Forums IMPORTANT: PLEASE READ Spring Forest Qigong Negative environment work situation!

I was curious about how to handle persistent work situations where one is working with people who are dealing with depleted energy. I have recently had to leave such a situation where I was a nurse administering chemotherapy to cancer patients. I often found myself coming home feeling very anxious, depressed and depleted, myself. I was saddened and felt guilty that as a practioner of Qi Gong that I couldn't handle the situation better, since somebody has to do it. I would think that I should be able to deal with it better than most but couldn't envision walking around all day with thumb and forefinger touching to close off energy. What would be your suggestions for people having to spend 8 hours a day in these type environments?

Hi Morningstar,
This is a difficult thing to address, as it has so much to do with one's perception of reality, or the truth to things. All I can do is express a few things I have come to embrace, that allow for me to feel compassion in that sort of experience, as a positive energy to focus on, and radiate.
Compassion , for me, is an understanding too.
When I see people suffering, or struggling, making bad choices, or doing something wrong, I realize first, that we are all connected. I know that we all are on the same path, in the sense of our destination. I embrace the fact that the creator makes no judgements, so we shouldn't. I start to empathize with people's struggles, knowing this common connection or oneness. We are all doing the work, we are all moving through this experience together.
I trust that in the long run, 'everything' will be okay. Okay, being a tremendous understatement. I see our collective destiny, as nothing short of wonderful.
I feel very lucky to be aware of what I am aware of. 'Qigong brings greater awareness, and understanding'. This is a great gift to bring into our experience. You also have tools, to help yourself stay clear, balanced, and healthy.
'I see a before , during , and after, to your day.'
Before, I would exercise or meditate. My tendency, would be to draw greatly, on spiritual energy and help. You are going to work! Ask your master's energy, or whomever you connect to, to help you with your day. Spiritual energy is limitless, and the most powerful energy you can draw on. Exercises like 10,000 hands in level II is a great physical expression of gathering spiritual energy. Your prayers, can reside within this experience, along with the actual focus of doing this exercise. Any active work or meditation, shores you up to engage with your day. Don't disconnect from that start. Walk it, stay connected. At work, some people will be receptive to your awareness, some won't. If there are appropriate openings, slip some healing work in. If not, keep that smile, radiate love and compassion, and know that whomever you encounter, is on a path, and 'will' be okay in the long run. Always breath in energy from the universe into your lower dan tien, or spiritually, into the heart. If you need to escape feeling, the lower dan tien takes you down to a physical level and focus. You can stay out of your head, or find haven there. You can do this, as you engage with whatever. It is also an 'aware' state. If you feel your spiritual power , stay in the heart and just smile and love people. Take care of them best you can in the situation. Your love is more powerful, and more a reality, than the physical situation you are looking at. You can put healing energy in their medicine, or you can clean out the harmful part. You can give light to someone in a healing way, with that intention. Respectful of their experience, but the light is there to help them, if it is accepted. I have been in situations in hospitals, with family members or friends dying. I always find myself in a dialog with my spiritual helpers, asking to do things in an appropriate way, for the person I am with. This is if they are not into what I am into, or open to that. You can send a message to spirits working with them too. No one is without spiritual relations, alone, regardless of their perception of this. In essence, you can work behind the scenes. Don't just look at the physical dynamic. It is not the reality to the situation. You do what you can. Your prayers, intentions, and visualizations, are real, and helpful. Again, if someone is open to help , that's great. Clearing or effecting their medications, or using level II healing techniques. If somebody is closed, but accept your comfort, that is great too. If I am holding someone's hand in that situation, you can bet that I will be channelling , something , to them.
So, you spend the day doing this work and come home. Now it is back to you, taking care of yourself. Again, your qigong is there to balance your energy, and clear yourself. As you take care of this , through your exercise or meditation, you also let go of the images and thoughts in your mind. This is work to do, that will help you. You should do this work, this is your good choice to make! You can't think yourself out of your experience at work. You have to let it go, as you engage in your practice.
As has been said, qigong, is a lifestyle. Don't look at it as an exercise program. You can, integrate this fully into your life and work.
I have a rock on my altar, from a level 4 retreat. Often, when I leave my house( I am self employed and work at home), I take this rock and put it in my pocket. I do that, for a few reasons. One, to stay connected to my altar, or my master's energy, spiritual energy, but mostly, to stay spiritually aware. If I forget, which I do, I frequently happen across this rock in my pocket, and immediately, remember, say a prayer, and regenerate my awareness.
Try and see the beauty behind the difficulty on the surface. The beautiful souls we all are. This temporary physical experience. Do the best you can, and also, take care of yourself. Do the work. This work is a very positive thing, and will keep you on a track of greater understanding. Feel compassion for those who are unaware, making bad choices, or suffering. It is a soul connection to them,,,this compassion. You know, and you can love them, regardless of the physical experience or situation.
Thank you for doing the work that you do. Use your qigong to transform, how you do your work, engage with it, prepare, and regenerate, afterwards.
love,
gallen

Please allow me to correct myself. It is a meaningful thing to address, not difficult. -g

Hi Morningstar:

Great to hear from you again. There are many difficult jobs and assignments we get along our way. A year or two from now when you look back on these recent experiences you will have fond memories of all you did and tried to do for your patients. Some assignments we seem to connect with and have great success while others just drain us and always we seem to struggle to find that balance. More and more as work demands impose on our family and free time it seems that we lose our balance.

I believe that Gallen's focus on compassion is indeed the key. Sometimes though by caring for others we give away our energy and by the time we get home in the evening we are too drained. Throughout the day, it is important to ask god, our masters and guides to help us as they have unlimited energy and that way we don't drain ourselves trying to give our own energy away.

At the recent level IV workshop I was talking to a nurse who works with kids while they are undergoing radiation treatments for cancer. She visualized god's energy combining with hers before, during and then after each treatment was being given to the child. She was working with other switched on nurses and had a nice team work situation which gave her a lot of support. Not surprising the children were responding to this incredibly well. She was so energetic and excited about her work... something you don't see much of today.

I'm a big believer that we have to be surrounded by people who are supportive, open minded, willing to learn, kind and helpful. We can move mountains when we find a place where we have that kind of support. Then we can also take time as Gallen says to recharge and find that balance at home through our QiGong exercises and meditation.

Sometimes feeling drained is due to environmental conditions as well. I find fluorescent lights to be quite hard on me so I never go all day under them. Smoking is another negative and draining hazard for me. Negative people are probably the biggest problem. Just keep saying prayers for them and find a way to turn the negative energy to the side and feed back positive energy. This can be done in both thoughts and words. Being aware of what is going on around us as the day evolves is critical to head off draining of our life force. Observation and being that detached observer allows us to discover the deeper levels of what is really happening so we can authentically do what is needed.

My wife is a special education teacher. She always comes home tired with great success stories and also frustrating bureaucratic problems. Through it all she knows she is helping the kids and doing what she is meant to be doing.

You've stepped off a stepping stone and are heading for another in your next job. Just make sure in your heart that this time the job is indeed what you are meant to be doing and you will have supporting people around you. The best job is where the world's greatest needs meets your heart's greatest desire.

Your morning star is just rising and know that you have all the time in the world.

Lots of Love,
Agent B

Although I posted my situation retrospectively , both of your responses have given me great insight and inspiration for future endeavors. Unfortunately, I wasn't developed enough to work effectively within the environment. The physical demands, efforts to control side effects and dynamics involving other co-workers distracted me and I forgot to re-energize myself until I got home. Your responses reinforced that I need to take my practice on the road with me. Make no mistake about it: although some will benefit from it mostly due to a strong will to survive, short of death itself, chemotherapy is one of the biggest life force zappers.

Hi Morningstar:

To follow-up what the nurse at the recent SFQ workshop told me is that we need to be mindful that chemotherapy is itself only energy (albiet very intense energy). If there is a way to ask for help so that the good intense energy can help the patient and then the unhelpful energy could return to the universe then perhaps it has the power to transform a person. It certainly gets someone's attention that they must muster all their healing abilities to overcome the challenging health condition they face. It has a way of reshuffling one's priorities and giving perspective on what is important in this noisey, busy material world.

Love,
Agent B

I just wanted to say thanks to Gallen and AgentB for the wonderful posts. Those are keepers. Lots of wisdom and inspiration there. Thank you very much.

Also, to Morningstar, some have speculated that perhaps chemotherapy works simply because the patient believes it works.

I used to work in emergency medicine and spent a lot of time in hospitals (as a paramedic), I was always amazed at how arbitrary chemo and radiation were. It worked for some and not for others, and there seemed to be no rhyme or reason. Makes me wonder if the 'works because they believe it works' line of thought has merit. What do you think about it?

Hi Rockchuk,
Belief , is a good possibility. There is a difference, between these two statements:
I believe this will help(is helping) me.
I know this will help(is helping) me. Or, simply, 'this is helping me', as a fully realized statement, or how you see it.
There are shades of gray in this. The medicine varies, and the patient's perceptions.
Also, one's intention, can be actively engaged, before receiving or accepting something. You can change the energy , beforehand, as opposed to taking meds and believing they will help you, leaving it up to that possibility.
Sometimes, when I have talked to people about qigong healing, they will say, it works for you, because you believe it works. No, it is because I know it works. Knowing, is knowing. Belief can be ,without the knowing.
I can see what I've said, but I don't know if I've expressed it well!!
love,
gallen

Hi Gallen, yes, I think you expressed that very well indeed.
I think that's part of master Lin's wisdom in doing that little finger 'trick' right at the beginning of level 1. It works and helps the person go beyond belief to the knowing of, 'my mind really does have the ability to channel energy!'

So, if a person has great confidence in the medical approach, then they 'know' the chemo will help them. Furthermore, this positive attitude is probably the juice that gets them through all the post-suffering in good order.

Of course, witch-doctors and voo-doo practitioners also have their herbs and potions which work for the believer.
But if a person does not believe ('know') then the results don't seem to be so good.

Now, the big pharmecueticals might not like hearing all this..........

I really appreciate all the great insights you share here. Thank you all for your valuable time...........