Self Care Isn't Selfish

Lindsay Culligan '25

Also known as the New Year New Me Winter Experience, students in Self Care had a chance to immerse themselves in self care rituals while readying for another year around the sun. A crowd of about thirty girls gathered each morning in the orchestra room to set their daily intentions with a yoga practice. From high intensity to a yin, stretch-based class, instructor Dana Watson guided our bodies for an hour before the activities began. Some practices required us to be mindful of our surroundings and what we put in our bodies: Dana’s cacao heart opening ceremony was a guided meditation and centered the energy of our hearts as we sipped on homemade cacao. Also in relation to food intuition, Chef Julie gave us a mindful eating presentation, touching on how we can be more aware of what we put in our bodies while using the five senses. 

Fitness classes also allowed students to tap into their athletic side as we met with multiple instructors throughout the week. Lexi Chambers, a Nardin alum from Sweat Society on Hertel, visited the Fitness Center and ran a class that essentially functioned as a boot camp. Lexi directed students through core-oriented workouts like mountain climbers and planks. Though the process was tiring at the moment, the result after an intense workout is always rewarding. The Nardin bus hauled our group to Revolution cycle studio on Main Street as well. Once again, Nardin alums Jessie and Ariana guided us through a cycling class first then a fitness session after. The “self care” experience was all the more enamoring in an aesthetically pleasing gym with fun music, and Revolution certainly checked those boxes.

The cycling studio was not our only excursion that week: we had the opportunity to travel to both the Botanical Gardens and Albright Knox. Touring the gardens provided us a chance to quite literally stop and smell the flowers, an experience we especially enjoyed after several mindfulness activities. It is also safe to say the new and improved AKG Gallery did not disappoint. Tour guides led us through the visual utopia, encouraging us to ask questions and ponder the art; our trip was truly a chance for students to unwind and evaluate life around them, a common theme throughout the week. The self care journey allowed students to get in tune with their bodies, minds, and hearts thanks to the guidance of several visitors. In preparation for the annual clean slate we call New Year, this wintermission has proved to its participants that self care really is necessary, not selfish.