In a recent Create to Heal class, I used Mandala Art as a meditation and mindfulness exercise. 

Mandala is Sanskrit for circle. These sacred geometric patterns represent wholeness and are often used as meditation tools, for personal expression and spiritual growth. Tibetan Buddhists refer to the mandala as “a matrix or model of a perfect universe” and “an integrated structure organized around a unifying center.” 

I like them because they command your attention in a positive way.

A simple exercise I do with all cancer and pain patients, as well as domestic violence survivors, uses these prompts:

“Cancer is …”

“Pain is …”

“Domestic violence is …”

Write the name of your disease or problem, along with the word “is,” as many times as you need to until the writing flows. One patient started by writing, “Cancer is, cancer is, what is this writing nonsense, cancer is, cancer is,” until she broke through by letting go and giving over to Greater Hands. Here is what she read aloud in class:

Physician burn-out, depression is common and affects care, survey says Reuters (1/17, Larkin) reports almost two-thirds of US physicians “feel burned out, depressed, or both – and those feelings affect how they relate to patients, according to a survey conducted by Medscape.” What is a potential antidote? Compassionate care.

I recently attended a webinar on the opioid crisis hosted by the AMA. Dr. Chad Brummett, Associate Professor, Department of Anesthesiology, Division of Pain Medicine at the University of Michigan Medical School shared his recent research findings on the crisis. The epidemic is transforming the way physicians approach pain management and prescribe medications. Here is what I learned: