Compassion Fatigue Solutions

Both photos from www.enneagraminstitute.com

I am writing this post on my way home from a weekend retreat, compliments of my mom. Last year, she offered to send me to an Enneagram training and particularly recommended the training on the inner critic, also called Psychic Structures. To learn more about the enneagram, visit www.enneagraminstitute.com

This training was offered by Russ Hudson and Don Riso, leading figures in the field of Enneagram Training. It was held at Don Riso’s country retreat in Rhinebeck, New York, about 2 hours north of New York city. The Fall colours were in their full glory, the Barn was a beautiful training site and the food was outstanding (thank you, stretchy yoga pants!).

I appreciated many aspects of this training: the topic was fascinating, the presenters were extremely knowledgeable and there was a mix of participants from all corners of the world with a wide variety of backgrounds and professional training. What I enjoyed most was that I was not there as an expert in anything (except, maybe, my own mistakes in life!). I was not there as a therapist, as a compassion fatigue specialist or as a mother. I was just there, watching, listening, talking to others and also having the opportunity to sit quietly, take a nap in the middle of the day or read. I think that everyone in the room had far more knowledge of the enneagram than me and it was enjoyable to just be.

In fact, it was incredibly restorative. I wouldn't have said that on day one, which ran until 11pm which is far too late for almost anyone and certainly too late for me who likes to be in my pjs by 9pm. But somehow the mix of activities made it feasible.

I also learned to meditate in a way that I have never really been able to, other than when I am running. Hudson and Riso began each teaching portion with a meditation so we all got to meditate briefly 6 times each day. Their meditation method was new to me and made me want to learn more about ways to meditate when back home. A fellow participant directed me to Itunes, where she said you can download free meditation podcasts. It's worth a visit.

Of course, we don't all have a fairy godmother who sends us to retreats and we can’t always travel across the country to attend a retreat (this was the first one I have ever attended), but the key elements of a retreat could be achieved closer to home:

Stepping outside of our daily grind, being fed by someone else, having access to down time, learning new ideas, resting and meditating.

If you have interests and hobbies outside of work, maybe it could be centered around this interest: a weekend retreat at a friend’s cottage with your watercolours, a half day workshop on a craft with a night at the bed and breakfast.

If your best friend is a helper, and her birthday is coming up, maybe you could offer her a weekend retreat of her own (take her kids for a day, offer to house swap so she doesn't stare at her laundry pile) and sign her up for a yoga class.