In celebration of the University of Michigan’s 200th anniversary, faculty, staff and students are invited to two fall events that showcase the university’s commitment to well-being.

On Sept. 29, there will be plenty of activity on the field of Michigan Stadium. However, instead of touchdowns and field goals, look for downward facing dogs and warrior poses as hundreds of yogis are expected to attend Yoga in the Big House.

All levels and abilities — from beginner to advanced — are welcome as yoga instructors from MHealthy, Rec Sports, and the School of Music, Theatre & Dance lead yoga sessions every 30 minutes. Additional instructors will be on the field to help participants with yoga modifications. For the best experience, participants should bring a mat, towel and water bottle, and complete the online physical activity readiness form prior to the event.

Faculty, staff and students who bring their U-M ID can get a free bicentennial towel to commemorate the event (limited quantities available).

Yoga in the Big House is free and sponsored by MHealthy, Rec Sports, and University Health Service/Wolverine Wellness. Space is limited. To ensure enough instructors are on the field, attendees are asked to register for each 30-minute session they plan to attend.

Faculty and staff also are invited to two Oct. 25 presentations featuring Martin Seligman, commonly known by many as the Father of Positive Psychology.

Seligman will lecture on how finding meaning and purpose at work and at home can lead to feeling happier and more fulfilled. Attendees can expect to learn about cultivating what is best within oneself, focusing on strengths instead of weaknesses, and how to build on the best things in life.

Seligman will speak at both the Michigan League and at Dow Auditorium in the Towsley Center, tailoring each discussion to address specific challenges related to working in an educational or a health system environment.

Following Seligman’s Michigan League presentation, three companion sessions will be available that dive deeper into topics related to positive psychology. Led by U-M experts, these sessions cover building positive workplaces, stress reduction and self-care. Separate registration required.

Seligman is the Zellerbach Family Professor of Psychology and director of the Positive Psychology Center at the University of Pennsylvania. He is a best-selling author and a leading authority in the fields of positive psychology, resilience, learned helplessness, depression, optimism and pessimism. His career has been devoted to furthering the study of positive emotion, positive character traits, and positive institutions.

Among his best-sellers and better-known books are “Flourish,” “Authentic Happiness,” “Learned Optimism,” “The Optimistic Child,” “Helplessness” and “Abnormal Psychology.” Seligman also co-authored the ground-breaking, “Character Strengths and Virtues: A Handbook and Classification,” with Christopher Peterson, U-M professor of psychology and organizational studies, who died in 2012.

Sponsored by MHealthy, Seligman’s lectures and the companion sessions are offered at no charge, however, registration is required.

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