Poet builds wellness, stanzas

By Guilianna Laurain

Caroline Rothstein hosted a workshop promoting body positivity & boundaries as a part of campus’ Wellness week Thursday, Feb. 13.

Rothstein, a writer, poet, performer and educator led an interactive session that dove into body image, consent, and the importance of setting healthy boundaries. This wasn’t a typical lecture; It was a real, honest conversation about mental wellness.

Rothstein made sure the space felt safe and inclusive from the very start. She opened up about her own experiences with eating disorders, anxiety, and depression and talked about how self-love ultimately helped her regain control of her mental and physical well-being.

Rothstein’s honesty set the tone for an open discussion where everyone could reflect on their own journeys with body image and mental health.

A key takeaway from the workshop was outlining how consent isn’t just about sexual situations. Rothstein explained that consent also applies to things like personal space, emotional boundaries and mental wellness in relationships. She made it clear that boundaries are something we all need to consider in our daily lives, not just in navigating the way we interact with others, but within ourselves as well.

The workshop worked to widen perception on topics such as body imaging, fat positivity, body neutrality, and healthy boundaries. Body neutrality encourages accepting your body as it is without labeling it as good or bad. 

Body Neutrality allows individuals to stop placing so much value on their body’s appearance and instead find peace with what’s there. Rothstein stressed that there’s no one-size-fits-all definition for these ideas, and they can evolve over time.

The interactivity of the workshop made it a unique experience for attendees. Rothstein led participants through exercises that helped them practice defining and asserting their boundaries  with themselves and others.

Students at the event were given handouts filled with key takeaways, questions for reflection, and prompts to help apply what was learned to their own lives.

The questionnaire asked participants to reflect on what ideas were new to them, what reinforced their current beliefs, and how they could incorporate what they’d learned into their daily routines. The approach helped solidify the workshop’s messages and aimed to give everyone something tangible to take away.

The evening wrapped up with a Spoken Word Poetry Hour, where Rothstein shared some of her own work and invited participants to do the same. This let the workshop’s themes settle in for participants, giving students the opportunity to process everything they’d just discussed and express their feelings through poetry. 

Whether it was sharing their own work or listening to others, the poetry hour created a space for connection and expression. It tied together the workshop’s teachings, and reinforced self-love and community support that had been woven throughout the evening.