To Detach & Serve
Ram Dass, the "neurotic, Jewish over-achiever" (in his own words), spent eight months studying with his guru in India—listening, watching him, analyzing, and doing mental and physical practices. He was learning Bhakti Yoga, which essentially can be summarized in one phrase: see God in everyone, love everyone and serve everyone. At its essence, this is what being a paramedic means to me. It took me a long time to find yoga, and it took me even a longer time to find paramedicine; however, now finding and practicing both brings an unprecedented meaning to my life. Can I find God in the people I serve? Can I love those who spit, piss, bleed or vomit on me? Like medicine, yoga is something we practice but never perfect.
These two ancient practices of both Bhakti Yoga and Medicine are in my mind two sides of the same coin; the yin and yang. Being a paramedic during a pandemic of all times is the practice of responding and mitigating life-threatening emergencies (or the perception thereof—more on that later). The path of bhakti-yoga allows us to use all of our senses, all of our emotions, and all of our actions to express love in our daily interactions. From this, a practitioner of both, I have found exceptional value in blending these two practices as one very much compliments the other.
Like all healthcare practitioners, paramedics often find themselves far outside of their scope when presented with their patients' "narrative." For one reason or another, once people plop on the stretcher, they begin to unload. As a provider, this can be a comforting thing, as I can continuously assess the patency of the patient's airways (if you aren't able to speak, this is bad). However, sometimes their narratives can make our brief time together very heavy. My mantra
"I am not my patient's pain. I am not my patient's suffering."
I believe that only when one can detach are they able to practice compassion at the highest level. While this can be a struggle on a freezing morning at 3 am however when the tones drop, it serves as a constant reminder that as yogis, we never truly leave our mat. Many people in medicine obtain a dark sense of humor as a "coping" mechanism. While this strategy can be effective…(not really), it's also retroactive in that it's something we practice AFTER the call happened. I am advocating for a proactive practice, whereby the provider can fulfill their obligation to their patients without getting wrapped around the axel of the outcome. The technique of detaching from allows for greater compassion to flow through, as their troubles do not burden you. This outlook will enable you to serve better.
Practical application:
According to an article in the Yoga International Journal, start by studying an inspiring scripture, such as the Bhagavad Gita, the Bhakti Sutras, the Bible, or the Koran. You can reflect on just the verses alone or choose a commentary and read a chapter a day. Contemplate how these teachings create a philosophical framework for viewing your life in a larger spiritual context. (Petryszak 2019)
Petryszak, Irene “A Seekers Guide to Bhakti Yoga”: Yoga International Journal c. 2019)
Once you have a framework developed, scale it to fit your particular profession. We owe it to each other to be the best we can be.
