October Employee Wellness Opportunities

Tuesday, October 1, 2024, 8:00am

TO: Sonoma State Employees
FR: Wellness Program, Payroll and Benefits

Thank you to everyone who participated in last month’s wellness events! We would like to congratulate Samantha Dollinger who is the raffle winner for registering for the Kaiser Health Promotion Classes held during Campus Safety Week. Please reach out to employeewellness@sonoma.edu to schedule a time to collect your prize! The recordings for the September Health Promotion Classes are available on our website through mid-December.

On-Site Health Promotion Classes
Kaiser Permanente will be hosting two on-site health promotion classes this fall. These classes will be held in Salazar 2023 and are open to all employees regardless of your health plan election.

Raffle Drawing: Attend to be entered to win a raffle prize!

Vitalant Blood Drive
In partnership with SSU Student Involvement and Student Clubs, Vitalant will be hosting an on-campus blood drive on October 22, 2024.

Tuesday, October 22, 2024
10:00am - 1:45pm
Denali Gym, Campus Recreation Center
Appointment Link
(appointments are encouraged, but walk-ins are also welcome)

Couch to 5K Training!
Please join our new 45-minute Couch to 5K Training class with Yavé Guzman Valdez (bio)! Training is held weekly on Mondays and Thursdays from 12:05 to 12:50pm at Arbor and Lakes. All training levels are welcome, from beginners to intermediate as well as advanced runners looking for some extra workouts.

Suggested items to bring with you: A pair of good running shoes, comfortable clothing to run in, water, post run snack, and a yoga mat. Training takes place outdoors.

Yoga and Pilates Classes
Lunchtime yoga and pilates classes are open to all experience levels and are a great opportunity to meet employees from other units, while also taking a break to stretch and have a midday reset. Please join us in Ives 80 from 12:05 to 12:55pm, Monday through Thursday. Yoga mats are available.

  • Mondays: Pilates with Jeanne Janae
  • Tuesdays: Slow Flow Yoga with Kim Purdy - explore the stress reduction benefits of yoga with focused and intentional movement at a slower pace. 
  • Wednesdays: Yoga Groove with Kim Purdy - movement focused yoga paced to upbeat music
  • Thursdays: Meditative Yoga with Jeanne Janae - meditate, stretch and practice different yoga poses 

Mindfulness and Self-Care Classes
Please join our 30-minute virtual Mindfulness and Self-Care classes with Dr. Andy Wallace, SSU Philosophy professor (pre-registration required). Each class begins with a short description of mindfulness followed by a 15-20 minute mindfulness-based exercise and concludes with a poem. Dr. Wallace will also be available following the class for further discussion. 

“The benefits of mindfulness stem, I believe, from the role that it plays in the human caregiving system. Kindness, compassion, and love are the system’s core emotions, and unconditional acceptance of self and other is its raison d’etre. When we meditate mindfully we activate or elicit those emotions and learn to care authentically for ourselves in the same loving spirit as we authentically care for others.” - Dr. Andy Wallace (bio)

These mindfulness classes are held on Fridays from 12 to 12:30pm and continue throughout the fall semester. Employees interested in attending are asked to please register in order to receive the zoom link for the class.

Wellness Webinars
We are excited to share this month’s wellness webinars offered by Kaiser Permanente. These webinars are open to all employees regardless of your health plan election. Webinars remain available on-demand for six months after the live stream (with the exception of the live Calm Meditation Sessions which are available only at the time of the event).

Calm Meditation Sessions 
15-minute de-stress exercises using the Calm app.  

  • October 9, 2024 (10 - 10:15am)
    Join here at the time of event

  • October 23, 2024 (2 - 2:15pm)
    Join here at the time of event

Ergonomics in the Workplace

As we approach this year's cold and flu season, we encourage all employees to prioritize getting their flu shot. Unfortunately, Kaiser is unable to host the on-campus sponsored flu shot clinic this year. We recommend reaching out to your healthcare provider for information on local flu shot clinics and available dates.

Additional information regarding our SSU Employee Wellness programs can be found here: https://hr.sonoma.edu/payroll/employee-wellness.