Medical Monday' s Musings: Inspiration & Illness

Here is a sampling of some of my work using choreography, sculpture, photography and poetry to express the profound ways in which  diseases are impacted by the human spirit and the human spirit is affected by diseases. 

These performances were fortunately well received at the American Medical Women's Association in Atlanta. They reflected my commitment (as well a large group of professional and nonprofessional artist's commitments)  to exploring the relationship of the Arts ,Spirituality and Medicine.  I have  previously shared this passion with my blogland friends because it has been so meaningful to me as a clinician and patient .

This work demonstrates the arts abiltiy to explore various disease states- Cancers, Affective Disorders, Cardiac Illness,the  Surgical setting among just a few. 







This was called Dark Night of the Soul- I was invited to create a piece about depression and suicide on behalf of a physician who lost her battle with this lifethreatening disease at an early age.  It was an opportunity to "reframe" clinicians perspective of the disease in a biochemical, behavioral and social context.  





Below is a piece called Tour de Force- about the nature of Breast Cancer,its affects on the family, groups, body image, sexuality, and motherhood. The sculpture is by Christiane Corbat



Truly, there is a movement out there in the medical world which recognizes the value of spirituality in any of its forms or traditions-do explore this subject because I believe that regardless of our religious or cultural backgrounds that there are universal truths which bind us and inspire us during times of crisis or illness or loss.  I find that knowing the medical world has opened up to embrace all facets, or at least more facets of the our healing potentials , might be reassuring to all of us. 

•  like Dr. Herbert Benson's Harvard Mind ,Medicine and Spirituality Conferences,
  
  
• like Waking Dreams & Warrior Women's programs 
• like the work of Christina Puchalski, MD 

  Puchalski, M.D."  Dr. Puchalski is an Associate Professor in the Departments of Medicine and Health Care Sciences at The George Washington University School of Medicine in Washington, D.C. She is also the Founder and Executive Director of The George Washington Institute for Spirituality and Health (GWish), a center that develops educational, clinical, and research programs for physicians and other healthcare professionals regarding the role of spirituality and health in medicine. Dr. Puchalski is an internationally known leader in the field of spirituality and health and a recognized pioneer in the field, especially in curriculum development for Spirituality and Health. Her curriculum has received honors and has been the model for innovative curricula throughout the country. Through her efforts, over 75% of medical schools today teach courses in spirituality and health. My work has intersected Christina's work to a some degree in my authorship of a chapter in her bookA time for Listening and Caring and End of Life Issues---.The Arts: A Nondenominational Tool for Reconnecting Spirituality & Medicine, Oxford Press chapter 20  Monday's medical musings are not so painful,yes? Tommorrow night is about wings: