Latest / The Inner Well Podcast / Healing the Healers: Who Takes Care of the Caretakers?
Transcript
- The Inner Well Podcast: We all contain a space within that when enlivened and nourished will support us with unwavering stability, expansion, and peace of mind. Join us each week as we dive into honest, grounded conversations about transcendental meditation, consciousness, and growth, and what it means to live an integrated life supported by a foundation of creativity and calm. This is the Inner World. Thank you for being here with us on the Innerwell podcast. I would love to just start off by having you introduce yourself. You've been teaching TM now for over 11 years and we had the opportunity to work closely together for the first few of those, ⁓ which is always fond memories. So I'd love to hear just a little bit about who you are, where you are, and then we'll dive into your work with the David Lynch Foundation. Yeah, so yeah, thanks for having me, Danielle. Really happy to be here to share my, you know, journey and my experience with TM, teaching TM, learned how to meditate at the age of five, had this tool and technique throughout my whole life. But you know, it was when I went to college where I kind of lost sight of it, didn't have that same support and community around me and I lost sight of my practice and know, college years were exhausting. It was getting burnt out. And I came back to the technique. I was like, you know what, TM, yeah, I need to get back on that. So helpful. And, you know, then fast forward to, gosh, I guess eight years later, I had some friends that were, you know, teaching in DLF programs and just just had the most amazing things to just say about the populations that DLF serves and the experiences. And it was time for a shift in my own life. So I went on the teacher training course, graduated in March of 2015, and I did have a strong desire to teach ⁓ the communities and populations that the David Lynch Foundation serves. So moved out to New York, that's when you and I got that opportunity to work together closely in the Bronx. Then when the pandemic hit in 2020, ⁓ we pivoted, you know, we really realized that healthcare workers needed some attention during a really, really stressful time. So that's when the Heal the Healers Now initiative was born. And I haven't stopped since 2020 serving and teaching healthcare workers. So my role kind of shifted, I became the director of the Heal the Healers Now program here in New York. ⁓ You know, we're in over 100 hospitals nationwide, know, presence in 17 states, thousands of healthcare workers have learned. And even though the pandemic, you know, is something off the past, ⁓ healthcare workers, you know, are really a population that need tools, they need techniques. Compassion fatigue is so real for healthcare workers, especially nurses. So, ⁓ You know, the need, the demand, it just continues. And this is what I do full time here in New York. And yeah, it's going strong. What a beautiful pivot and such an important population to serve, especially at that time. then, you know, through that response to meeting the need of the time, you know, seeing that this is, you know, the people who take care of us when we need it and they need someone to take care of them. So you use the term DLF, just for those who might not know what that stands for, is the David Lynch Foundation, which was started by the filmmaker David Lynch and the current CEO of the foundation, Bob Roth. really with the mission to provide transcendental meditation to those populations who have the highest levels of toxic stress and trauma and otherwise wouldn't have access to it. This is a newer ⁓ focus for the Data Lens Foundation. So I'm so curious to really dive into the conversation with you, Kelly, and hear more about your experience and that some of the stories that you've... witnessed and kind of been part of and the transformations that you've seen and maybe some of the research as well that's come out of ⁓ this initiative. You know, I think for healthcare workers, know, burnout, chronic stress, trauma is so real in their life. ⁓ You know, again, through the pandemic and then just in that profession in general, your job is to be in charge of caring for people when they're sick, saving lives, quite literally. so, you know, so many healthcare workers really are having a hard look at, this something I can continue to do? ⁓ You know, can I continue doing this job? And turnover is at an ultimate high in healthcare, and it costs thousands of dollars to replace, you know, a nurse or a doctor. So... just really having an eye-opening experience to just really the pressure cooker of the environment that they have to show up for every single day and really just give themselves every bit of themselves with really no time to take care of themselves because ⁓ many healthcare workers are women, many women have families. So they're giving all of themselves at their job, but then they're also going home and having to be on and give themselves to their families as well. So, you know, where's the time for them to take care of themselves? So, you know, this was something that was just brought to my attention once I started to really focus on healthcare. And again, to be able to be that person to just walk into a hospital, you know, provide this tool, you know, teach trans-adult meditation to the ones that are interested in learning. It's like... creating a safe space for them, like a space for them to now come, walk into and know that they can just sit back, be taken care of, have that time to rest, recharge. So then they're going back onto their floor, into their unit, and they're just that much more effective, they're that much more present. They aren't absorbing all the triggers and stresses in their environment in the same way that they would be. Can you share some... stories of the transformation that you've seen? One person that particularly jumps out at me is a nurse that I taught at Northwell Health, which is ⁓ the largest private ⁓ healthcare system in New York. And she was a night shift nurse and also had, you know, small children at home. And just when she was learning, just really shared her struggles of just that. pivot, you know, those hours that she was expected to be on at work, and then coming home in the morning and putting her mom hat on and getting the kids ready for school, and then having that time to herself. And she just found that when she learned TM, you know, just to be able to take that time to meditate between that transition was just making that transition just so much easier for her just to really be the mom when she needed to go home and be the mom. be the nurse on her night shift when she was taking care of ⁓ her patients. So that's just one example. I would say just generally speaking, ⁓ the people I'm teaching, they're just feeling so much more armored and prepared and ready to just to be that role, to be that caregiver. because they're getting that opportunity to meditate, you know, to refresh mind and body, to get that rest that so many of them lack because of the working hours that they work. ⁓ You know, not getting great sleep at night, you know, after a shift. You know, so many suffer from insomnia. And, you know, just after a session or two, ⁓ my gosh, I slept so much better last night. You know, I'm sleeping and just, you know, finding that improvement. So... You know, really, it's just been so invaluable to their life and their wellbeing that, you I get to experience every day going to the hospital and teaching. That's so inspiring and such important, important work that you're doing. It seems like it would be a really incredible investment for hospitals. And is that how they're starting to look at this is as a kind of preventative ⁓ investment for their employees? Absolutely. Yeah, a lot of hospitals are looking into ways of implementing it in their residency programs so that the residents are, you know, just prepared and have tools, you know, because your residency program is very intensive and then you're being just shot into your role in the hospital. So there are hospitals that are, you know, starting to look at ways of implementing that. You know, we also are getting government funding. NYC Health and Hospitals, it's the largest public hospital system in the country. And we have a site that received a government grant, applied for a government grant, and they took it upon themselves to allot $240,000 towards the staff learning T.M. ⁓ So, you know, just things like this where the hospital themselves are taking it into their own hands because they're seeing the value of this, you know, ⁓ is something that we're continuing to see. And this is really what's going to, you know, allow this work to become sustainable, you know. It's so important to be in hospitals and have that presence and build those relationships because that can also help us, you know, just get a little bit closer to insurance companies, you know. looking at this as something that can really ⁓ help and prescribe and, you know, have your doctor prescribe and recommend somebody that maybe is having insomnia or is experiencing inside your depression and have this covered under insurance to really just allow this to be accessible to anyone and everyone. know that has been one of the big focuses for the David Lynch Foundation. More do you know about where that is at at this point? Yeah, so, you know, there are a couple of research studies, you know, some pretty big research studies that are in the works being planned right now, just to really continue to document, you know, why this is effective and why insurance companies should adopt this. And, you know, just during the pandemic, ⁓ we came out with eight research studies that ⁓ had been conducted at academic medical centers, ⁓ know, Duke University, Harvard Medical School, Georgetown University, etc. And just documenting the effectiveness that TM had on burnout, anxiety, depression, insomnia, things like this. you know, just really continuing to build the body of research ⁓ and getting some big studies underway so that we're really prepared to present this and hopefully get the insurance companies to see the value. That's incredible that, I mean, even though there are decades of hundreds of research studies that have been published that they're continuing to happen today to show the relevance in these different environments and particularly in these populations that were most stressed during the pandemic. What are some of the findings that have come out of those studies? They have reported that there is, you know, significant decrease in burnout and trauma, anxiety, depression, sleep disorders. This is what the studies were looking at. And this is what they're, you know, continuing to find. What is the most fulfilling part for you about engaging in this work? Yeah, you know, one of my favorite things about teaching TM is that, you know, you just get to engage in such a variety of different people and just provide that same care and create that same space each time. But, you know, the experience is always a little bit different just based on, you know, what the need of that group is. ⁓ And Yeah, I think just being somebody that naturally just loves to just give and nourish and provide, you know, for me, even though these environments can be intense, it's like you're creating that space for people to come to. And it just doesn't ever feel like it's a job that I'm waking up to go do. I know it's going to have a positive impact on people because does every single time, you know, I mean, that transformation that you see just from that first day when people come in, they're exhausted, like they are shut down, you know, all of these things. And then just slowly as the week continues, it's just like, you're smiling a bit more, they're engaging a bit more, they're getting rest, you know, they're expressing themselves. There's so much gratitude at the end of the week of just, you know, thanking you for showing up and providing this and how you know, helpful and how happy they are that their place of work is bringing this opportunity to them, right? You might get a little card or a gift of people just, you know, expressing their gratitude. So for me, just ultimately, it just, doesn't feel like work to me. It's, you know, it's to just go and help people and just see the transformation with something that is, you know, just really effective. And we've had you know, many, many years, the body of research just to show that. you show up, you know, I show up feeling confident, I guess, you know, feeling good that it's gonna help, it's gonna work. I love that. It's such a gift that we get to play this role of facilitating this experience for people. can imagine how rewarding that is. This podcast is called the Inner Well Podcast. What does that mean you? The inner well, the inner well to me sounds like that reality within each and every one of us, that word being inner, right? That ability to go within ourselves ⁓ to that reality that is all nourishing, all expansive, ⁓ you know, tapping into our and our creativity and our reservoir of energy and just to tap into our inner resources, to really just recharge and connect to ourself, ⁓ to then just emerge and just really express ourself to the fullest. And how does that show up for you or support you in your life? I would say the unique thing about being a teacher is, you know, your own practice is important because, you know, at the end of the day, you are giving yourself to others. You are holding space. ⁓ You know, it can be quite energizing and rewarding, but, you know, it can also be a bit taxing, a bit draining. ⁓ So, you know, that inner well, that opportunity to, you know, dive within myself, in my practice, doing TM to transcend. ⁓ you know, is something that's important for me to continue to do myself so that I can continue to be that giver and that provider, you know, to ⁓ my students and the people that I teach. you know, it is almost like double dipping. It's unique being a teacher and also, you know, a practitioner. It's just like you get to, you know, reap the benefits and get the rewards from your own practice and also, you know, giving this to others. And that's... Such an important piece to remember, because I feel like sometimes people have this idea about meditation broadly, that, you know, maybe it's selfish to take the time for you to sit and close your eyes and, you know, be quiet and with yourself. And I always remind people that it is the most loving and caring thing that you can do. for everyone around you. And the way that you said that just reminded me of that because, you know, especially like you described women, mothers, people in these professions that are taking care of others. You sometimes it can feel like there's no time for ourselves ⁓ and really prioritizing that. And then having techniques like this that are so simple and so efficient, 20 minutes twice a day that you can do wherever you are. You can practice wherever you are, ⁓ you know. helps with making it possible to prioritize taking this time for ourselves because it allows us to bring so much more and to have the capacity to give our full presence and our energy and our clarity and our care to those who we love the most, whether that's, you know, in this situation, the patients or your students or my students or, you know, someone's kids or... So I love that piece. And it's so important that you brought it out. The kind tagline for this podcast is real talk on meditation, meaning, and modern life. And just curious if you have any thoughts on that as to why it's so important to have a technique that has this depth of tradition behind it. The time that we're living in now, the pace of life is so fast. It's unnatural. We shouldn't be living this fast. I think having means of ⁓ connecting worldwide the way we do, there is really important and beautiful things about it, but also it is quite an overload for the human physiology and the system in my own opinion. So I think reviving traditions and techniques that regardless of what one is looking for, whether it's connecting with one's higher self and expanding your own consciousness, or really just having a reason to slow down and take some time to yourself, which is pretty rare in taboo these days, and just really disconnecting from everything around you, turning off the phone, the computer, the TV, and just having that time to just sit with oneself. The benefits are going to show up regardless, just through going through the technique itself. You know, I think that it's just, so important to keep these, you know, ancient traditions alive that might be used in different contexts these days, but it's still going to have that same benefit and outcome that ⁓ one would experience at any point in time. That's so well said. And I totally agree. It is not just your opinion. Actually, last night was leading a refresher for some of my students here in Nashville and Someone used pretty much that example, just that they were, the reason they were wanting to come back to TM at this time, having learned several years prior, was because they just needed some quiet. As far as from the noise, the screens, the constant input just needed that moment of quiet and remembered that this was a technique that allowed them to have that. It really is needed more so than... ever. And the interesting thing is it seems that there's more of an openness than there ever has been to adopt tools and techniques for self care and for well being. Thanks for being here, Kelly. Appreciate you. Transcendental meditation is a scientifically validated technique that provides access to become more ourselves. Join us next week for more conversations with real people living fulfilling and peaceful lives with infinite support. from their inner well.