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Recreation and Wellness

Wellness programs and events aim to help the NSU community in engaging with—and maintaining—healthy lifestyles and developing habits that will contribute to people's enjoyment and fulfillment in their everyday lives. Check out our full schedule below.

Wellness Events

Fall 2026

Fariha Niazi, Ph.D., LMFT, LMHC, NBC-HWC
Shazia Akhtarullah, Ph.D., LMFT, LMHC, MCAP, NBC-HWC

Tuesday, September 22, 6 p.m., Commons Residence Hall, Room 123

College life can make healthy sleep difficult, but small, practical changes can make a meaningful difference. This interactive workshop will help undergraduate students understand how sleep affects concentration, mood, stress, academic performance, and overall well-being.

Rather than simply listening to a presentation, students will participate in engaging activities designed to help them examine their current sleep habits, identify personal barriers to restful sleep, and practice evidence-informed strategies they can use immediately. Activities may include a sleep-habit self-assessment, myth-or-fact challenges, relaxation and breathing exercises, creating an individualized wind-down routine, and developing a realistic personal sleep goal.

Students will leave the workshop with practical tools for managing common sleep challenges, including inconsistent schedules, screen use, stress, racing thoughts, and an unsupportive sleep environment.

Participants will learn how to

  • recognize the connection between sleep, learning, mood, and wellness.
  • identify habits and environmental factors that may interfere with sleep.
  • practice simple relaxation and stress-management techniques.
  • learn to create a nighttime routine.
  • develop a realistic plan for improving sleep—one small step at a time.

No prior knowledge is needed. Students are encouraged to come ready to participate, reflect, and discover strategies that fit their individual needs and college lifestyle.

Sunday, September 27th – Yoga and Marma Self-Care – 11 a.m. - RecPlex

Yoga & Marma Self-care: this experiential workshop will be a blend of yoga, breathing exercises, meditation, and an introduction to Marma Self-care. Students will be led through a self-care protocol using their own hands and fingertips to activate various acupressure points in the body. The acupressure points are very similar to the acupuncture points and points stimulated in Traditional Chinese Medicine. These points promote circulation, relaxation, and rejuvenation. Bring a blanket or large beach towel for the final relaxation.

About the instructor: Marilyn Gordon is a Registered Yoga Teacher with the Yoga Alliance (E-RYT-500). Marilyn has studied yoga for more than 25 years and has been teaching yoga at the NSU Rec Plex since 2009. She is passionate about yoga and its ability to improve health, sense of wellness, and contentment. The knowledge and practice of Marma Therapy is an essential part of self-care. She invites you to experience it for yourself. No experience required.