Bridging Cultures & Connecting Hearts With Mindful Communication

Brett Hill: 00:00:03

The Mindful Coach Podcast. So welcome to this edition of the Mindful Coach Podcast.

I'm your host, Brett Hill, founder of the Mindful Coach association, and I'm delighted to welcome to the show Dr. Larissa Cziprina. She is such a rich, rich background, and the work that she does is so powerful and important.

She is a positive psychology practitioner who teaches English to immigrants and expatriates by providing them with cultural and emotional support that eases their adjustment to the new culture.

I just, you know, thinking about people who need help, can you imagine the anxiety and the tension and the frustration of moving from one country to another has a completely different language, the need to adapt, the pressures to do that quickly, and interacting with institutions and organizations in ways that matter, and she's there to help that transition.

She brings proficiency in English, Russian, Ukrainian, and teaches communications across cultures as an interpreter and translator for government organizations and businesses. Now, get this.

She has a PhD in educational psychology and Cultural studies from the University of Tennessee and also a master's degree in linguistics and teaching English for Speakers of Other languages.

Larissa Cziprina: 00:01:31

Wow.

Brett Hill: 00:01:31

So welcome. Welcome to the show. Larissa, it's so great to have you here.

Larissa Cziprina: 00:01:36

Thank you. Good morning.

Brett Hill: 00:01:38

Tell us about, you know, how did you get inspired to do this work? Like what? So what was it that got you to say, I am going to go and learn this and help people?

Larissa Cziprina: 00:01:52

I was born in the family of the interpreter.

Brett Hill: 00:01:58

So this is a family situation. I see.

Larissa Cziprina: 00:02:02

And I was born in Germany, but my father was Russian, my mother was Ukrainian, and by the age of five, I lived in five countries.

Brett Hill: 00:02:14

Oh, wow.

Larissa Cziprina: 00:02:15

So the interest for languages and cultures really were from my very early age. And by the age of 10, I decided that I would like to be a teacher and to teach languages, and I chose English.

From the very early age, I also understood the power of the word, and I said, my word is my wand. So I believe that there is a wand, magic power, and the language is the one.

Brett Hill: 00:02:55

So you. This came from your experience of, like, moving so often and then, like, where's the help? Am I? Is that right? You were like, how can I get help?

And somehow you decided, I'm going to be that in the world. That's a really powerful story.

Larissa Cziprina: 00:03:12

I also understood very early that the language we use influences how we feel and also how it affects other people and relationship.

Brett Hill: 00:03:25

So it's not just get the words right, but how am I coming across? What's the what. What words do I use to. To create rapport, to connect? So there's something about connection in all the work that you're doing as well.

Larissa Cziprina: 00:03:41

Connection and first of all, connection with self.

Brett Hill: 00:03:47

Well, that's a big transition.

Like, what was it that got you to begin to look not just to the mechanics of how do I translate and how do I integrate, but to this component of self? That's, that's a really big, you know, a really big piece that a lot of people don't ever go there. So how did, how did that come into your focus?

Larissa Cziprina: 00:04:14

Professional interest in cross cultural communication also brought me to deeper study. Who I am and how people consider themselves who they are and all the components or roles.

As it turned out, it's not who we are because they are changing. They are not permanent, they can be frustrating, they can be in transition.

So if you put attention only one sphere of your life and associate yourself either with work or family or role in the organization, you might miss the main core, who you are.

And this is why inner dialogue and understanding our base, not basic, our most innermost values that define ourselves is the most difficult but also important step in coming into power and be comfortable in any culture in, in your language.

Brett Hill: 00:05:32

Oh wow, that's so powerful.

So if I hear you, what you're saying is that when you connect to yourself, then that is what helps you really make a transition as challenging as moving into a new culture. Because then you're not. So you're connected to something bigger than the challenges you're having.

Larissa Cziprina: 00:05:58

Yes. So we are talking more about spirit and resilience. And resilience is, it's like a willpower. It is what makes you move, cry, excited.

It's not body business or what you do, but rather who you are.

Brett Hill: 00:06:24

And how do you get people to start to turn towards that? So how do you get people to just begin to look to that as a means to help them adapt to a new culture?

Larissa Cziprina: 00:06:37

You know, for many years I have been teaching in academia and I was teaching teachers how to teach languages and the English language as well. But also I was ESL instructor for adults in colleges. And I understood that because everyone is unique and has their own purposes and their level.

This system, when there are too many people or 35 people in the class, it does not work. And that like mass education provides with maybe grammar, but not understanding what they really want and how they are going to use the grammar.

So seven years ago I started my own coaching services and they call it ESL and culture Coach. I call it services and they call people who work with me learners. And we learn together.

And first of All I have a deep self assessment to understand why they want to learn the language and also what they think about themselves as a learner or as a person or in the future, what dreams and goals they have. And in many cases people already know English, English grammar or good vocabulary.

The lack of self confidence and valuing self as a person for these values they have prevents them from being open to communication, for reaching out to participate in teamwork at the workplace or to have a public speaking event or stop their business. Yeah, so it's not the language itself I understood, but the other component.

It's attitude and inner dialogue, which is the first step into coming into this confidence in using the language in public.

Brett Hill: 00:09:13

I think that's so spot on. I think because it's like it's.

It's the same way, even if you are a native English speaker, if you don't, or whatever culture in, you know, if you don't come from a place where you're connected to your own, what I call inner authority, then that doesn't come through in your words. And so even though you might have a big contribution to make people, just the truth of your feeling is not coming across in your expression.

And so people discount you even though what you have is valuable.

Larissa Cziprina: 00:09:51

Yes.

So it is especially true for non native speakers then the thought that their accent is very thick, or maybe they don't speak good English or they don't know the culture. Just this thought makes them frozen in my work.

Brett Hill: 00:10:15

It's like I would say, what is your relationship to none not knowing? It's kind of like when you don't know something, does that just stop you? And sometimes it does because you just don't know what to do literally.

But then how do you begin to engage in those circumstances? It becomes a real important question. I have a question for you though, before you go on to that is like, how did you start to do that work yourself?

Because here you are studying languages and somehow though, you turned to yourself and said, I need to really connect with who I am in order to do this work. Well, how did that come to you?

Larissa Cziprina: 00:10:55

You know, part of the positive psychology is understanding what makes us effective, efficient, and putting attention on what we have. And what we have is I have myself first and understand that I am enough as I am is very important.

So in positive psychology approach, we always look for what we have, what skills students, learners have already, what interest they have, what excites them, and then we can go to the direction what they want to achieve rather than to dwell on their Errors or missing pieces. We just what they want to learn.

Brett Hill: 00:12:01

And what they have now it's true because as we.

We get so connected to what's not working or the gaps that we forget, sometimes our minds just go to, oh, that this missing piece, you know, rather than the rich resources that we have at our disposal.

Larissa Cziprina: 00:12:23

Yes. And everybody's talented. So in my right on the first class, I have a poem, I am. It's understanding who you are and describe self in terms of values.

And they can choose first say, or choose a compliment for yourself. It is easier when it is already written. And they say, oh yes, I am loyal or I am truthful, I am genuine. They can recognize this.

And then I have a bigger list, like who I am.

Brett Hill: 00:13:04

Oh my. Yes, I see. Look at that. That's a good one. Yeah. So all of those are like, those are. That's a great list.

And it's like those are what I call sometimes the absolutes, like the essences of people. And people light up around certain ones.

And so in my work I do something similar where I ask people to find what lights them up and you know, and what's really true about you. And really. And once you really sense into the truth of that, kind of like, who are you?

Before all cultural layovers, before people told you you weren't good enough. Who. Who are you? Who were you? Who. Who do you continue to be underneath it all?

And when you really somatically own that, it changes you in a really profound way. Yeah.

Larissa Cziprina: 00:13:56

Yes. So, and also spiritual practices. I go to church and when I believe in, in one God and yeah, one source.

And in many religious teachings they say that it, like from the Bible, this love and joy and faith are fruit of spirit.

And there exactly these components are needed for resilience, for confidence, for self acceptance and to see self as good enough and the world around as supporting. And people who are listening to you friendly. And then somatically, your shoulders are straight, you can breathe nicely or brain opens, you smile.

And this immediately gives an impulse to the brain to relax, to produce serotonin. And it is like holistic approach to who we are. And when they write their poem, they say, oh, it's beautiful. I am beautiful.

And then you can see the posture is different, right. And they are relaxing and they are putting this poem in their room and decorated and it really helps them to be in their power.

And I also mentioned that these qualities are always with them, regardless of outside circumstances. So whenever they feel fear or doubt, they can always remember who they are. And it immediately gives them energy.

The book Power vs Force, there is a map of consciousness. And now scientifically, it was proven so we are electric being and our emotions can be electrically measured. And when we are, we have courage.

It's already 200 units of power. And then we can have a willingness to do something intent. It goes up and then we do something. With love. It's very high, but joy is the highest.

Brett Hill: 00:16:41

So this is like a framing that, you know, people might have a relationship to in the. In the concepts of like a vibe, like raising your vibe or higher vibration. Because we're talking frequency here, right?

Larissa Cziprina: 00:16:56

Yes.

Brett Hill: 00:16:57

Like the notion that, you know, love is a vibration. It's a higher vibe than like anger or jealousy or fear, you know, in that. And one of the interesting.

Well, this is going to get me off into a whole tangent. I don't really want to go down, but it has to do with the. How easy it is to destroy something because of the way physics works.

So, for example, and I don't want to spend too much time on this, but like, it can take a year to build a very beautiful building and it takes 10 minutes to tear it down. And because it's easy to take highly structured systems and break them down than it is to create structure out of unstructured material.

And in some ways, our energy systems are the same way. It's easier to stay in a lower vibe state. And that's why it's. So the nervous system is wired that way too. So we react powerfully to fear, to threats.

And that's because, you know, we grew up in a. In the savannah for millions of years where those things really mattered, but now we're not in that world anymore.

Larissa Cziprina: 00:18:07

Yes. You know, also a lot of different courses, classes, movements. It can be breakthrough, landmark. It can different leadership courses.

They all come to the main idea to understand who we are and to have this tool as a switch, like a joy switch. I also have a friend.

Brett Hill: 00:18:37

I want one of those.

Larissa Cziprina: 00:18:39

Larissasjoiceswitch.com you know, it was actually already patented. There is a person who is Joy and she created movies. And it is her way first mindfully understand where the emotions come from.

And they come usually from a thought. Recognize them, maybe name. Not maybe it's naming them, it taming them.

Brett Hill: 00:19:12

When we name something, name it Attainment. Right? Is that the first phrase? Yeah, I love that really a lot because it's so powerful, particularly when you're.

When you talk about, you know, who we are and when we start to have this. These thoughts About I'm not enough. These people don't like me.

And if it's so different when you're in that anxiety versus you're coming from a different place in your, in your nervous system, specifically the prefrontal cortex, executive functions, where you can say, oh, there's that thought about not I'm not enough. Yes, there's that part of me that is worried about, you know, am I coming across? Well, such a different experience.

Larissa Cziprina: 00:20:00

And many immigrant families in the like old times when there was English only, they did not know how to express feelings or emotions in English. So their children had problems also to express themselves because they did not know how to do it. However, now in schools there are like a scale.

How do you feel? Right. Or there is a picture smiling or. Or sad. But when you also name, I am angry. And it is red, for example, color.

Or I am sad, depressed, it is blue. And then it is green when you are calm and peaceful, and then it is yellow when it is joyful. That is a creative stage.

So if you want to be creative, you really need to calm down your circuits. And mindfulness, what is mindfulness? It's very good. Beautiful word. But it can be maybe a pause, right? And breathe.

So we don't say to children, you need to be mindful. We can say, can you just breathe? Or can you pause for a moment? Yeah. Or you can stretch or move and then the mind resets.

Brett Hill: 00:21:37

So beautiful.

Larissa Cziprina: 00:21:39

And especially when we are angry, it is so important to have this pause and instead of reacting, to come to responding in the way that you want to achieve what you wanted. And there is a saying that one minute of impatience, or for example, vice versa, one minute of patience can save you many years of regret.

Brett Hill: 00:22:08

So true. So true. Even 15 seconds can make all the difference. You know we can.

Larissa Cziprina: 00:22:17

Yes. Also, Dalai Lama said, a smart person knows what to say, but the wise person knows to say it or not. So in my coaching, there are three.

Attitude, knowledge and skills. And attitudes starts in self realization and who they are getting into power and what they want to achieve and believe in itself. So I can. Right?

And there is a little book of local scientist and writer Pamela Secet.

And one of the ways to come into your power is fifth way to pay particular attention to the spoken language and the thinking process that really shape our reality.

Brett Hill: 00:23:21

Yeah, I agree completely.

Larissa Cziprina: 00:23:23

Yes. And then the knowledge not only of grammar, Grammar is important as a structure.

And English, the English grammar is much how, I would say some languages are more difficult than English.

Brett Hill: 00:23:45

I'll have to take Your word for that. I believe you.

Larissa Cziprina: 00:23:49

So English is just like bricks. You put bricks and it is easy. And it is also linear tenses are also from past to present to future versus circular or no future.

In African languages, for example, or six cases in the Russian language, each word changes the ending. So knowledge of grammar is only part of it. But in colleges and other English classes, this is the only. The only thing they teach is grammar.

Brett Hill: 00:24:32

I see.

Larissa Cziprina: 00:24:33

But there are so many other things. But a lot of times the gatekeepers is standardized testing.

And in these tests it's culture knowledge which is checked, not the knowledge of language and this cultural component that provides the context for understanding.

Brett Hill: 00:24:59

I see.

Larissa Cziprina: 00:25:00

So when especially newcomers come here and they say I can't understand them, I can. It's not that they don't know the language, they don't have cultural reference to the words. So that's knowledge of culture.

Cultural aspects of communication are the biggest component of understanding. Right. And speaking with the confidence and listening with understanding.

Brett Hill: 00:25:38

Beautiful.

Larissa Cziprina: 00:25:39

Yes. And component number three, it's practice. So practice is also ingrained in my services.

And for example, this coming Saturday, I invite all my former and current students for English Tea Party to practice small talks and social connections. And it is like enactment and there will be prompts, but also it is real life situation.

And to see that it's not only words, but also body language and facial expressions and gestures. And again, what they. How they present themselves, what they think about themselves when they say, is this.

Brett Hill: 00:26:31

An in person event?

Larissa Cziprina: 00:26:33

It's a in person event. And you're.

Brett Hill: 00:26:35

And you're in Seattle, is that right?

Larissa Cziprina: 00:26:37

It's in. In Kirkland and there.

Brett Hill: 00:26:42

So for those of you that don't know, Kirkland is just north of Seattle. So it's in the Seattle.

Larissa Cziprina: 00:26:47

It says northeast, right? Northeast of Seattle. Very nice. I cannot say little town anymore.

Brett Hill: 00:26:54

No, it's not little anymore.

Larissa Cziprina: 00:26:59

But it has its own downtown area. Very beautiful, very nice.

Brett Hill: 00:27:04

Yeah, I love it a lot.

Larissa Cziprina: 00:27:05

And a lot of cafes with music. Musicians play there. So this cafe, the Art of Coffee, it's called. The owner is a person from Australia.

Brett Hill: 00:27:19

Oh, nice.

Larissa Cziprina: 00:27:20

And they also invite local artists and musicians. And there is a special, special room for some events, right?

Brett Hill: 00:27:31

Maybe. Maybe I'll pop in. That's tomorrow, right? No, it's Saturday. Yes, because I'm about an hour south of town, so.

Larissa Cziprina: 00:27:39

Yes, from 11 to 1, please. Called art of Connection. Right. Small talks, Art of Connection with English Tea Party.

Brett Hill: 00:27:48

Beautiful. So let me ask you then, what is it that if you were to say something to People who are struggling in a way to.

And also to people who are coaching and working with people who are struggling. What would be, like, your key? Your key, you know, advice to. Like, how. Let me. Okay, I'm gonna edit this out because I'm having trouble saying this.

What I want to ask you. So here's. Here's the setup. What I want to ask you is. Is because I'm trying to sort of wrap up a little bit here.

So it's kind of like, what would be your key question or your key offering to people who are. And the thing I'm struggling with is like, should I be focusing this question on people who need the help or people who provide the help?

Okay, so this is going to be for providing. All right, so here's the question. So let me ask you this. Pause. So let me ask you this.

There are people out there who are probably teaching English as a second language, and they're just teaching grammar. And so I want to.

I'm trying to figure out this other component which you bring so beautifully, which is, like, this part of being in connection to who you are. Are the people who are out there who haven't quite made that connection yet, where can they begin to work?

And it might be as simple as, you know, take a course in mindfulness or take a course in positive psychology, maybe something like that. You know, whatever it is that helps. Does that make sense?

Larissa Cziprina: 00:29:26

Yes, it does. And because I guess mindfulness, it's inner dialogue, is the first step for any activity, for profession. Yes.

Brett Hill: 00:29:38

Yeah, yeah.

Larissa Cziprina: 00:29:40

And, yeah. People usually are careful. It's like doctors who have an oath not to harm.

When we are mindful about speaking, then we understand that the word can heal or kill. If it is language professions, for example, or the interpreters, how you translate, it's very important.

Like the idiom of Khrushchev at the United Nations Organization. He said, I will show who we are. But it was translated, we will bury you. Started completely different era in the whole world.

Brett Hill: 00:30:34

Wow.

Larissa Cziprina: 00:30:35

Yeah. So.

Brett Hill: 00:30:37

Well, that's powerful. I didn't. I've never heard that before. That's.

Larissa Cziprina: 00:30:40

Yes.

Brett Hill: 00:30:41

I can just see banging a shoe on the table. For those of you who don't know, this is an old reference to Khrushchev talking to Kent in response to Kennedy, I think it was.

And he banged his shoe on the table. And the popular translation was we will bury you. And it basically started the Cold War.

Larissa Cziprina: 00:31:03

Yeah. And he did not say this. It was idiomatic expression that was not correctly translated.

Brett Hill: 00:31:11

And the correct expression should have been.

Larissa Cziprina: 00:31:14

It would be, we will show that we better than we think or we will show what we are capable of. The direct translation. I will show you who's the mother of Kuzma. But if you know the mother of Kuzma, you know how powerful he is or how.

But it's not powerful for killing, it's more for capable. And Khrushchev started economic policy to catch up with America economically.

Brett Hill: 00:31:47

I see, I see.

Larissa Cziprina: 00:31:49

And it was like, wow.

Brett Hill: 00:31:51

So this is to your point that, you know, the words matter?

Larissa Cziprina: 00:31:57

Definitely, yeah.

That's why you need to take it very seriously and also see what biases you have because how you translate if it is a spy or it is intelligent service, depending on your perspective.

Brett Hill: 00:32:14

So how can people connect with you and your work?

Larissa Cziprina: 00:32:18

,: 6872

Brett Hill: 00:32:45

And we'll put all of that in the show notes so you don't have to rewind to catch it.

I just think it's such a gift that someone like you is able to like speak to the hearts and souls of these people in these very challenging circumstances and address not only the mechanics of getting, getting themselves adapted to a new culture, but also the interpersonal and the being aspects of it, because that goes far beyond that's. That's something that it doesn't only changes your capacity to engage in a new culture. It changes everything in your life for the better.

And that's really powerful work. And that's why you're on Michael Kors podcast, because it's really powerful.

Larissa Cziprina: 00:33:33

So hopefully I help my learners, people with whom I work, organizations, to understand that there is connection between well being and the language we use. And the language when it is translated also can be inviting, it can be warm, where people feel that they belong rather than punitive or threatening.

Brett Hill: 00:33:59

Yeah, exactly. So. And we certainly know we need a lot more of that invitational language these days, so. So I want to thank you so much for being on the show today.

I really appreciate the work you're doing. As I said, if you could leave our listeners like with one thought, what would that be?

Larissa Cziprina: 00:34:18

So you are powerful. Think of yourself as good enough. Use language that is inspiring, kind, and that inspires you for greater things and people around.

Brett Hill: 00:34:35

I feel inspired and I'm sure our listeners do too. Thank you so much, Larissa. It's been a pleasure having you on the show.

Larissa Cziprina: 00:34:42

Thank you.

Brett Hill: 00:39:29

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