Big thank you again to everybody who participated in our first ever Virtual Wellness Afternoon! Keep on reading to see some pictures (err… screenshots!) from the day, some of the kind compliments for all our internal facilitators, and a selection of the stories we collected.

Sourdough Bread Making

Click here for a special PDF with instructions on how to make your own Sourdough Bread too! Huge thank you Ariel for preparing this for all of us!

Ariel had made a lot of preparation for this session so that the session was more than perfect! I really appreciate it!

Ariel prepared a next-level guide! I really appreciated how thorough she was – from prepping the starter for everyone, to sending instructions before the workshop with clear steps for what we needed to do in advance, to how she prepped different versions of the dough so she could demonstrate the different stages in real time! Thank you Ariel for all that work and care, and for sharing your skills and time so generously (before, during, and even after the workshop)!

It was lovely to take a break, do something different, and use another part of my brain that I wouldn’t normally use during the ‘work’ day. 🙂
Yes, sourdough is a lengthy process (anywhere from 16 to 24 hours) from taking out the starter to fresh baked bread on the table ready to enjoy. But the actual steps aren’t hard and the results are so worthwhile. 🙂 Also, I’ve never baked bread before and am generally not a baker, so if I could do it, anyone can!

Yoga with Verina Zhang

Verina was a wonderful instructor- and the online format did not take away from my experience.

I did yoga once a week in studio pre-covid. I have not done yoga since working from home, and this session made me remember why I love the practice so much. I will be looking to incorporate it regularly into my routine again.

I learned a few new yoga poses and experienced a really wonderful break in my day. I was doing the session on my deck and I started to notice little things about it that I hadn’t noticed before. Moving through yoga poses made me see my yard – which I’ve been sitting in, and staring at, so much since mid-March – in new, funny angles. I noticed how the tips of trees poke up over the roof line, how the red patio umbrella reflects in a mirror, how the laughing Buddha looks like he’s in his own tiny garden.

I really enjoyed your class. I think you did a good job of making it accessible to those who have been practicing for a long time and those who are new to the practice. Thank you!

As a beginner, enjoyed seeing the higher levels to attain…the headstand yoga pose

Surprised how much I learned virtually!

Bingo! with Narcena Wong

Very fun! Narcena was an excellent facilitator!

So much fun and great hosting of the session

Digital Art with Tiffany Zhong

Tiffany shared with us her skills as a graphic designer. We got an insider look at the UBC Life brand guide, and a demo of how to draw little plants in illustrator using shapes to trace over various objects. I thought it was such a cool behind the scenes look at some of the work in Student Communications, and with only a small glimpse as a beginner, it was apparent how much practice and effort Tiffany has invested into developing this talent!

It was really nice to learn more about a colleague’s creative process and how it helps her produce such vibrant illustrations to engage students. I loved Tiffany’s point that “You don’t need to know how to draw to use Illustrator!” – that it’s “just understanding shapes”

I felt like using Illustrator to create shapes and choose their colours was like a more relaxing version of adult colouring booksI  🙂 At the same time, this activity made me appreciate the skill set of my graphic design colleagues even more!

I learned how to use Illustrator for the first time. It was really neat to see how vector drawings are just a combination of shapes and colours, and that you don’t have to know how to draw by hand in order to use Illustrator! It’s kind of like seeing in a new way. 🙂

Furry Friend Meet-up

It was fun seeing everyone in their “natural element” with their furry friends!

This was a great opportunity for me to spend some time with my Vancouver colleagues and to get to know them better.

Virtual Watercooler

This was just great and I think this sentiment was shared by everyone who entered the Virtual Water Cooler space.  We also had a small number of people (6, I think) so it was manageable to get conversations off the ground.  Nice to see colleagues who are not in my own unit, who I miss.

Cooking Demo with Alvin and Ellen

Fun, simple recipe. Hosts were great fun and engaging.

The activity was great and my son was able to participate too.

Click here for the recipe for Ice Cream in a Bag so you can make your own Butterscotch, Mango and Ginger Sundaes: 

Butterscotch, Mango & Ginger Sundae Recipe (Makes about 100 ml)

• ½ cup dark brown sugar
• ½ cup dark syrup
• 4 tbsp unsalted butter
• ½ cup heavy cream
• ½ tsp vanilla extract
• 1 large ripe mango
• Gingersnaps
• Vanilla ice-cream
• Almond toasted, chopped

1. Melt the sugar, syrup, and butter in a small pan and simmer for a few minutes, stirring until smooth
2. Stir in heavy cream and vanilla extract, then remove from the heat
3. Cut mango into cubes
4. Place the gingersnaps in a plastic ziplock bag and crush lightly with a roll pin.
5. Place the mango in an ice-cream cup, top with a scoop of ice-cream
6. Spoon over a little bit butterscotch sauce and sprinkle with crushed cookies, almonds over the top of the sundae.

Card Making with Jessika Baroi

We learnt how to design and craft two styles of greeting cards with beautiful paper flowers of various sizes and colors, the first one with only flowers design on the front of the card, while the other combines both clusters of flowers and calligraphy greeting. The demonstration and explanation of the craft blended perfectly with the conversation that I was enjoying so much. That’s why before I knew it, lovely cards were designed and crafted one after another among the group.

It was just really nice to be able to enjoy an hour of creative craft activity accompanied by pleasant casual chat with colleagues among these busy days. I feel like it was exactly what we needed, a moment of peace, slowing down, being away from emails and phone calls, chatting with colleagues about trips, weekend activities and fun stories in life. We had the perfect Wellness Afternoon conversation.

Jessika shared some useful technique for crafting the cards which I would also like to share with all. Using a spoon to curve the paper petals and using two folds of paper flowers (one piece of paper flower of a smaller size on top of a slightly larger one) will create a more vivid image of the flowers. Even though we curved the paper petal before we glued it to the card, it would be a good idea to use a roomy envelop for the card to avoiding flattening the paper petals during delivery.

Jessika did a great job walking us through how to design a beautiful greeting card with all the beautiful supplies she mailed us!

Watercolour Painting

Cicy did a great job of explaining various watercolour techniques and then we all created own paintings. It felt like we were all painting there together even though it was over zoom. It was nice to connect with colleagues over art and the activity was very relaxing. Water colour is as easy medium to get started with and there are so many resources online to help you learn.

I found it really relaxing just to take some time out of the day to take out my watercolour paints and paint with the group! Although it was a ‘virtual’ meetup, I still felt socially connected as there was a nice balance of silence and conversation. Watercolour is one of those things you can do in a group. 🙂

It was nice to take a break and do something I normally wouldn’t be doing on a Wednesday afternoon! I was also in the class with people outside of my unit (except for one), so it was nice to have a group convo with some ES colleagues I’ve never spoken with. It felt a bit like the ‘watercooler’ experience, while doing something relaxing simultaneously. 🙂

Dance Class with Nina Perez

I learned the basic steps for 2 dances and with the tips and all the steps covered, I’m confident to move on to the next level. Not only did I had a good work out more than ever during this pandemic, I finally had the courage to try one of my favorite dances, Tango, which I opted to just watch in the past since it is so complex and I’m rather shy dancing in public. 🙂

For those wanting to learn salsa, our instructor taught us the word “apple pie,” which when has the same timing for this dance.

It felt great to move my body and learn a new technique. It has inspired me to look for dance lessons/activities to incorporate into my life.

Don’t be shy to try something that is completely new and foreign to you. Don’t judge yourself for not already knowing something that is new.

Tango is a great way of moving your body in totally different ways. I didn’t have to move much to feel my legs and core totally getting a work out! Being active can be fun and you can get such a workout mentally and physically without even being aware it’s happening!

Mario Kart on Nintendo Switch! With Jason and Adrian

This was really fun! I met a few colleagues from UBCO who I may not have otherwise met and really enjoyed the competitive but friendly game play.

I enjoyed the session and the grand prix races with my colleagues. It was a great experience to connect with colleagues remotely, but not through Skype, Email or Zoom. I started playing the game with my kids and it has been a great bonding experience for the family.

Turn off the tilt controls on your controller if you are a beginner of Mario Kart as me. – There are many shortcuts in the map.  Practice patience when playing the game, it’s fast paced so it is easy to get frustrated with all that is happening, but once you get the hang of it, it can be really fun!