Why Colleagues Matter
By Emma Suttie, D.Ac, AP
I am blessed because every day when I wake up and think about going to work I feel happy about it. Yes, that is what I said... HAPPY. There are many reasons for this. One is the fact that I happen to have wonderful patients who enrich my life, humble me and teach me as much about healing as I hope I can teach to them. This, in itself is a reason to grin with delight as you get out of bed and go to work. But there is more. Second, I really, really love what I do. I have never for one moment since I started on this path had any doubt that this is absolutely the thing I am supposed to be doing. That really helps you get up in the morning (and I am not a morning person so I need all the help I can get). But the other reason, and one that is so rare and wonderful, is the other healers I have the privilege of working with. My colleagues. My peeps. My soul family.
I have the pleasure of working in a sweet healing centre in downtown Sarasota, Florida. For those of you who don't know Sarasota, it is a lovely place on the ocean, with world class beaches and full of spiritual people, yoga studios, acupuncture clinics, Buddhist meditation centres and metaphysical churches. It is sort of like the Shangri-La of Florida. I am amazed at the wonderful community of spiritual people, healers and other awesome human beings that I know here. Not an evening goes by when there isn't a kirtan, concert, meditation or documentary film happening to delight you. This is the place I get to work and live.
The centre where I practice is a very lovely space, that always smells of incense, is smashed with plants and anyone is always welcome to stop by the tea room in the back for tea and a chat. It is warm, inviting and friendly. We have a sandwich board outside which boasts different quotes every day to uplift the spirits of those walking by. We have an excellent relationship with our neighbours which consist of a tattoo shop (which is dangerous as we are all lovers of the ink), a catering company (where we often grab food throughout the day) and a sweet French restaurant and cafe where we are all on a first name basis with the owners and staff, who regularly bring over chocolate croissants which we never, ever refuse. Have you ever had a real French chocolate croissant? They are ridiculous.
One of the best things about arriving at work every day is that I get to work with two of the best healers and human beings I know. They are my colleagues. Now, I have worked in a LOT of clinics in my life, with a lot of different medical people, Western doctors, healers, you name it, which is why I know how lucky I am to have these two to work with. It is like the culmination of 10 years of working to get to the people you are meant to work with because everything is so harmonious. There is no competition. There is no jealousy. There is only respect and love for each other. Respect in each other's talents, and our unique abilities to help our patients.
This lovely image from GPyoga on Etsy.com
One is a massage therapist (who gives the best massages I have ever had in my life), a yoga instructor (whose class I have been enthusiastically attending since I arrived here) and reiki healer (who consistently blows me away with the things she sees without me having to say a word). She does each with expert skill and many years of experience. Most work a lifetime to master one of these complicated disciplines, she has mastered all three. She is going to kill me when she reads this. ;)
The other is also a massage therapist, with a completely different style and equal skill. He is also a martial artist (Aikido), meditator and medium (oh my!). He has lived in the spiritual world his entire life, and has been teaching martial arts and spiritualism and meditation for many, many years. I am constantly humbled by his wisdom and the selfless way he shares it with us. These are the people I get to work with every day.
The wonderful thing is that we all vibrate at the same frequency. We all like each other. We respect each other. We treat each other. We refer patients to each other. We go to each other's houses for dinner and hang out together on days off. We are friends. Family.
I always say that they are my health care. I get treatments from each of them as often as possible. Once a week if possible. I am a believer in preventative medicine, so I, and they need to make sure that we stay healthy so that we can be there for our patients. We treat each others families and friends. We take care of each other. Our health and well being is each others concern.
Once a month we do reiki share where anyone can come and everyone gives and also gets reiki. These are wonderful for us and for the community. Twice a month we have meditation, where my colleague teaches meditation techniques and we learn about spiritualism. Once a month we have a philosophy class where my other colleague, who started the path that eventually led to yoga with philosophy, leads the discussion. All of these practices build up a powerful energy in the clinic that helps build us up and floods the place with healing energy that washes over everyone who visits.
The cohesive nature of my colleagues and I is palpable and can be felt by everyone who comes into the clinic. It is calm, nurturing and most of all... healing to all who enter there. And that is because, we try to create that environment. Thankfully, it has happened organically because we are all in harmony with one another and have the same goals. This helps our patients heal and is a wonderful healing environment to spend my days in.
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Why Colleagues Matter : Chinese Medicine Living
