In Gratitude & Joy

As part of my job I provide evidence-based music therapy groups for adults in an inpatient acute psychiatric unit. Adults on this unit are in the middle of active episodes due to their mental health condition such as schizophrenia, bipolar, suicidal ideation or depression. Because of the acuity of the setting, patients are often disoriented, manic, delusional, dissociative or actively psychotic. One week I covered for our Recreation Therapist and offered T’ai Chi Chih. The experience was heart-warming, connecting and powerful.

I began group with a usual introduction to who I am and what I was doing during group that day. Several patients were pacing the hallway, one was huddled under a blanket talking to herself, another was muttering and babbling, and one man expressed excitement for T’ai Chi as they had done it before. Two staff members were present during group as well and verbalized enthusiasm to try TCC. I began with Rocking Motion, and within a few repetitions I had a small group of staff and patients all moving and flowing together. One patient who had been pacing the hallways slowly joined our group and expressed with excitement how she could feel it in her hands. The patient who was sitting and covered with a blanket began participating from her chair, moving her hands to Around The Platter and later Base Drum. Clients expressed feeling the Chi moving through their hands and feet. Staff reported feeling calm and vibrant – not something typically expressed by them in this environment.

I was amazed at how quickly everyone engaged, and by the end of my session the entire room had transformed. You could feel the Chi circulating throughout the room, bringing a group of people together in an environment that had been so disorganized and chaotic when I had arrived. I was so enthused to hear multiple patients expressing very clearly (and coherently) how they could feel the energy throughout their body. I wanted to call the doctors into the room to see the effect this practice had on everyone present. No drugs, no side effects, just pure Chi. I left filled with gratitude and joy, invigorating my desire to be a teacher and to help bring the joy, peacefulness and depth TCC has had in my life to others.

wait

I must

tension sits

listen, I breathe

opening

I pause

here

– Rachel Rilinger (“Writing this helped with self-actualization and insight.”)