Request a Special Wellness Visit and Turn Any Workday Into a Well-Being Moment

Discover how teams are using Duke’s employee wellness program’s free personalized sessions to recharge and explore how to request one for your group

A group of people stand in a circle outdoors, stretching
Department yoga classes and small-group stretching -- such as this one led by LeAnna Johnson, left -- and meditation are among the no-charge offerings from LIVE FOR LIFE. Photo by Travis Stanley

When Korrin Cheatwood wanted to find a way to celebrate her colleagues in Infection Prevention & Epidemiology at Duke University Hospital during Infection Prevention Week, she realized the answer was one digital request form away.

A year earlier, Duke’s employee wellness program, LIVE FOR LIFE, had guided her department through a well-received 15-minute session of qigong, a meditative movement practice. Cheatwood, an Administrative Assistant, asked Health Education Specialist Anna Batsakes what she could do with a longer session of about 40 minutes.

“Oh wow, we can have a lot of fun, then,” Batsakes told her.

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Cheatwood filled out LIVE FOR LIFE’s special services request form, asking for a department qigong class. And not long after, on a sunny October afternoon, Batsakes led Cheatwood and 10 of her Infection Prevention colleagues through a personalized meditative movement class among the verdant beauty of Sarah P. Duke Gardens.

“I don’t think enough people within Duke are aware of how many resources they have that are free to employees,” Cheatwood said.

Using LIVE FOR LIFE’s digital form, Duke department, team and unit leaders can request everything from nutrition presentations on “How to Build a Healthy Lunch,” to a team “Stretch Break” at no charge from Duke’s employee wellness program. Sessions can be held virtually or in person and can be customized to encompass offerings such as a full qigong class in the Gardens or a 10-minute mindfulness practice at the start of a team meeting. For a fee, an eight-week fitness series or chair massage can be arranged for an office.

A group of people practice qigong in Duke Gardens
Duke University Hospital's Infection Prevention & Epidemiology Department colleagues practice qigong in Sarah P. Duke Gardens in a special class led by LIVE FOR LIFE. Photo courtesy of Korrin Cheatwood

Requests are intended for mandatory staff meetings where groups of 15 or more are expected, LIVE FOR LIFE Program Manager Esther Granville said. Smaller departments or units can coordinate an opportunity for multiple groups to combine for a single request.

Batsakes, who leads many mindfulness practices that include meditation and movement-based routines like qigong, said the special services offerings are a way to connect directly with Duke staff and faculty for more personalized approaches to well-being.

“LIVE FOR LIFE is really focusing on overall well-being and taking an integrative approach to stress reduction,” Batsakes said. “It’s not just physical stress or mental and emotional stress, but the constellation of stress. We know there are many entry points to wellness, so we are expanding our offerings to include new things like Mindful Art Activities and presentations on Boundaries and self-compassion.”

“Mindfulness Meditation Activity” and “Tai Chi/Qigong” are two of the options available as mental and emotional well-being programs. Presentations on “The Balancing Act – Time and Motivation,” and “Manage Stress Before it Manages You,” are also options, in addition to a popular “Mindful Art Activity.”

“Mindful art is a way to slow down,” Batsakes said. “Sometimes it’s really difficult for people to just breathe and slow down through meditation when stressed out. So, we’re offering other ways to move into a space of presence.”

Cheatwood said her department qigong class in the Gardens helped her to feel calm, peaceful and “very at ease.”

“You feel more connected to yourself,” Cheatwood said. “Especially the fact that we were able to do it outside – it was sunny, it was warm and a lot of us took our shoes off and we were touching the ground. We really got to actually ground into Mother Earth and into ourselves.”

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