Wellbeing Programs
Welcome
Welcome to the Centre for Wellbeing, an initiative of St Michael’s Uniting Church.
We are fortunate to have a great team of multi-talented staff and volunteers at St Michael’s who are contributing their great skills and enthusiasm to bring the Centre for Wellbeing to the people of Melbourne.
The Centre for Wellbeing at St Michaels aims to provide numerous opportunities to engage in enjoyment and learning for people of any age or background, by offering various paths to greater wellbeing. With a strong focus on community service and a commitment to social justice, all of the quality programs in this booklet are offered low-cost or free of charge.
We hope that you will find something of interest at The Centre for Wellbeing at St Michaels to enhance your journey. Enjoy!
Dr Debra Campbell
Director, The Centre for Wellbeing at St Michaels
What is wellbeing?
The concept of wellbeing represents a proactive stance towards health in all its aspects, and encompasses the many ways we can actively work towards a happier and more fulfilling life.
Wellbeing may best be defined in terms of elements that support it so we can actively strengthen those aspects in our lives. For many people, connecting to a sense of meaning, purpose or faith in life, is central to a sense of wellbeing. Internal conflict is lessened when we develop personal values from our sense of meaning, and let those values guide our choices and actions.
Contemplative practices such as meditation, or experiences of ‘flow’ (when we are absorbed in creative or intellectual pursuits), can also assist a feeling of contentment in heart and mind through inspiration, greater ‘aliveness’ and the development of mindful self-awareness.
Mindful self-awareness is important to wellbeing because it allows us emotional freedom. Mindfulness empowers us to make choices in regard to unhelpful habits of mood and thinking, rather than feeling trapped in our suffering and anxieties.
For most people, social connections form part of a sense of meaning and self-worth, so that satisfying, trusting relationships are also important facets of wellbeing. It is supportive to feel connected to a sense of something larger than just oneself in the world and being part of a community can offer such support.
Not least, care of the physical body is a vital component of whole person wellbeing.
Pathways to Wellbeing
From 2012 St Michael’s will offer new and diverse programs for enhancing individual and community wellbeing, in addition to the current vibrant repertoire.
The programs approach wellbeing via various pathways with an holistic perspective, acknowledging that if we brighten one aspect of wellbeing we lift our whole self.