Seventeen BC Children's Hospital Centre for Mindfulness Council members participated in full day of programming under the guiding theme Mindfulness in Action. The activities were thoughtfully curated to provide the group opportunities to feel connected, supported and refreshed.
The morning began with a slow flow yoga class led by Dr. Nancy Lanphear, Division Head for Developmental Pediatrics at BC Children’s Hospital and a registered yoga teacher, 200 YTT.
Dr. Lanphear has loved sharing her passion for Mindful movement with others over the years.
Mindful Movement | Dr. Nancy Lanphear
Dr. Elisabeth Bailey from the UBC School of Nursing shared how her undergraduate course Stress and Strategies to Promote Wellbeing emerged from her own Mindfulness practice. The curriculum was designed to provide several strategies to support higher-level engagement and provide tools to mitigate burn out. Dr. Bailey’s popular course has become the foundation for the advanced courses she is developing for her Resilient Nurses Program which will launch in the fall of 2022.
Ms. Sabrina Gill led the group in a heartwarming guided Tea meditation and a book reading from Teatime Around the World, by local author Denyse Waissbluth.
Tea Ceremony | Ms. Sabrina Gill, BSN. Guests were given tea mugs to use during the tea ceremony.
A vegetarian lunch provided by Handi Grill gave the group an opportunity to eat in silence and savor the delicious meal.
The afternoon presentations continued with Dr. Joanna McDermid leading the group on a Mindful walk under the forest canopy through the UBC Nitobe Memorial Garden. Participants were oblivious to the elements while a tornado touched down nearby at the UBC Golf course.
Mindful Walk | Nitobe Memorial Garden | Dr. Joanna McDermid
The group reconvened indoors for a lively discussion led by Dr. Dzung Vo to discuss the notion of “a mindful hospital.” Participants were asked to contribute ideas and to reflect inwardly how each might contribute to creating “a more mindful hospital.”
Mindfulness in Action | Dr. Dzung Vo
A few weeks after the conclusion of the workshops and the in-person retreat, several initiatives have blossomed, relationships have deepened and our network has expanded.