Ann Chrapkiewicz: Yoga

Undergraduate Advisor, Anthropology

How long have you been engaged in yoga? 

I started practicing in 2003, when I was working on a graduate degree in Ann Arbor. I have practiced continuously since then, although there were times in my life (for example, when my son was young) when I could only practice once a week. (I was a single parent from the time my son was 6 months old until this past year, when he turned 15.) My main practice is the traditional Bikram method hatha yoga (from Kolkata, India), but I also do the kriya yoga and hatha yoga practices from Isha Yoga (as taught by Sadhguru, from Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu, India).

What types of lessons have you learned or skills you have gained or strengthened through yoga?

Focus: I developed the ability to focus intently on what people are saying…for even a 3-hour lecture!

Persistence: There have been many days when I don’t “want” to practice yoga, but I almost always do it anyways, and it pays off in such a huge way.

Patience: I have used the yoga to help heal injuries and pain (e.g. broken vertebrae, muscle spasms, sciatica, bakers cyst, late pregnancy and post-partum pain), and in every instance I have learned to be patient with my body and its great healing intelligence!

Move Something No Matter What: I have learned that careful therapeutic movement is possible – and desirable – even when we are most severely in pain or in a state of injury (whether physical or interpersonal/psychological). I think culturally we are taught to *not* move when in those situations, but I have learned that there are techniques that can be practiced – even during acute injury states – to help the body oxygenate and heal.

Compassion: I can better see – through so many individual examples – how people’s past experiences, injuries, relationships, etc. contribute to their attitudes, their pain, their challenges, etc.

Faith: The human being is a miracle! So many things are going RIGHT all the time for us to be able to live even just a single day! This leads me to a more grateful and positive attitude.

Less Fear: Yoga has taught me to do my best to look at problems – or sources of stress – right in the face, rather than sweeping them under the rug.

Do you use those skills or lessons at work? How?

Focus: In work meetings, I can listen to and hear every word the person is saying, without daydreaming or getting distracted.

Compassion: I have learned to witness other people’s stress without absorbing it into my own system.

Faith: My attitude towards challenging situations has become much more positive….I have faith that I am strong enough to either solve a problem or to ask for help!

Less fear: (Major anxiety-reduction) I am much less afraid to speak up if there is a problem, or if I am confused about something, or if there is a source of stress.

What value does yoga have in your life outside of work?

• It is the primary medical treatment for my whole family! When we have any sort of chronic mental or physical issue, we always do yoga first or along side any other treatment.
• It relieves my sciatic pain and low back pain.
• My thinking process is totally different (i.e. for the better) when I practice.
• It improves my breathing – I never had asthma diagnosed, but my breathing was not good for my whole childhood/adolescence, and I always had respiratory and sinus infections, plus allergy symptoms.
• It permanently got rid of my obsessive/compulsive issues with food/eating/body image….and therefore freed up my energy and time for so many more things!
• It reduces inflammation in my joints if they flare up with pain or stiffness.
• It has had a balancing effect on my blood sugar so I don’t crave sugars/processed foods.
• My body feels younger than it did 20 years ago.
• It makes life feel lighter and more fun overall!
• I am more immediately aware of thoughts or situations which might trigger emotional responses, and I can breathe or change my thought pattern so it doesn’t turn into depression or anxiety.

What is the most rewarding thing about yoga?

Three things:

1) How I feel – mentally and physically – for the entire 24 hours after I practice a class!!!

2) Seeing 2-3 generations do it all together – kids, parents, and grandkids all do it together!

3) Witnessing the empowerment in others: a regular practice can treat so many chronic health issues that are thought to be either irreversible, or only treatable with medications or surgery…I have seen students reverse – or reduce – things like thyroid disease, autoimmune diseases (link to our book here), chronic kidney disease, depression & anxiety & PTSD, pain from scoliosis, carpal tunnel, insomnia, a variety of obsessive and compulsive disorders and addictions….the list is long.

How do you prepare for yoga?

It has become such an integral part of my life….I compare it to water, food, and sleep in terms of basic necessities for functioning! So I guess it is very different from other goals. There is no “end point” where I will have “accomplished” something.

How does yoga affect your relationships inside or outside of work?

It helps me make my relationships smoother, not only because I am happier and breathing better, but I can also more quickly recognize when someone’s stress (mine or another person’s) is surfacing. Yoga has helped me see – and practice – that other people’s stress is not something I have to absorb or react to. I can just observe it. And then take calm steps forward to either be a part of the solution, or to step away when that is a healthier option.

What advice do you have for others to get started or to learn more if they are interested in yoga?

You might have to ask some of these questions in advance, or you can try out a class with these questions in mind:

• Look for classes where 95% of the time, you are holding still in postures…not flowing or moving from one thing to the next.

• Look for classes where the teacher is instructing precise details in every single posture. (Music is counterproductive, and classes with less-detailed instruction are only really appropriate for seasoned practitioners.)

• Look for a teacher or yoga school owner who trained 750+ hours with an Indian yoga teacher (in most cases, the American yoga teacher trainings have fallen far from the tree.)

• Start with a private or group class with a seasoned teacher, and then try to practice that same sequence/class at least 10 times within a month. Then you’ll start to get an idea of what that practice can do for you.

Background: Since “yoga” got so popular over the past 10 years, it is actually harder these days to find a traditional teacher who is teaching the original intentions and methods of yoga, as well as one who can teach specifically to every unique person. Keep in mind that yoga is a practice of stillness, so a lot of the American movement classes called “yoga” these days are very nice, but they engage a different part of the mind and do very different things with the body than traditional yoga classes do.

Do you have other hobbies/activities that you want to mention?

I love growing herbs and perennial flowers!

Shawn Olds: Book Club

Curriculum Assistant, COM – Osteopathic Surgical Specialties

How long have you been engaged in book clubs? 

8 years 

What types of lessons have you learned or skills you have gained or strengthened through book clubs?

Book Clubs are all about community.  The comradery of getting together in person or even on Zooms over the last two years, has given us an outlet to share ideas, laugh and see each other’s smiling faces in the most difficult of time. 

Do you use those skills or lessons at work? How? 

When you are entering a new situation at work, be it with new co-workers or you are joining a new committee using books as an ice-breaker can be a nice, easy way to open up conversation.  I like to read about animals, so when I ask; “Has anyone read the book Bad Dogs Have More Fun by John Grogan”?  It opens the floor in countless directions of; other dog books, the kind of pet’s people have, or who just got a new pet during COVID etc.   

What value do book clubs have in your life outside of work? 

A lot of people use the phrase “work family” and in this case I am going to use the phrase “book family”.  The value in this family is you are heard, it is a safe space to share ideas, and in this family, reading relieves stress all by itself! 

What is the most rewarding thing about book clubs?

In a group of 5 or 6 people, you are bound to disagree about something. Being able to hear each other, disagree, then move on and still like the person with whom you disagreed really helps connect you to that person in a meaningful way.  We’re different people with diverse backgrounds and thoughts on a variety of things, and that’s what makes friendship beautiful! 

How do you prepare for book clubs? 

Doesn’t everyone read the first 25 pages, 15 from the middle and the last 2 chapters, oh and yes – Google the cliff notes. Since I have done that more than once and let me say, it never works out well! A few years ago, I came up with a new idea for a book club: BYOB. I know it sounds racy, but it means – Bring Your Own Book Club. The premise of the new group is this: Everyone’s time is valuable; many didn’t want to read a topic they weren’t totally invested in and who wants the stress of hurrying up to finish War and Peace (just kidding), but you get the idea. This style of book club is totally relaxed and stress-free. Everyone comes to the club with a book they just finished or one they couldn’t put down from last year and they take 5-7 mins to discuss the plot, the author, some of the underlying themes, but they don’t give away the ending, encase someone else wants to read it. We write down the title, author and basic description and email the list to everyone in our group, for those who couldn’t come, and they you have a new list of books to read. The idea is simple, and it really is fun. 

What advice do you have for others to get started or to learn more if they are interested in book clubs? 

I have been a part of book clubs with two people, joined one with women a generation older than me and now my new club (BYOB).  All these experiences have been warm, inviting, challenging, and well so much more then just reading.  I have heard personal stories of love lost, death, adoption, suicide, love found after 50 years apart, and let me say there is nothing more powerful than being among a handful of people that hear someone speak their truth for the first time after 40 years of silence.  It is the books that bring us together and our friendship that brings us back each month…  So, my advice is, just join.  Find a group near you, go to the bookstore they usually have a list of clubs that meet varies places and see what sparks your interest or start one of your own, but just join, who knows what wonderful experiences await you!  

Mary Keyes: Traveling

Office Coordinator II, Department of Teacher Education 

How long have you worked at MSU?  

August 2022 will be 20 years with Michigan State University. 

How long have you been traveling? 

I was bitten by the “travel bug” just after graduating from MSU with my Undergraduate degree in 2002.  While life and financial struggles have not always allowed me the means to travel, I try to travel as much as possible and provide my daughter with as many opportunities to get away and see as many new/different things as possible. 

What types of lessons have you learned or skills you have gained or strengthened through traveling? 

Traveling has allowed me to experience diversity in other states in America…from diversity in natural resources and scenery to diversity in cultural norms, language, and economies.  The United States of America is truly a place with diverse people, places, and cultures. 

Do you use those skills or lessons at work? How? 

I try to utilize my understanding of diversity to be as inclusive of those who do not look or act like I do in my everyday work activities.  I am more likely to use they, them, their pronouns when writing correspondence about people I am unsure of their gender preference.  In addition, I have become more aware of the language I use as it could be offensive to people in other parts of the United States. 

What value does traveling have in your life outside of work? 

If I didn’t have to work, I think I would be happy as a nomad.  There are so many interesting things to see and do that I would gladly spend my life exploring. 

What is the most rewarding thing about traveling? 

The most rewarding thing about traveling is getting away from the “usual” and seeing and doing new things. 

How do you prepare for traveling? 

I prepare for travel with extensive planning.  I live paycheck to paycheck, so I typically plan and research months in advance for any one trip.  When I plan a vacation, I aim to achieve 5 goals each time: 

1. Visit a new state each year (I still need to travel West of the Mississippi)  

2. Visit 9/11 Memorials in each state I travel to/through 

3. Try the local food and drink that is “famous” to each state 

4. Experience weird/unique/lesser-known places/attractions in each state (I LOVE the Atlas Obscura website)

5. Geocache in every place we travel

How does traveling compare to other goals you have set? 

Traveling provides me with perspective regarding my own life, my family life, and my work life.  I am always eager to travel and get away from the daily grind, but I am equally eager to return to my home.  While traveling, I try to seek opportunities to broaden my own mindset and the mindset of my daughter (12).  As a child, my family didn’t go on many vacations, so I never left the Midwest until I was an adult.  I don’t want that kind of “sheltered” experience for my daughter.  I want (and I want her) to see all the world has to offer!  

How does traveling affect your relationships inside or outside of work? 

Outside of work, I believe traveling deepens my relationship with my husband and daughter.  We enjoy one another’s company and we all seem to enjoy going new places and trying new things…together. 

Inside of work, I am sure my constant requests for time off can be irritating, but I have yet to be denied time off for a vacation.  I know this is not the case for many colleagues across campus…which is a shame. 

Is there anything else you would like to share about traveling? 

“Once a year, go someplace you’ve never been before.” – Dalai Lama 

“Collect moments…Not things.” 

“Jobs fill your pocket.  Adventures fill your soul.” 

“We travel not to escape life, but for life not to escape us.” 

“Travel is the only thing you buy that makes you richer.” – Anonymous 

What advice do you have for others to get started or to learn more if they are interested in traveling? 

Is there something you have heard about or always wanted to see?  Save up and GO!  For me, Egypt is my “dream vacation.”  I want to see the pyramids, the Nile River, tour the various King/Queen tombs, and even help with an archeological dig!  The cost of traveling to Egypt is expensive, but I have begun to learn Arabic and save money to put towards my trip of a lifetime.  It might take me until the age of 50 to be able to afford it, but I WILL get there! 

Do you have other hobbies/activities that you want to mention? 

Did you know?  There are 1,056 geocaches hidden around East Lansing, MI!  There are 36,771 geocaches in the State of Michigan! 

Geocaching is a GREAT way to start traveling and a fun thing to do while traveling and can be done solo or with others.  Geocaching is the world’s largest treasure hunt!  Participants use a GPS receiver or mobile device and other navigational techniques to hide and seek containers, called “geocaches” or “caches,” at specific location marked by coordinates all over the world. 

While traveling, our family looks for geocaches wherever we stop and in states we have never been.  You receive digital souvenirs for any geocaches you find in a new state / country and there always seems to be an “event” going on where each geocache you find earns you points toward an event milestone.  If you are interested in learning more, visit geocaching.com and join the Geocaching Community.