Compassion Doesn’t Have to Hurt, in Nursing or Otherwise

Compassion Doesn't Have to Hurt, in Nursing or Otherwise Albert Einstein wrote: A human being is a part of the whole called by us “Universe,” a part limited in time and space. He experiences himself, his thoughts, his feelings, as something separate from the rest—a kind of optical delusion of his consciousness. The delusion is a kind of prison for us, restricting us to our personal desires and to affection for a few persons nearest to us. Our task must be to free ourselves from this prison by widening our circle of compassion to embrace all living creatures and [...]

2021-08-16T20:24:18-06:00By |Nursing|11 Comments
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Our Meditative Mind Reminds Us of Compassion While Minding the Bedside

How can we call remaining in the present “meditation?” Is meditation merely a state of non-distraction? When do you find yourself most present? Most distracted? Whether distracted or present, each moment is an opportunity, an invitation, to meditate. Many people assume that we mediate by finding a cushion or quiet place and then sit, motionless, in a state of calm bliss. But, every moment that we’re awake can also be a moment when we’re aware. Each Moment is an Invitation to Practice Each moment that we’re present, whether with our family, friends, or those we care for, is a moment [...]

2019-02-26T11:58:19-07:00By |Compassion, Nursing|1 Comment
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Meditation and Compassion for Nurses

Science Proves that Meditation Works! You've probably read it before, either on this site or somewhere else, that meditation can foster compassion (there's even scientific evidence proving this!). And, we know through scientific research that meditation works to effect changes in the brain as well. So, through meditation, learning to know one's mind and know one's heart go hand-in-hand. When you come to know your mind, your heart follows and vice versa. Okay, so assuming that's the truth, how can you learn to take better care of yourself through the art of meditation? How can you learn to be more [...]

2015-03-09T16:23:25-06:00By |Nursing|0 Comments
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On Meditation and Compassion: Is it Only a Dream…That There’ll Be No More Turning Away….?

  What Stops You in Your Tracks?   I've always been a sucker for guitar solos, especially ones that invoke a strong emotion of sadness or intensity. For me, when the message of the music hits the heart of the lyrics, it brings me to a state of stillness or reflection...similar to meditation. When I think of something that can stop me in my tracks, something that causes me to catch a glimpse of something beyond myself, music stands out clearly in my mind. What about you? James Joyce used the phrase of "aesthetic arrest" to describe a state where [...]

2015-02-03T13:13:10-07:00By |Compassion|2 Comments
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Meditation and Compassion, Part 4: Meditating on Suicide

(Photo courtesy of Audrey Nadia Rubenstein) At first I felt as though my heart had been ripped open. Then my mind went into a state of disbelief and confusion. I felt a sort of numbness and despair. Finally, my heart and mind came to rest in a state of meditation and compassion… and I didn’t even know her. I just learned of the suicide of a brilliant young woman, Sharoni Stern Siegel, a local artist who was beloved by those who knew her and had shared in her art and her passion for life. Her Facebook page has [...]

2014-08-25T17:37:54-06:00By |Compassion, Meditation|6 Comments
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Compassion Fatigue in Nursing? There’s No Such Thing! Five Reminders…

BOLD STATEMENT: there’s no such thing as compassion fatigue! What?   Have you heard all of the talk in healthcare and in the literature about "compassion fatigue?" I just did a Google® search for the keywords "compassion fatigue in nurses" and came up with 104,000 links, up from 46,700 links just last spring! What?! You’d think that we’re all suffering from burnout, which can’t be possible…or, is it? The notion that being compassionate can cause fatigue gives me cause to pause, how about you? Can compassion really lead to fatigue? Can caring so much for another cause burnout? Perhaps the [...]

2019-02-26T10:55:35-07:00By |Nursing|4 Comments
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Politics Getting to You? Meditate on Compassion – Four Steps…

Can meditation on compassion change the way that we view politics? Regardless of our political inclinations or leanings, we are all subject to the political fracas that erupts years before Presidential elections, and that is almost ongoing in the general and special elections within the local political arena. Do you ever get the impression that many of these politicians, regardless of their party, don't have any idea of how badly we all want things to change for the benefit of everyone? For instance, I don't think that any of us want Medicare to disappear, leaving the elderly in dire straits. [...]

2014-08-25T17:45:31-06:00By |Compassion, Meditation|1 Comment
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