Wellness

I often have conversations with students about wellness. Sometimes students want to know what I do to promote my wellbeing, because they are looking for ideas or resources on how to improve their own. Other times, they are simply interested in hearing about what I enjoy learning and doing outside of chemistry. In the spirit of providing some ideas, resources, and conversation-generating information related to wellbeing at least loosely, I've created this page. Reach out if you would like to talk about anything you find here.

(Seattle University offers an excellent and much more comprehensive set of resources related to wellness and health. I encourage you to check them out!)

Mindfulness

Mindfulness is the skill of being attentive to what is happening in the present moment, without pulling it closer and without pushing it away. One way to develop this quality of mind is through the practice of meditation. Slowly, with practice, our attention steadies as we balance interest in what we sense, think, and feel, with a quality of relaxation and ease. This can have many benefits over time for most people, ranging from stress relief and anxiety reduction, to a deeper understanding of and peace with your mind. I have been practicing meditation for over 10 years in the Theravadan/vipassana tradition and more recently the Tibetan tradition as a student of Tsoknyi Rinpoche. I can say without exaggeration that meditation is the most important skill I have been taught. 

When students learn about my practice they sometimes ask me for advice on how to get started. It is possible to learn basic meditation techniques on your own through books and apps. Reach out if you would like some suggestions. There are also many local groups that offer introductory instruction, including Seattle University's EcoSangha. Some of these groups are quite secular in their form; others are more explicitly Buddhist in form. Regardless of how you get started, if you find basic practices interesting and useful, at some point you will want to find a skilled, well-trained, experienced teacher to help you navigate the many difficulties that arise as we look carefully at our inner life. I am not a meditation teacher, but I am happy to discuss what you are looking for and to help you identify resources that might match your needs.  

Enjoying Nature

Going outside even for short periods has myriad documented benefits related to wellness including improved focus, reduced anxiety, improved sleep, and improved self-esteem. I love being outside, and spend as much of my free time as I can outdoors. I love outdoor adventure and exploring new landscapes. Being in spaces touched only lightly by humans makes me feel connection and ease.

Most of my pastimes are excuses to be in beautiful places, encountering the wild. For example, I enjoy the peace and craft of fly fishing . I enjoy hiking and backpacking, especially in the mountains and desert. And I enjoying looking at birds, a pastime I trace back to watching birds with my grandfather on his back porch in western Michigan.

Seattle University has some great outdoor recreation resources and opportunities. So get outside and tell me what you're doing to enjoy yourself out there. And if you'd like some help getting started with fly fishing, hiking, or birding in our area, let me know.  In the meantime, here's some helpful information on these topics.

Fly fishing

Hiking and backpacking

Birding


Craft

I create things because I enjoy having goals. But I also find that the act of creating things can improve my sense of wellbeing. Creating things distracts me from preoccupations and stressors. But at a deeper level, the act of sitting down to create something can serve as a reminder to shift my attention from the product that I will soon have made, to the enjoyable process of making it, now, in this moment.

Woodworking is one of my hobbies. I mostly make furniture, and enjoy using hand tools whenever I can. One of my main woodworking influences is Chris Schwarz who has an excellent blog focused on traditional woodworking. Another fantastic resource is Anne of All Trades. With her instruction you can for example take a crack at carving a wooden spoon with very simple tools.

I enjoying tying flies, both to support my fly fishing hobby, and also just because tying flies is so enjoyable. Once you've acquired a vice, a bobbin, some thread, feathers, and other materials, you're ready to tie. I taught myself how to tie using online videos. I found the beginners course that FlyFishFood offers for free to be particularly helpful when I was getting started. And, there is much to learn from the very high level of skill and precision Charlie Craven demonstrates in his online videos. 

One underappreciated resource now available to you is Seattle University's Maker Space. This is a place available to all students to design and make all sorts of things. I encourage you to check it out!