Embodied Health Practices

Minded Institute's Blog

Wednesday, I attended a lecture on “How to Preserve Your Well-Being”, given by Tait Shanafelt, MD a leading researcher on physician well-being. Tait and I had worked together in 2011 on a webinar for Stanford, and my short visit with Tait this week renewed my passion for passing on mindfulness and meditation practices through my wellness coaching. A recent study from Boston School of Medicine showed increases in self-control, compassion, and mind-body skill confidence for medical students after an 11-week Embodied Health course. Working at MD Anderson, where caring is our #1 value, we know the importance of empathy, compassion, and connecting with patients, families and peers, but there are days we forget to take care of ourselves, so we can be at our best to take care of others. This weekend consider your daily health practices, maybe they need a little tweaking.

Power of Expectations

http://tclf.org/pioneers/robert-reich/biography-robert-reich

I’ve been reading the book Mind Over Mind, by Chris Berdik (2012).  Research into “mirror neurons” suggest that our brains accumulate action ideas that keep at ready, and when cued give us a glimpse of the future.  Dr. Robert Reich, or Doc, established the landscape architecture program at LSU and also attended my home church.  My acquaintance with Doc was short, but I now realize he significantly influenced the way I approach creativity and innovation.  The year before I left for the Army, and immediately after my Army tour some Sunday’s I would get up early, meet Doc at church and assist him in creating the altar flower arrangement from the flowers, grasses, branches and leafs he had gathered.  I’d ask him, “What’s it going to be”, and his answer, “well let’s just wait and see”, and then somehow a work of art would magically appear.  Sundays with Doc taught me the power of expectations, as I watched his hands create, the confidence in his face, and the twinkle of magic in his eyes.  Thanks Doc for the life gifts you gave to so many. 

Presence makes all the Difference

My mom was a kindergarten teacher, so it felt natural when my kids were little to volunteer to teach Sunday school.  When my kids left for college, and the senior men’s class was looking for a teacher, we decided to try it, and again my wife and I stayed for many years, gaining lessons about life we could never teach.  Some of the men had served in WWII; others had grown and / or lost businesses, and families.  Most of the members were 30 to 40 years our senior, and the sharing of their life experiences changed forever how we would view our own aging and the life we strive to live together.  Take the time to walk in another’s shoes, and gain life lessons that will change your life forever. 

Strength of the Universe

It was a German farming community with rolling hills, and many mornings I’d start my day with a run to watch the sun rise. I was a Lieutenant in the 558th MP Co.; we protected and delivered nuclear weapons throughout NATO. It was a tough time to serve with Vietnam tension at its peak, Nixon’s impeachment proceedings, and the Baader-Meinhof terrorist group striking depots in Germany. Each morning I breathed in the golden dawn rising over the hillside and live the Hopi saying, “Take the breath of the new dawn and make it a part of you. It will give you strength.” Try it, and ground yourself in the strength of the universe.

Moments of Awareness

I woke up early Sunday in the late 70’s, my orthopedic surgeon had just cut off my body cast, made a joke about the smell, and then told me to hold still as he pulled the stainless steel wire that had served as sutures. I stood by the bed, just like I did over 35 years ago, and contemplated my first step. This weekend I worked my way through Helen Marshall’s book of poems called Moments of Awareness. In her poem, Only Inches Away, she writes, “Life is measured by inches / By steps taken one at a time / Not by the height of the peak we seek / But each little rise we climb.” Slow life down this week, feel each step and find joy in each little rise you climb.

http://www.amazon.com/Moments-awareness-Helen-Lowrie-Marshall/dp/B0006BV0UC

Centering - Fly a Little

Yesterday, I was in one of those all day meetings and today I woke up wondering if my comments were as disconnected yesterday, as they feel today. And then I remembered the words of Joy Harjo, Native American poet, “The saxophone is so human, its tendency is to be rowdy, edge, talk too loud, bump into people, say the wrong words at the wrong time, but then, you take a breath all the way from the center of the earth and blow. All that heartache is forgiven. All that love we humans carry makes a sweet, deep sound and we fly a little.” I closed my eyes, took a deep breath, flew a little, and then started my morning prayers / meditation. http://www.joyharjo.com/Poetry.html

Whole Person Living

Are you also a morning sky watcher like me? August 11-13 the Perseid meteor shower will be in our sky from midnight to dawn, and all you need to watch it is patience. Patience, it takes patience to live a whole person life. Yesterday, I led an interactive session with 300 Head Start teachers about the power of engaged resilience and living a whole person life. Whole person living is about living a life of happiness, engagement, and meaning. As we talked about life goals many proudly talked about completing their education, others tearfully talked about getting rid of their diabetes. Life goals are important, but living a whole person life everyday isn’t about goals, it’s about having the patience with ourselves and others to be fully engage in the happiness and joy that surrounds us and gives our lives meaning.