Announcements Well-Being

Wellness Connection Champion Spotlight

This month I’d like to highlight the efforts of Cynthia Marich & Andrea Krussel and the good work they’ve been doing to foster a culture of health and well-being in their department.

Yoga: A Practice in Community
By Andrea Krussel and Cynthia Marich

Since July 2017, the Institute for Informatics (I2) has hosted a weekly yoga class. What began as one-off health and wellness initiative has grown into a successful community yoga practice, spanning both campuses, and including faculty, staff, and students.

The initial success of our program is attributed to the overwhelming support of institute faculty leadership who value work/life balance and see the positive impact it continues to have on institute’s culture. In addition, it was critical to have two champions like us (experienced yogis and yoga teachers) who knew how to operationalize and market this initiative.

Having the support of the Wellness Connection management team was also instrumental in helping the program grow and reach a larger university audience.

But back to the yoga – all of this would not have been possible without the experience, kindness, and support of Kim Winn, one of the most sought after yoga teachers in St. Louis, who makes space for every student who walks into our class, whether it is their first class or their 100th.

We have enjoyed the opportunity to get to know people across both campuses with whom we might not have connected with otherwise. It might seem silly to think that you connect with people in class where silence is encouraged, but we have been amazed by the support of this community through life events at both ends of the spectrum, professional accomplishments, and personal challenges. All of this is a great reminder that yoga is a practice in community just as much as it a physical and mental practice.

If you’d like to learn more about this class or starting your own program, contact cmarich@wustl.edu.