My Brother’s Story

My large Family has been separated by time, distance and the vast sea of differing ideologies.
 
The first blessing was that we were able to come together and surround Steve with love and family support as he embarked on this journey.
 
My siblings and extended family members stepped up in myriad ways to support Steve and his family through his 6 month treatment at Mayo Clinic.
 
I have a very unique set of training and skills and I’m blessed and grateful that I have the opportunity to serve in this way.
Singing bowls at Mayo Clinic
Chanting and playing bowls on the body

Tibetan singing bowls are an excellent modality for so many reasons. They helped to relieve pain and anxiety and allowed him to rest so that his body could receive the medication.

Guided Imagery during infusions helped him to connect with the healing power of the earth and visualize the light filling his body along with the medications. Chants such as “My whole body is well” and “There is love surrounding us” supported visualizations and helped him to rest.

Family Jam Session
Making Music and Memories

In-home sessions were scheduled in between his chemo treatments to help keep his energy up and pain levels down. We started those with family jam sessions.

Being able to make music together strengthened our communication and connections, helped release emotions in a positive way, increased energy and endorphins and gave us all hope for the future.

After music making, we set up the singing bowls. Putting the bowls on the drums around the massage table added extra resonance and volume for family members in the room to join in the meditation and relaxation. He identified the areas of pain in his body and I placed a bowl in the areas and had him visualize the healing light entering his body and the tumor shrinking.

Placing bowls directly on areas of pain
Visualizing the tumor shrinking

We are celebrating that the primary tumor has shrunk significantly!!! Which is definitely another blessing indeed.

Sending much love and gratitude to those in our community who have reached out to us, and thank you for reading this. It’s a rare occasion that I can share stories about different aspects of music therapy, and this is a very personal story indeed, and shared with permission.

Cancer is a difficult journey that is different for everyone. There are hills and valleys, twists and turns and we don’t yet know the outcome.

Are you or someone you know going through a similar challenge? Please let us know how we can support you during this time.

If you or a loved one are facing the challenge of a medical illness and high stress, please contact Debi for a FREE CONSULTATION on how we can help.