A Loving-Kindness-Body Scan creates a safe space for you to meet each part of your body with great respect and gentleness. It establishes a clear opening for you to recognize the majestic gifts of your body, mind and spirit. Listen and reconnect to you and your strong, beautiful body.
The simple things. Do you notice them? Do you walk on by? Do you ignore? It’s ok if you do. I get lost in the fast pace of life too. And I notice when I do pause, stop, or recognize I am moving at the speed of light, that a world of wonder opens, and I remember to take a breath and see the wondrous things I am blessed with.
A deep appreciation for the simple things washes over me.
In pre-COVID days, I would have instantly hugged sharing my joy of seeing them after so long. Post-COVID, what’s the protocol? Hugs, or no hugs? Handshake, or no handshake? Smile from afar? Or smile up close?
What transpires when we share kindness in community, despite our awkwardness? It is contagious!
You know Nurse Coaching will help people realize the power they have over their health, and have been dreaming about owning your own Nurse Coaching practice. A colleague has taken the first steps to open her business, but you are not in a position to quit your well-paying Nursing job… yet.
So, what do you do? Bloom Where You are Planted!
Hope. Hope never denies us our emotions of anger, grief, anxiety, fear or sadness, instead, hope allows us to direct our feelings, thoughts and actions to more focused possibilities. This blog shares an awareness practice called, ‘what am I hoping for?’. You can try it, by listening along with the video, or print the script to share it with someone else. You can find hope, when you listen to the reply from the question, ‘what am I hoping for?’
Phyto means ‘plant’. Phytonutrients (or phytochemicals) include all plant foods, like vegetables, fruits, legumes, beans, nuts, seeds, teas, spices and whole grains. If it grows in nature it has phytonutrients. The goodies that make up plants are essential for health and living well, and plants are the FOUNDATION for disease prevention and treatment.
Here are some tips how to get more Plant Power!
Happy Nurses Week 2019!
A reflection I wrote in 2013 for my fellow Nurse colleagues, and it still rings true today.
Trust that those you touch can sense the power and the beauty of your authentic desire to give them the truth of caring. Care that is expressed through pure passion. A selfless gift full of love, kindness, compassion and joy. A gift given with skilled and gentle hands, a kind smile, soothing words and peaceful silence. Your purpose is the power of your love, giving energy, tranquility and genuine light to others.
An Optimal Healing Environment (OHE) is a shared space where healing occurs by addressing all aspects of a person’s individuality. Individuality includes; the physical, psychological, social, cognitive, economic, environmental, spiritual and behavioral components of humans (Zborowsky & Kreitzer, 2014). When considering an OHE, it must focus on external factors like, light, fresh air, architecture, color of walls, furniture, art, activities, and music. It also reflects internal aspects like, relaxation, meditation, prayer, and energy exchange. An OHE accounts for interpersonal items like, relationships, communication, leadership and teamwork, as well as behavior like, collaborative healthcare, exercise and integrative practice (Dossey & Keegan, 2013).
A Nurse Coach is a registered nurse who has chosen to advance their nursing education with additional extensive certification, supervised practice and mentorship to learn the tools, concepts and theories to actively coach clients, patients and families towards their best health, while preventing and mitigating disease.
One could say that a nurse coach is in fact, a health and wellness, well-being, and integrative coach all wrapped up in one. But they are so much more!
This is the story of a Registered Nurse (me) who stood up for herself and her patients, and what happened in the process. Nurses are one of the most dedicated professionals on the earth. Nurses vow to protect their patients from harm. Here is Nightingale’s Pledge from 1935, and it (or an updated version) continues to be said at nurse graduation ceremonies around the world.
I solemnly pledge myself before God and in the presence of this assembly, to pass my life in purity and to practise my profession faithfully. I will abstain from whatever is deleterious and mischievous, and will not take or knowingly administer any harmful drug. I will do all in my power to maintain and elevate the standard of my profession, and will hold in confidence all personal matters committed to my keeping, and all family affairs coming to my knowledge in the practice of my calling. With loyalty will I endeavour to aid the physician in his work, and as a 'missioner of health' I will dedicate myself to devoted service to human welfare.
While it’s great to use the big, white label to see how many carbohydrates, fats, protein etc. are in the foods you eat, all that information (while helpful) can be overwhelming! The deal is, when a thing seems overwhelming, we tend to ignore it; no matter how valuable it is.
So let’s make reading labels simple!
I had the honor of being interviewed by Elizabeth Scala for her podcast, Your Next Shift: A Nursing Career Podcast for Nurses and Nursing Students
I shared some serious transparency and things I’ve learned in my Nursing career- the good, the bad and the ugly- and parts of what makes me human.
A special thank you to Elizabeth and her tireless work to support the Nursing profession through her visionary work. She da bomb!
Today’s negative effects of chronic stress on our bodies, minds and spirits are well documented.
So, how do we reduce this over-stimulation and combat the constant burden of stress on our bodies, minds and spirits- especially because each of us is unique? We try different things to calm our system and help us regenerate and repair.
De-Stress breathing techniques are a simple way to begin your exposure to stress-reduction tools.
