Tag Archives: Yoga

Nurturing Self-Awareness in Grade 4

Grade 4 recently completed a special 8-week class called, My Body My Friend. The class was taught by Hamlin parent, Ginger Braun.

Ms. Braun shares more:

The purpose of My Body My Friend is to inspire girls to have a loving, nurturing, and supportive relationship with their body so they can experience self-love and self-confidence, thus igniting a foundation for full self-expression. This experience is created by using a multidisciplinary approach including mindfulness, yoga, coaching tools, journaling, art, and music.  We consciously placed this program right before the health and puberty unit so the girls can use this foundation of friendship to accept the many changes her body will go through, and navigate both personal and social situations with greater ease and self-awareness. 

For example, each girl has practiced using affirmations and learned ways in which our bodies listen to us and how we need to listen to our body.  We turned up the volume of the Inner BFF and turned the volume down super low for the Inner Critic in order to practice kindness. We explored the concept of “Acceptance” and what needs to be released in order to fully move into a place of unconditional love for oneself. 

Our girls really enjoyed the various activities and exercises involved with the class.

May You Be Well: Professional Development Day

This year’s theme is May You Be Well. The words are derived from a Buddhist blessing and set us forth to take care of each other and our community throughout the school year. This means we strive for balance, and work to enrich and focus on our relationships, while continuing to create an excellent academic program. May You Be Well is a theme that also encourages our faculty to model a positive example for students, demonstrating how we can live and work with less stress.

On the morning of November 1, Hamlin employees let go of their laptops and put wellness into practice. The day started with inspiring words from our Head of School, Wanda M. Holland Greene, followed by a meditation session led by Hamlin parent, Ara Goolumian. At 9 a.m. employees departed for various self-selected activities.

Personal wellness included:

Yoga, Zumba, Meditation, Hiking in the Presidio, and Mindful Eating

Two groups also visited Compass Family Services and North Beach Citizens to learn about how those organizations are helping to support wellness for people facing homelessness.

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Welcome Back to Hamlin, “May You Be Well”

On August 21, 2017, The Hamlin School welcomed back all faculty to start a new school year. This year’s theme is May You Be Well. The words are derived from a Buddhist blessing and set us forth to take care of each other and our community throughout the school year. This means we will strive for balance, and work to enrich and focus on our relationships, while continuing to create an excellent academic program. May You Be Well is a theme that also encourages our faculty to model a positive example for students, demonstrating how we can live and work with less stress.

Throughout the opening week various faculty members led wellness activities. These included: A brisk neighborhood walk, relaxing on the roof, mindfulness, pilates, climbing, yoga, singing, and art making. On Friday afternoon faculty had the opportunity to spend a full hour doing one of the following activities: SoulCycle, walking, Zumba, yoga.

Willow Hagge, (Director of Extended Day and Co-Curricular Programs) shared the following about the emphasis on health and wellness.

The week provided a chance for faculty to care for themselves, mind, body, spirit. It’s a stressful time of year. We wanted faculty and staff to have moments to pause and rejuvenate as they prepared for the school year.