Health & Wellbeing   

Do you have physical limitations that prevent you from participating in a traditional yoga class? Then chair yoga is for you! During our six-week class together, you will learn sequences to open and align the body from a seated position that you can make part of your daily routine. We will also explore meditation and breathing practices that decrease anxiety and generate a positive connection to the body.

Designing a Mindful Life is an interactive course for those who want to create a more intentional, grounded next chapter. Blending evidence-informed life design and mindfulness, this course invites participants to pause, reflect, experiment, and move toward choices that feel aligned with their interests and values. Through guided meditation, creative exercises, reflective writing, and conversation, participants will clarify what matters, recognize patterns that no longer serve them, and imagine new possibilities for work, relationships, creativity, and daily life.

How can you tell what medical technology is truly useful and what is just hype? In this class we will learn to find credible information on wearable devices like fitness trackers, as well as health apps and other medical technology? We will also explore patient portals and insurance-sponsored wearables, including issues of privacy. In addition to sharing what I have learned as a health communicator, I encourage students to share what they have personally tried – from Fitbit to continuous glucose monitors to getting advice from ChatGPT – and whether they recommend them for other seniors. We also discuss the tricky task of talking with your doctor about information from personal devices without overstepping your role as a patient. 

Dr. Zeynep Leuenberger will launch Senior College's new Human Rights series this fall with Human Rights I: Environmental Sustainability, the first course in an ongoing sequence that will continue exploring critical global human rights issues through future offerings, including Human Rights II: The Rights of Women and Children and Human Rights III: Global Educational Access, which will be offered in subsequent semesters.

This course outlines the deep relationship between environmental health and human well-being through human rights and public sector economic lenses. It introduces the basic principles of human rights law and practice tied to environmental sustainability through discussion of key issues such as water quality and scarcity, climate related migration, agriculture and environment, climate change, and pollution mitigation. Finally, the course reviews solutions offered by international non-governmental and governmental organizations.

Drugs, from Caffeine to Heroin, play a striking role in our Society. This course will serve to increase awareness and knowledge about drugs, addiction and their impact on society. Participants will examine their own behavior, learn strategies for prevention and intervention, and explore and debate changing societal norms.

Do you have physical limitations that prevent you from participating in a traditional yoga class? Then chair yoga is for you! Chair yoga II is open to new students, but will extend the sequences from Chair Yoga I. You will learn sequences to open and align the body from a seated position that you can make part of your daily routine. We will also explore meditation and breathing practices that decrease anxiety and generate a positive connection to the body.

Discover China’s rich everyday wisdom—from the soothing warmth of ginger tea to the quiet grace of calligraphy. In six relaxed sessions designed for senior learners, you’ll uncover how food harmonizes your body, why families honor ancestors, how ancient philosophies shape daily life, and why gentle Ba Duan Jin movements (soft, slow Qigong) can calm both body and mind. You’ll try simple brushstrokes, learn easy seated exercises, share cherished memories, and witness how tradition thrives in modern China. No tests, no grades—just vivid stories, compelling images, friendly conversation, and small hands-on discoveries. Join us to connect with new friends, practice gentle, mindful movements, and explore timeless ideas that may even transform how you see your life’s unfolding seasons.

As we move towards winter, yoga II will take a deeper dive into the profound effects of yoga and contemplative practices on mental and physical health. The class will introduce an array of meditative practices you can incorporate into your everyday life. The class will continue with a gentle yoga practice and finish with these simple, easily repeated meditation practices. These techniques improve cognition, decrease anxiety, and generate a centered mind-body state.