Business is brisk at the new Center for Mindful Wellbeing at Greenhills, home to a holistic approach to wellness and a place where students have access to mindfulness activities, guided meditation, and yoga, among other activities and tools. 

The Center offers a combination of structured six-week sessions during students’ free periods as well as drop-in hours, during which students can utilize the space to meditate, journal, or eat quietly. Students are also invited to end their school day with “tea time” in the Center from 3:10-3:30 p.m.

Created in a space made available by the reimagined Greenhills library — one of three projects being made possible by the ongoing Greenhills at 50 capital campaign — its founders envision the Center for Mindful Wellbeing as a space for students to develop lifelong skills to support them in cultivating compassion for themselves and for others, reducing stress and improving coping, and promoting social and emotional intelligence. Additionally, said Liza Ruggiero, the Assistant Director of College Counseling who runs the center, organizers hope to support students in learning how to hit the pause button in a world that expects them to be in constant motion, facilitating introspection and the ability to regulate emotions and observe thoughts. We believe these skills are essential and have an important place in education, preparing our students to lead intentional and fulfilling lives.

Integrating mindfulness, yoga, and meditation into school settings has become increasingly common. There is a substantial body of literature supporting the role of mindfulness in improving emotion regulation, supporting learning and attention, reducing stress, promoting positive emotions, improving symptoms of depression, anxiety and ADHD, and developing empathy. At Greenhills, we are committed to bringing evidence-based best practices to our students, faculty and families.

As the Center continues to evolve, we hope that it will become integrated into the ethos of our community. We invite both your feedback and participation as we work together on this new and exciting initiative.