热点大瓜

Two low-key indoor waterfalls. A moss wall. Yoga mats for weekly yoga classes. Weighted blankets. A Lite-Brite art set with movable/colored tubes of water. Two Himalayan salt lights. An essential oil diffuser. Rocking chairs. Meditation seats.

A few feet and walls away from this scene, students in the School of Law’s Charles B. Sears Law Library test their mettle in what is often a high-pressure environment.

But not in Wellness Room 640, where serenity, health and restoration reign. And while an article guilting other UB schools who read this into establishing their own student-friendly space would not be in wellness-room spirit, it’s certainly a reasonable conclusion.

Credit Ashley Abbott, the energetic but still serene and effective force behind the wellness room, who sits on one of the therapeutic chairs surrounded by green color complements and natural light.

“Green is relaxing, and we wanted to make this space feel different than the library and different from classrooms and the rest of UB,” says Abbott, director of student life for the law school and a certified yoga instructor who teaches there every week.

“The hope is to help students unplug from electronics and schoolwork in a calm and quiet place. It’s about relaxation, restoration and refilling their cups after an exhausting day.”

Fans of the wellness room are emphatic.

“I enjoy using the wellness room early in the morning to set my mood for the day, decompress after classes and especially attend yoga classes led by Ashley,” says second-year student Tyonna J. Acoff.

“Yoga has helped me connect a bridge between my mind and body; I’m really aware of what my mind and body need for me to feel my best every day. This awareness has transformed my daily routine and approach to studying, self-care and overall wellness.”

Abbott says the School of Law also wanted to be at the forefront of wellness centers in law schools. Organizers of UB’s wellness room did extensive research on other law schools with the kind of facilities they wanted to create. Fewer than a handful existed.

“We are definitely one of the first law schools,” she notes.  

Abbott is understandably proud of the school’s wellness and other community initiatives, which also include a nursing room for new parents and a Student Organization Conference Room offering a designated space for the 30 law school organizations to meet and hold special events.

As a part of its wellness initiatives, the Office of Student Affairs hosts intentional semesterly events and weekly events, such as “Taking Care Tuesdays,” where students drop in weekly for coffee, fruit, puzzles, games and conversation. 

Abbott also teaches yoga classes in the wellness room during the academic year for all law students and during the summer for recent graduates studying for the bar exam. “A balance of movement and restoration within a yoga practice energizes you, improves your mood and helps with staying present,” she says.

The Office of Student Affairs is dedicated to supporting students’ overall well-being. All the support and a wellness room space are vital for law students, according to Abbott.

 “Law students carry an intense workload and have to be able to manage stress” she says. “Our goal for the wellness room is for law students, faculty and staff to be able to step into a space that is safe, relaxing and restorative, where they are encouraged to rest their brains and unplug.”