Tuesday, March 18, 2014

Why Having a Mentor is Good for You


  In my life, I have had many mentors in different areas of my life.  Their contribution to who I am today cannot be measured.  The significance of our interactions, lessons learned, and wisdom they have imparted on me have helped in my development as a nurse and a healer.

   I can remember my first mentor in high school.  Mrs. Kelly was an older woman who taught a nursing class in our school as well as the drama club coordinator.  She was in one of the first graduating classes from Boston College School of Nursing.  Her quick wit, passion for nursing, and her friendly nature drew me to her.   I took her classes all 4 years of high school.  In my senior year of high school, I was her "Nursing Extern" where my role was to help teach the previous years classes and to act as a mentor to the younger aspiring nurses in the class.   She trusted and believed in me.  I knew from her guidance that I would become an excellent nurse one day.   Her influence was so great, that I chose to attend the same nursing school that she attended.

    As a new graduate ICU nurse, I had older nurses that I looked up to for guidance.  It was important to me to have easy-going experienced nurses I could ask questions to and not feel threatened or god-forbid, stupid.  Even after being a nurse for 11 years, I still feel the need to have a nurse mentor.  The world of medicine is always changing so no matter how much I think I know, there is always more to learn.
 
   As I began taking courses in Healing Touch, I easily identified two amazing nurses and Certified Healing Touch Practitioners that I looked up to as mentors.  When my apprenticeship began after taking Level 4, I chose the first person I thought of who had helped in my development as a healer for the previous 6 months.  Donna is a beautiful soul whose smile radiates love and kindness.  She led a monthly support group where those who have taken Healing Touch classes can come to practice the techniques they've learned, discuss our experiences, and be around like-minded individuals.  It was at these groups that I developed a close friendship with Donna.  When Donna pinned me at my pinning ceremony, I knew that I had chosen a mentor who I not only looked up to, but also loved dearly.  Although I am now myself a Certified Healing Touch Practitioner, I still consider Donna my mentor as someone I can go to with concerns, questions, or to share my experiences.

   My second lovely honorary Healing Touch mentor is my compassionate friend Trish.  I was blessed with working with Trish for a year in the same hospital during my apprenticeship year.  We would frequently discuss Healing Touch, my struggles with working in a stressful work environment, and how to keep doing the work by staying centered and grounded.  I began helping in her Level 1 Healing Touch classes so that I could learn from one of the best.  Each time I am in her class, I learn more about Healing Touch, myself, and how to be a more compassionate ICU nurse.  Our friendship has grown over the past few years that I even consider her a surrogate mother for me.

   I've also found mentors in practitioners that I see to maintain my own health and wellness.   My acupuncturist Justin has become a mentor in so many different ways.  Although we do not practice the same technique, both are energy therapies and complement each other
well.  I look up to him in how he interacts with his clients, how he manages a patient case-load, and how he runs his practice.  I strive in many ways to have a practice just like him where the patient feels comfortable, well-cared for, and in a partnership with their practitioner.  I look forward to our conversations that center around how to better take care of ourselves first so that we can then be there for our patients.  I also learn an incredible amount about Chinese medicine, Qi movement, and nutrition.

   Having mentors in your life is so important to help in your development.  This is true for everyone.  For new mothers, they tend to look toward their mothers, grandmothers, and friends who have already had a baby to guide a young mother on raising a child.  In the business world, a higher up in the company might mentor a young executive on how to achieve success in business.

  When choosing someone as a mentor, it's important to find someone who you trust, feel comfortable going to with questions, and have a strong rapport.   They should be someone you admire.  Their contributions to your personal and professional life will last a lifetime, so make sure their values match closely with your own.

   We are always growing and evolving.  Often times, we need the guidance of those who have been where we are to help us continue to grow in our chosen paths or professions.   By having mentors in our life, we benefit from their support, wisdom, and experiences.  The most surprising benefit from the relationship will most likely be what your mentor receives from you.  As a mentorship is a two-way street, the mentor is blessed with learning from you.  We are all unique with beautiful talents and ideas to share.    I have been asked by a dear friend to be her mentor in Healing Touch.  I am so blessed to be able to share my knowledge and guidance with her as she embarks on her own journey.  I believe with all of the amazing mentors in my life, they have molded me to be exactly who she will need as a mentor.

Have you thought about the inspirational people in your life who have mentored you?  Share your stories below.
 

 

Tuesday, March 11, 2014

The first time I saw Healing Touch used on my patient

   In 2011, I was working a typical night shift in the ICU where your patient rolls in the door from a procedure right at change of shift. My patient just had an arterial clot removed from his right lower leg during an Interventional Radiology procedure. He was a big guy, weighing close to 300 pounds.

   His right foot was reacting to the sudden rush of new blood returning to his foot and began to spasm uncontrollably.  This condition is called a reperfusion spasm.  He was screaming at the top of his lungs and his foot was starting to turn blue. I rushed back and forth to our Pyxis (medication administration unit) multiple times for pain medications. I had given him 10mg of morphine and 10mg of dilaudid. It was as if I had never even given them to him. 

   After informing the doctor of his condition, we tried ativan for his anxiety and valium for his spasms. Again, no relief. At this point, I had no idea what to do. His wife and sister watched as he writhed in agony and I stood there helpless with no idea how to help him. I decided to go for reinforcements and grab my charge nurse for her opinion.

   Sierra Baker was the charge nurse that night and was always quick to help in any situation. When I told her how much medication I had given him, we both knew that no matter how much we gave, he would not respond. Suddenly she placed her hands over his right lower leg and started to brush her hands around his leg, without actually touching it. My first reaction was "What the hell are you doing??" Within a minute or so of her brushing the air above his leg, his foot started to slowly relax and the spasm disappeared. His coloring returned to his foot! He let out a huge sigh of relief and blurted out "Ahhhh, thank you!"

   His wife, sister, and I looked at each other wild-eyed and shocked. None of us could believe what we just saw. My patient was finally resting comfortably and pain free. Sierra and I left the room to allow him time to spend with his family. I asked her "What on earth were you doing". She told me she had just taken a Level 1 Healing Touch Class a few weeks ago and this technique helps to take away pain. 

   We went back in the room to ask him what he had experienced. He told us that he knew she was moving his energy and could feel the pain releasing. He had received Reiki in the past and knew she was doing energy work similar to Reiki. It dawned on me that I had seen my grandmother do this on many occasions whenever someone had a headache. She would lovingly brush her hands around someone's head and the headache would magically disappear. I had no idea she was doing Energy work.

   Listening to his experience, watching his pain disappear, and realizing I could use this technique in an instant intrigued me. I wanted to learn more. I knew I would take this class. It took another 7 months and a Traumatic Brain Injury to get me there, but I finally took my first Level 1 Healing Touch class. This time, it was my own pain that was floating away.  Read about my dramatic transformation of How a Traumatic Brain Injury turned me into an Energy Healer.

To learn more about Healing Touch, click here

Monday, March 3, 2014

Yoga Love

   For over 2 years now, I have been head-over-barefeet in love with yoga!  I'm sure by now you have heard that a yoga practice is good for your health.  Yoga has countless benefits that includes increased flexibility and strength, relaxation, improves your heart health, decreases stress, and so much more.

   When I first started yoga, I found that I felt more at peace after each class.  I left each class with a "yoga glow".  I was addicted to the feel good state that yoga produced.  I had no idea that by practicing yoga, I was improving my physical body, my emotional state, and deepening my spiritual connection.

   Yoga is based on postures or "asanas" that are either held for many breaths or flowed through with breath to movement.  Each posture assists in opening chakras (energy centers) that are aligned along your spinal column.   The opening of these chakras is what produces the balancing of your mind, body, and spirit.  With your breath, you are moving the flow of energy (also known as Prana or Qi) throughout your body.

   When you are holding different postures, different muscle groups are activated.  This produces an increase in strength, muscle tone, and a lengthening of the muscle fibers.  Many of the postures require you to hold your own body weight in new ways which helps to develop muscle memory.   My balance significantly improved with yoga.  I suddenly could balance my entire body on just my hands in Crow Pose, or balance on one leg while pulling the other one behind me towards my head in Dancers Pose.  I even discovered how to balance on my forearms and head to do a Headstand!

   I use to find that after working out at the gym I would have stiffness in my joints.  Once I began a yoga practice, I stopped experiencing this joint pain.  I improved my joint mobility along with my flexibility.  I used to gauge my flexibility on being able to touch my toes.  I now know that I can touch my toes, wrap my arms behind my legs and bring my entire torso against my legs in a Forward Fold all thanks to yoga.  Back pain that once plagued me on a daily basis, evaporated into thin air as I practiced back strengthening postures.

   Yoga focuses most importantly on the breath.  When you are focusing deeply on your inhale and exhale, your mind is calm and clear.  You are mindfully practicing yoga breath to breath.  You are living in the moment, in the now.   Ugayi breath (yogic breath) has helped to increase my lung capacity.  I found that when I did other forms of aerobic activity, the evolution of my Ugayi breath helped me to get through more strenuous activities without feeling shortness of breath.  Ugayi breath also helped me to be a better Healing Touch Practitioner as I was better able to cultivate universal energy to use during treatments.

   The stress reduction and relaxation that yoga produces is truly an amazing benefit.  Focusing on the here and now during a yoga class, stops you from thinking about all the troubles you have in your life.  Even if the stress relief is for just one hour, thats an hour of well-being your body needs and deserves.  At the end of each yoga class, your body rests flat on the floor in Savasana.  You have 2-5 minutes of quiet, blissful, serenity where your mind can go blank and retreat to a meditative state.  My spiritual connection to something greater than myself has deepened to a level I never knew was possible.

   At the beginning of each yoga class, the instructor will usually ask that you to set an intention.  An intention is a goal, dedication, or purpose that you aim to achieve from your yoga practice.  This can be an intention you set for yourself or for someone else you know.  Depending on how I feel each day, my intentions can differ greatly.  Somedays my intention is to maintain balance.  Balance in my personal life, in my day to day activities, and in my physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual state.  Other times, my intention is to spread love, peace, and happiness to those around me and in the world.  Setting an intention for my yoga practice helps me to focus and dedicate my moving meditation to something important in my life.

   I've learned countless lessons during my yoga classes.  The most important is that this is my yoga PRACTICE, not yoga perfect.   It's ok if I can't figure out that arm-balance or inversion.  I can always try again later.  I may fall out of a balancing posture, but that just means I need to honor my body where it is that day.  Non-judgment and acceptance are common themes in a yoga room.   When I am on my mat, I am improving my mind, body and spirit and that's all that matters.  By showing up, I have already accomplished so much that day.

   Yoga has given me so many beautiful benefits, I can't help but dedicate my love to my yoga practice.  Yoga has helped me to become a better person, connect with a community of like-minded, peaceful yogis, and given me the tools to live a healthy, happy life full of gratitude.

  Are you ready to start your yoga practice?