://tufts.zoom.us/j/98016256791?pwd=M0JOWUNEbThvSS9sQjVxTG5JYmJpQT09

Virtual Yoga offerings:

Practicing yoga is said to come with many benefits for both mental and physical health. To learn about the benefits of yoga check out the nine-benefits-of-yoga article from John Hopkins Medicine.  In addition, join us during one of the below offerings to get started or to continue your journey.

  • Restorative Yoga offered by Dr. Pastan, via Zoom on Tuesdays at 5:00pm. Wear comfortable clothing and if you have a yoga mat or towel have them available. Please log on 5 minutes before the start of class and get yourself situated for practice. Participants will not to be able to enter the class after 5:10pm.  Participants video will not be seen, and no experience is necessary.  Dr. Pastan is looking forward to seeing you on the mat! 

Join Zoom Meeting: https://tufts.zoom.us/j/94169644334?pwd=YW9wb1k0ZmlweHJxWU4zL2lOSXI1QT09

  • Saturdays Morning Yoga: Facilitated by Kim Daniels, DPT – come find your inner yogi! Zoom link below.

Join Zoom Meeting for Saturday Yoga:

https://tufts.zoom.us/j/95047409372?pwd=M3pRcFU1bmFxWTdGVktFeDJkcHRIdz09

Weekly Step Challenge Saturdays – Fridays at 9:00am EST

The weekly step challenge is going strong! Students have reported that “it is the motivation they need to get moving.” Please record your steps below and we will randomly select a winner from each program at the end of the week. To be eligible for weekly drawings steps must be entered by 9:00am on Fridays.

Winners will receive a GC to Grubhub, Sweetgreen, or Tatte.  Let’s get moving, Jumbos!

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1lneGu48LU1KlTkr76y282BzPj9O0QNPXCNFjKM2q1Ho/edit?usp=sharing

A total of 1,337,494 steps were walked this week. The randomly selected winners are:

Amanda Pomeroy, TUSM/Maine Track

Colleen Oleynik, TUSDMD

Sayuri Sekimitsu, TUSM

Elizabeth Tan, GSBS

Allison Meyer, Friedman

Lauren Moroch, DPT

Nicole Cassarino, MPH

Other Free virtual at home workouts anywhere, anytime:

The city of Boston is offering free virtual work out classes that range from dancing to yoga to strength training. Feel free to check it out here!

Have you tried something fun, new, and exciting during the pandemic? Do you have a story you want to share?

We want to hear from you! We would like for you to share anything you are comfortable sharing with our community, in hopes that we can all feel more connected. Let’s support and inspire each other. 

This week’s Community Corner is dedicated to Black History Month!

In honor of Black History month, here is something to think about – Black History Month is supposed to be a time when we celebrate important Black figures, but also when we discuss why we don’t do that the rest of the year. Hopefully we can start to make the classical community a more welcome place for Black musicians everywhere.  Check out this short conversation: Black performers in classical music.

Hands Up by Gabrielle Milton D’23

My name is Gabrielle Milton and I am currently a D23 at TUSDM. I am from Charleston, South Carolina and graduated from Spelman College in 2019. I am also an artist who focuses on cultural and social injustices through found objects to depict impactful stories. The goal for each of my pieces it to initiate the necessary dialogue.

This piece is entitled “Hands Up” and is dedicated to Black men, Black women, and Black trans individuals who encounter police brutality. “Hands Up” was created in 2014 during the time of Michael Brown’s shooting. Each of the three flashlights say “Ferguson” in honor of his murder which took place in Ferguson, Missouri.  The three flashlights pointing at the car, are to represent to fear many Black people feel when they’re stopped by the police. The idea that “All Eyes are on me.” I use my art as an outlet to express the emotions I have a hard time putting into words. Showing this piece, amongst others at virtual art shows recently helped me raise $600 for Black Lives Matter initiatives and I hope to be able to keep initiating the conversations.

Also, in honor of Black History Month, check out the recipes below!

Granny’s Southern Butter Rolls (The easy way) by Patrick Lockett D’24

My name is Patrick Lockett, and I am currently a D’24 at TUSDM. I grew up in a small town called Aberdeen, Mississippi. Aside from dentistry, I enjoy cooking because I enjoy experimenting with different flavors. When I cook, a lot of my inspiration comes blending flavors or dishes from other cultures and adding my Southern touch to it!

This is my short rendition of one of my grandmother’s many delicious sweet treats. Butter rolls are like cinnamon rolls except they are saturated in a warm, buttery, cinnamon sweet, milk sauce. Some of my fondest memories are fighting with my sister and cousins over the last piece. In the South, everything is “eyeballed” we don’t use exact measurements, so feel free to use your best judgment! This recipe should be easy and fun to make. Just don’t let her know we’re using pre-made dough, she does hers from scratch. Enjoy!

Ingredients

      • Casserole dish
      • 1 can of your favorite croissant dough
      • Non-stick spray oil or flour
      • 1/4 stick of butter 
      • Sugar 
      • Cinnamon 
      • ~ 1 cup of milk 
      • 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract 

Directions

Preheat oven to 350º

      1. Open can of dough and unroll it on floured or oiled surface to prevent the dough from sticking (Don’t tell Granny about this step, she says it’s cheating)
      2. Pinch together all the seams to make a seamless layer of dough 
      3. Melt just enough butter to cover the dough lightly
      4. Grab ~1/4 cup sugar and coat the dough.
      5. Add a layer of cinnamon (I love cinnamon, so I add 2 layers)
      6. Roll lengthwise until you have an even roll
      7. Cut roll into 1-inch slices (should yield about 10 slices)
      8. Place rolls in dish. The filling should be faced upwards
      9. Melt the remaining butter and pour it in the dish
      10. In a separate bowl, add 1 cup of milk, 2/3 cups of sugar, as much cinnamon as you’d like, & 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract. Stir. Warm in microwave for 30s. 
      11. Add contents of bowl to the dish (the goal is to saturate the rolls, if you need more, repeat the previous step
      12. Once rolls are saturated place in the oven at 350º for 25-30 minutes. 
      13. Once complete, serve warm rolls on a plate and enjoy 🙂

Instant Pot/Crock Pot Coconut Black Bean Stew:

This is an easy and soulful recipe brought to you by Jenné

Claiborne of Sweet Potato Soul.

This comforting recipe is super satisfying, full of protein, and great for lunch or dinner. If you do not have an instant pot you can also use a Dutch oven, though an instant pot is recommended. Check out the full recipe here!

The Book Club idea has been tabled for now due to lack of interest, but please do not hesitate to reach out with other suggestions or ideas!

Student Wellness Advising continues to be a friendly and accessible hub of support for all students on the Health Science Campus. The Wellness Advisor, Snaggs, works with all students to offer practical approaches to manage everyday stressors and challenges. Some of the services she provides include:

    • Confidential and private wellness advising
    • Triage and referral to Psychiatrists and Clinicians/therapists as needed
    • Works with students to find Primary Care Physician (PCP) in Greater Boston area

Snaggs is available to talk with you by Zoom or telephone. Any student who would like to schedule an appointment is encouraged to do so. Send an email to Sharon.Snaggs@tufts.edu

Student Wellness Advisory Committee:

The Student Wellness Advisory Committee (SWAC) acts as a liaison to the Student Wellness Advisor.  SWAC is comprised of a diverse group of student volunteers from all programs on the Boston Health Science Campus.

Student Wellness Advisory Committee Members

TalkOne2One

Tufts recognizes the importance of easy access to confidential mental health counseling. Counselors are also available by phone for urgent issues.  Please call 1-800-756-3124, there’s somebody to talk to 24/7/365 days a year. To schedule an appointment only, email tuftscounseling@allonehealth.com

If you would like to be spotlighted, or contribute anything at all to the community corner, such as a recipe, book recommendation, favorite tv show, or anything else, please send an email to Sharon.Snaggs@tufts.edu or Danielle.O_Sullivan@tufts.edu

Have any questions, comments, or insights? Reach out to our Social Work Intern, Danielle!

Danielle is currently attending Boston College for a master’s degree in social work and is our first Social Work Intern. She is excited to be a part of the Student Wellness Advising Team and has a lot of knowledge about nutrition, health and wellness and is passionate about destigmatizing mental health. Please do not hesitate to reach out to her at Danielle.O_Sullivan@tufts.edu