two creators behind the student-driven compassion training workshop, second-year students, Alyssa Ahern and Shealagh Clark, successfully modified their curriculum so that it could be offered remotely. Their sessions helped students nurture compassion for themselves. Following the influences of Metta meditation and other mindfulness practices, students also explored how to expand compassion beyond their circle of loved ones to those they may struggle to feel empathy towards. The variety of
constructive student responses to COVID-19 shows us some inspirational ways to respond to what could be considered a collective teachable moment.
The pressures of COVID-19 are pushing us in unanticipated directions and we’re learning from each other on how to best respond. By separating us from the healthy nurturing that comes from spending time with loved ones, COVID is showing us how interrelated we are. It’s also showing us the disparities in health outcomes for disadvantaged populations, exposing the unresolved inequities within our social structures. Similar to a new and unwanted diagnosis, this pandemic is offering us an opportunity for growth. Ultimately, reinforcing our commitment to wellness methods will help us navigate the desired and unexpected challenges of our future. <>
About the Author:
Selma Holden, MD, MPH is a family medicine physician who has additional training in integrative medicine modalities including yoga (RYT200+), herbal medicines, and Osteopathic Manipulative Medicine. She completed her residency training at Maine Dartmouth's Family Medicine Program in Augusta, where her care focused on helping opioid-dependent mothers through pregnancy, childbirth and motherhood. She's worked in integrative medicine clinics in Maine and Massachusetts and completed Harvard Medical School's Integrative Medicine Post-Doctoral Research Fellowship. At UNECOM, she teaches Osteopathic Clinical Knowledge & Skills, and the Healer’s Art for the first and second year students. Her clinical service is through a private practice in the greater Portland area. Her current research focuses on the therapeutic potential of prenatal yoga to improve an expecting mother's wellness and mobility as well as medication assisted psychotherapy.
"We at COM are focusing on how to interweave wellness into the lives of our students, professional staff and faculty"