Wellness Courses

In collaboration with Physical Education, Recreation, and Athletics (PERA), the Center for Well-Being offers wellness courses as an option for completing the Wellness and Physical Education (WPE) requirement.  Wellness courses are numbered WPE 1600 to 1999 for students to easily identify the wellness courses that fulfill the WPE requirement.

Approved Wellness Courses for the Wellness and PE (WPE) Requirement (Course numbers WPE 1600 to 1999)

WPE 1601 Insight Program

WPE 1601 Insight Program

The Insight Program provides students with skills, knowledge, and experiences that help them thrive in their transition to WPI. In collaboration with their Insight Team, students create a personalized first year experience that incorporates relationship building with their Insight Advisor as well as programmatic participation in five key areas: Academic Growth, Personal Development, Mental Health and Well Being, Diversity, Equity, and Belonging, and Social Engagement.

WPE 1610 Approaches to Holistic Wellness

Introductory course designed to acquaint students with knowledge and skills necessary to make choices that foster health and well-being. 

WPE 1611 Introduction to Mindfulness

MIEA Intro to Mindfulness is an evidence-based mindfulness curriculum designed for college aged adults by the Mindfulness Institute for Emerging Adults (MIEA). During this course, you will learn useful, practical tools to help manage your stress and increase self-compassion.  Students will practice a variety of meditation skills, engage with the MIEA Mobile App, read the companion book, and participate in class discussion.   

WPE 1612 Introductory Yoga

This yoga class focuses on connecting the mind, body, and spirit through an awareness of breath. Participating in yoga can improve core strength, flexibility, balance, mindfulness, and relaxation and decrease stress. Those with any level of yoga experience (including first timers) are welcome.

WPE 1613: Succeeding as an Introvert (Cat I)

Does spending time in crowds or at a party wear you out? Do you enjoy time alone? Does the thought of working on a team make you nervous? Are you quiet around your classmates? Do you tend to avoid small talk or get tongue-tied in large groups? Would you rather think about a problem than discuss it with others? If you answered “yes” to several of these questions, this course is for you. Society puts a strong emphasis on extroversion, and those who frequently speak up get more attention and often advance professionally more quickly than their more reserved peers. Yet some of our greatest thinkers and leaders have been introverts. 

While the teamwork culture of WPI and most professions can present challenges to introverts, career success depends on the ability to work with others. This course will help introverted students learn to thrive at college and throughout their careers. Students will learn about the nature of introversion, including the strengths and challenges of being an introvert. Students will also learn personal and professional skills, such as how to successfully work on a team, present to an audience, manage their energy levels, and have difficult conversations with others.

Special Topic Wellness Courses

WPI offers several variations of the Special Topics in the Holistic Well-Being (WPE 1699) course. This course provides an opportunity for students to learn about a special topic in holistic wellbeing. The topics are subject to change on a rotating basis to provide flexibility in the offerings based upon student interest and the latest practice and science of well-being. 

 

Varied special topics course offerings within WPE 1699

  • WPE 1699- Special Topics in Holistic Well-Being: Intuitive Eating
    • Intuitive Eating (IE) is defined a positive mind-body integration of instinct, emotion, and rational thought. It is an individual process of honoring our health by paying attention to the senses of our body and meeting our physical and emotional needs. This 7 week PE course will outline the 10 Principles of Intuitive Eating as developed by Evelyn Tribole and Alyse Resch, Registered Dietitians. Its participants will understand the possible physical and mental benefits of incorporating IE into their individual lifestyles. Each class will involve interactive activities/worksheets to highlight the topic of that class. This class is not designed for those students with an active or  history of eating disorders. Please contact me directly if you have any concerns I should be aware of.
  • WPE 1699- Special Topics in Holistic Well-Being: Exploring the Impact of Nutrition on Brain, Body and Planet
    • This course is designed to introduce and educate its participants on multiple facets of nutrition and explore varied current topics of nutrition today. Students will understand how food and beverage choices impact their everyday lives and the environment. Over the course of the term we will discuss multiple current nutritional trends and learn how to become an educated consumer while navigating the complex world of nutritional messaging. Each class will involve interactive activities to highlight the topic of that class.
  • WPE 1699- Special Topics in Holistic Well-Being: Pranayama: An Introduction to Yogic Breathing  
    • Pranayama, one of the eight limbs of yoga, is an essential component of traditional yoga practice, which uses breath control to harness energy. Pranayama is a type of meditation technique that involves various methods for controlling breathing with the goal of withdrawing one’s senses from the outside world. Its purpose is to connect body and mind, increase the flow of oxygen to the body, and provide physiological benefits. 
  • WPE 1699- Special Topics in Holistic Well-Being: Finding Joy in the Visual Arts
    • This course introduces students to the aesthetic benefits that works of visual art impart as a means to promote well-being. Participating in Museum gallery discussions will foster social connection, as students learn the tools of visual analysis needed for a thoughtful understanding of paintings, sculptures, and works of decorative art. Brief but relevant supplementary readings and video material related to the appreciation of beauty in art will enhance the experience of perceiving qualities inherent in emotional responses to an artwork. 
  • WPE 1699- Special Topics in Holistic Well-Being: Sophomore Success
    • In this Sophomore Success course, students will gain valuable insight into several facets of the WPI experience along with important skills and abilities to successfully navigate their second year at WPI. This course will cover topics such as building and creating habitual time management, self-care, and organizational skills while learning how to apply for an Interactive Qualifying Project, track academic progress at WPI, and explore potential career, internship, and co-op opportunities. These topics will be presented by the course instructor and guest speakers from student resource offices across WPI.