Dr.

Michael Finkelstein
Health and Wellness | Balancing Health and Success Course
Michael@slowmedicinedoctor.com
www.slowmedicinedoctor.com and www.slowmedicine.org
1. Briefly Describe your Course (i.e. goals, pedagogical
approaches, etc.)
a. It is abundantly clear that students are under a lot of pressure to
perform. And, that pressure for performance is not limited to the
academic arena. Indeed, there are familial, social and cultural
pressures that contribute to a sense of overwhelm that is acutely
palpable on campus. At their best, these pressures motivate
students to learn and to grow. But, as we understand, they also
contribute to substantial personal suffering. While not historically
the role of academic institutions to address, it is growing more
common for teaching professionals to consider the balance
between personal and academic success. In a nutshell, the
course, Balancing Health and Success is designed to embrace
students as precious human beings who are cared for in the
university setting, normalize the feelings that they have in
response to these pressures, and to begin to sort out the ways in
which they may build greater resiliency, ultimately redesigning
their approach to learning that includes self-care. In fact, the
primary tenet of the course is that the healthier one is -- in body,
mind and spirit -- the better they will do academically.
b. The course has been developed to engage students in dialogue.
Initially they are encouraged to share their experience and to
reflection on the paths that brought them to where they are,
including the pressure to succeed and advance to the next
level. Health and success are the key terms that are redefined,
and the remainder of the course unveils a process of learning,
discovery and experiential activities that help them formulate a
clearer path for themselves that is more sustainable, and will
ultimately lead to success in its broadest sense. The principle
text is Slow Medicine, describing an approach to living that
connects dots between our mind, our bodies and our
relationships. The role of community is epitomized by the
emphasis on sharing feelings with the group. Each student is
continuously reminded to reflect on the meaning and value of
their own life, and their personal lifes purpose and passion. The
focus remains on process, not outcome. Indeed, the original title

for the course, Beyond the Grade, reflects the object lesson that
quality trumps quantity.
2. Have you seen any results in your students based on your
course learning objectives, your teaching style, and their
application of learning? Essentially, how do you know that your
students are learning?
a. The final assignment for the course is a blog. Students are asked
to reflect on what they experienced throughout the semester and
what they have learned, and what one pearl they would share
with others. Here are some quotes:
i. When I first enrolled in HWS 120, Im not sure that I knew
what to expect from an integrative learning course.
Being healthy and successful sounded appealing, but I
didnt really know what I would need to do to achieve both.
Now, at the end of the semester, I believe that I have
begun to develop an understanding of how to balance
health and success. I learned that our relationships have
far-reaching implications on our health, and that they
contribute as much to our health as they do to our success.
ii. As a result of having taken this course, something I will do
differently, and continue to do in the future, is be more
conscious of my relationships with others. I will view my
relationships with others not merely as a social aspect of
my life, but from a health perspective. Evaluating your
relationship with others is important because your
relationships and your health are inextricably linked. I am
more conscious now of my relationships with others, and
how our relationship can affect their health as well.
iii. Personally, I found myself wearing-down from a repetitive
life away of college. That being waking up at the same
time for the same classes every day, and eating at the
same dining hall, then going downtown Friday and
Saturday, week to week to week.
iv. I didnt expect much from the class, just like youre
probably not expecting some revolutionary change from
this blog. However, I think by the end of this, and the end
of the course material if you go on to read it, youll find

yourself mistaken, as I was.

v. What Im saying is, as Ive taken away from this class,
youve got to knock money and fame and other parts of
the American dream down aways on your priority list,
pick up the phone, and reach out to relatives, family, and
friends. For example, Ive found myself passing up a lunch
out with friends while trying to save up some cash for a
new watch, or shoes, or whatever else its been, but after
what this book has opened my eyes up to regarding
relationships, Im going to take the lunch 9 times out of
10.
vi. Initially, when I signed up for this course, titled Balancing
Health and Success, I just needed the extra credits. I did
not know what to expect and didnt even think I was going
to get much out of it. I was very wrong though.
vii. One thing I learned this year is that YOU are important, not
your grades, not your popularity, and not your looks.
Nothing else really matters if you are unhappy or
unhealthy, and taking time to yourself to realize these
things and give your body and mind what they need is so
incredibly important.
viii. This process was extremely valuable and I don't think even
one hour of this class was a waste of my time. Whether
youre an incoming freshman with no idea what to expect
at college, or a second semester sophomore on the fast
track to becoming a rich and successful CEO, this course is
worth it. Not only is it a nice break from all of the intense
and hard classes that many of us have to take here at
Binghamton, but will also teach you valuable lessons that
will stay with you throughout your college career, and
further on into life. This course will help you to take a step
back and look at your life to determine how genuinely
happy and healthy you are, what kind of relationships you
have, and what you need to achieve your highest
potential.
3. Can you describe one specific piece of content or exercise that
your learners found very impactful on their lives in higher
education?
a. As one student clearly illustrated, there is a rut they get into in
college: working, partying, catching up on sleep. Typical of our

24/7/365 culture, there isnt clear separation between the days,

nights, weeks or months. The fast, fast, fast, rush, rush life is the
reason why Slow Medicine was written. The frenetic relentless
rhythm (or absence of rhythm) contributes to ailments across the
board, from the individual to the collective. I reviewed with them
the history of the Sabbath ritual that predates the bible -- the
idea that there is essential value, essentially an imperative, to
take time be to rest -- enough time, with a regular frequency,
that punctuates the intense busy lives we lead on the other days.
The exercise was simply called; Sabbath and I encouraged
students to experiment with a day of unplugging, resting, and
relaxing with friends, reconnecting with the often ignored
rhythms and cycles of the natural world. This had profound
effects on their body and minds. Unanimously they were
encouraged by how simple and how available such restoration
was. Indeed, they are desperate for such relief.
4. How can other faculty promote mindfulness and other health
(body/mind) practices into their learning and teaching?
a. In truth, the first step is for faculty to take care of themselves in
this way. We all need it. The pressures that students face are not
unique to them. Indeed, our students will be most influenced and
benefit from healthy and balanced role models in this regard.
Once inspired by personal experience, the lesson plan is obvious.
Slow down, take the time to connect to connect people to
people, learning to people, work to people, people (students) to
themselves, their inner truth, passions and purpose.
5. What is a good starting book that faculty can read to learn
more about mindfulness practices and/or incorporating them
into learning and teaching?
a. Slow Medicine was written for people who are inquisitive and
seek an understanding of how the dots of our lives actually
connect so that they may achieve the fullest and meaningful life
possible. Those dots include our bodies, our mind, our
relationship -- to ourselves and others, the earth, and the
universe -- our communities and our roles in those communities.
Ultimately, with more complete understanding a better approach
can be designed. This approach, of course, would include
personal well-being as well as professional success. Mindfulness
is simply the caring and deliberate application of this
understanding.

b. There are many ways to teach and many skills that teachers
possess; but, among the most powerful is the influence of
someone who gets the big picture, and commits themselves to
the subject of humanity by leading as an example. The subject of
the course, though interesting and important, is secondary.