C.W. Post Hosts Wellness Day: Pathways to Health

Students making mandala art as instructor Laurence Rosania watches	Students receive a relaxing massage	From left: Amy Wysoker, Tiffany Carollo, Nora Love-Retinger, Danielle Meade, Lance Levy

Brookville, N.Y. – The first step toward a healthier lifestyle involves taking stock of one’s health. And that’s precisely what hundreds of students, faculty and staff did at the 4th Annual "Wellness Day: Pathways to Health" event on Thursday, February 28, 2008 at the C.W. Post Campus of Long Island University. The events took place in Hillwood Commons and the Pratt Recreation Center.

Sponsored by the C.W. Post Wellness Committee, which is comprised of student groups, faculty departments and the Division of Student Affairs, Wellness Day featured interactive workshops where members of the Campus community had an opportunity to learn about their personal wellbeing and ways to improve their health.

From left: Graduate students Nicole Gerard and Danielle Peyser, also Dr. Karen MacLennan offered participants Wellness Day hearing screenings.

Events included power massages, yoga and stretching demonstrations, blood pressure, cholesterol and hearing screenings, cardiovision, which measures the pliability of arteries, mandala making, an artistic method of reducing stress by creating beautiful circular drawings, and guided imagery and alcohol and gambling screenings. In addition, several registered nurses were on hand to discuss health concerns such as cancer, and a psychologist shared information about mental illness. Certified personal trainers were available to answer questions about exercise and common do’s and don’ts to getting started in the gym. Nutritionists offered healthy food choices, and a representative from the American Cancer Society highlighted the importance of sun safety using Dermascan technology to illustrate the harmful effects of sun exposure on participants’ faces. In honor of Heart Month, the American Heart Association offered body mass index measurements to Wellness Day participants.

“Wellness Day: Pathways to Health” was a successful, fun and interactive way to educate people about the importance of maintaining good health by understanding the connection between mind and body health, said William Milford, director of C.W. Post’s Student Health and Counseling Center.