Paying Attention

Last week I earned my LSVT certification, yay me! If you are a Speechie, you probably know what that means. If not I will explain. In a nutshell, LSVT (also known as Lee Silverman Voice Treatment) is a 4 week treatment protocol designed for people with Parkinson Disease (PD). It is evidence based and has greatly improved the communication lives of many people with PD and other disorders.

It's official! I am LSVT certified.

The course was fantastic. The presenters were knowledgeable, professional, passionate and articulate. The other participants asked thoughtful questions. The information was truly applicable to my practice.

The hardest part was spending two 8-hour days sitting in a chair and paying attention. Even though the material was fascinating to me, it was hard! A usual day for me involves very little time sitting still. I am running here and there, multi-tasking, and doing a lot of vocal output.

Two take home messages for me (besides a great treatment tool, obviously):

1) Even though it was hard, I was so grateful for the stillness. It was a rare luxury to commit my undivided attention to a single topic for so many hours. And it made me think that more things in my life deserve this kind of undivided attention. This week, I am going to be more mindful of my attention. When working with a patient, I will try to avoid thinking of 10 other tasks. When eating, I will just eat, focusing on chewing and gratitude for nutritious food (which, as it turns out, is also good for our digestion). When cuddling, I will just cuddle! I invite you to do the same.

2) There must be room for self care, especially when learning is the goal. There was a time when I would suffer through whatever feeling (thirst, restlessness, even needing to use the bathroom) to be polite. But during this two day course I made sure to take the liberty of leaving the room, either physically or mentally, when I needed something.

Next time you are having trouble paying attention take a break! Try taking three cleansing belly breaths and see if you can reengage.