Still point-turning world SPTW – October 2015

The SPTW occasion was a four day retreat in rural Oxfordshire – on the theme of ‘Love, the heart of healthcare’ and it created time for participants to really explore. We looked at our own concepts of, love, power, spirituality and silence and how these have the potential to strengthen what we offer as healthcare workers. Different modes of investigation – dialogue, visualisation, sharing songs, poetry, music, meditation and sacred space created a variety of experiences for the participants.

Amongst the shared reflections, a highlight was listening to open-hearted dialogues, arranged between two healthcare managers, two general practitioners and two therapists, each giving insights into their lives as healthcare professionals.

As we listened to their conversation, I reflected on many thoughts I had had about spirituality in healthcare throughout different clinical settings I had worked in over the past 20 years.

Of personal interest to me, was a conversation about how we perceive power, and its ‘nemesis’ love, in (responsible positions of) healthcare, and how uncomfortable it might be to hold that space or to express that connection of care to our patients.

The retreat was an opportunity for me to relax, reflect and renew. For reports on this event and past retreats- click here.