Matthew Sanford

Integrative Health

A Mind-Body Approach To Transforming Healthcare

Drawing upon his unique experience as a patient, paraplegic and yoga teacher, Matthew explores the practical ways that a deepened mind-body approach can transform the continuum of healthcare — from acute intervention through a patient’s long-term recovery. Matthew envisions a healthcare system where both patient and caregiver become more connected to their bodies rather than less, where long term health and prevention become the natural outgrowth of the healthcare experience.

Transforming the Relationship Between Caregiver and Patient
   
Too much therapy is done to the patient, not with the patient. Not only does this put the patient into a passive mode of healing, it also drains the caregiver. Matthew uses his unique experience to explore a healthier therapeutic relationship, one where the caregiver can give without sacrificing and the patient can take ownership of his or her own recovery process. In this interactive presentation, Matthew argues that this simple shift from “doing to” the patient to “doing with” the patient is the key to transforming our healthcare system.

The Third Category of Health

Matthew uses his inspiring story of trauma, loss and recovery to emphasize the fundamental importance of not just physical health, not just psychological health, but most importantly, mind-body health. Participants are introduced to the mind-body nature of most health ailments, especially their experience of stress. They also will receive practical and helpful tips for caring for their mind-body relationship. This interactive presentation is intended for general audiences.

FOLLOW-UP WORKSHOPS/CLASSES

Waking Mind and Body

Learning to manage one’s mind-body relationship is a secret to living well. This means more than eating well and regular exercise. It means learning to refine and enhance the quality of sensation that is experienced between mind and body. In this workshop, participants learn specific strategies and techniques to refine this level of sensation and utilize it in everyday life. Deepened mind-body awareness not only makes one feel better, it has mental benefits as well.

Compassionate Boundaries

Burnout is a significant and growing problem among both personal and professional caregivers. This means healthy caregivers must develop unique abilities like learning to give without sacrificing and the ability to “sit” in the presence of suffering without feeling the responsibility to fix it. This workshop takes caregivers on a personal journey, offering them mind-body techniques and strategies to take care both of themselves and their clients or loved ones.