Zen and the art of dying: Health-care professionals at a hospice found their levels of empathy increased with 'mindful meditation'
The Standard (St. Catharines - Niagara)
Mon 07 Feb 2005
Page: B2
Section: Spectrum
Byline: Grania Litwin
Source: CanWest News Service
The process of meditation is similar to the process of dying, says Dr. Anne Bruce.
"Falling asleep has some similarities too, as well as certain states of shock, like the tsunami victims are experiencing,'' says the assistant professor in the University of Victoria School of Nursing.
"They are all changes in consciousness,'' explains the expert, who took her nursing doctorate at the University of B.C., focusing on end-of-life care and an eastern perspective on death.
She recently spent five months at the San Francisco Zen Hospice, studying mindfulness practices of doctors, nurses and volunteers there (mindful meditation is simply learning to pay attention to the moment, she says) and will discuss her research at the upcoming Spiritual Care Conference.
Organized by Victoria Hospice's Learning Centre for Palliative Care, the conference will be held in the B.C. capital Feb. 11-12. The Victoria Hospice, celebrating its 25th anniversary this year, is an internationally respected centre of excellence in palliative care.
During her study in San Francisco, Bruce asked how the hospice staff's practices shaped their caring for the dying. Their answers were intriguing, she said.
They described being in a kind of sensory threshold, or a "liminal space,'' where their sense of separation started to dissolve in their work.
"They were having moments where there was a real sense of connectedness,'' which she said increased their empathy and compassion.
They had feelings of "meditation in action, of being able to relax and bring their attention to whatever was happening in the moment.''
They also told her: "We're not learning to adjust to change, we are change ... we are in constant flux and flow of life.''
Bruce stressed that all the staff members practised mindful meditation, but not all patients did, although some chose to.
"There is no requirement at the Zen Hospice for residents to have any interest or inclination in it,'' Bruce says. "The staff are really aware of not putting any trips on anyone.''
What also intrigues her is how frequently the practice of mindful meditation -- initially a spiritual practice -- is now entering the health-care system.
"I'm interested in how that shifts things. Clearly it seems to be of some benefit. The practices are often introduced without any dogma, faith, belief, or religious motivation.''
Studies reveal meditation is different from relaxation, she says.
"It activates a different part of the brain ... and it's wonderful for family and others preparing for the grieving process.''
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