An identity transformation leads to an inner construction

Abstract

This article presents a research conducted with six French physicians who have been trained in complementary and alternative medicines. The perceived effects of this body-mind training, i.e. Awakening the Sensible Being, are being addressed in the thesis. These Awakening the Sensible Being practices help develop a quality of presence to self and to others, which are desirable qualities for health care professionals. An investigation conducted using two types of interviews: comprehensive interview and explicitation interview. The two paths of analysis will be introduced, as well as the achieved results which are linked to the personal sphere of the participants. The participants reported having experienced some identity transformations which lead them to place more emphasis on their inner references rather than external ones. They also reported feeling more centered and healthier.

Complementary Approaches, Stress Management Practices for Future Physicians, a Way to Cultivate a “Savoir-Être” and Contribute to Becoming a Better Physician?

“…It is embodied when they choose to listen and act based on their internal referents. Attention, listening, and action generate recentering (a form of internal shift) as well as the identity change upon which participants can build themselves (Lachance & Desbiens, 2022). Our results from the personal and professional spheres can have an impact on considerations surrounding the question of training for future physicians, as well as the challenges currently encountered in the profession.…”

“…For some, this practice is internally nourishing and allows them to maintain an inner calm. For others, it offers tools to care for themselves and their patients (Lachance & Desbiens, 2022). This learning has contributed to the health of participants in many ways: they notice a better inner-body perception, a somatopsychic tuning that allows them to be more present to themselves overall, while allowing them to be more present to others; they are more in contact with their internal reality and have a better perspective of their life, finally, the tools of this approach help them to recenter on themselves, to increase their energy and to self-heal.…”

“…In fact, the identity shift suggests that they are more connected to themselves from their bodily experience, and, at the same time, they change because they are less on the outskirts of themselves (Lachance & Desbiens, 2022). Researchers in ASB, Duval et al (2013) agree with an identity renewal that changes the way of being of a person: "The discovery and the validation of this new self-identity lead the person to reconsider their lifestyle, their relation with the body, the self, their health and the world" (p. 53).…”

“…Extra daily experience of ASB allows the deployment of a superior attention quality like other body/mind approaches. This quality of attention facilitates access to new perceptions of the body in specific interventions settings (Lachance et al, 2016;Lachance, Emond, & Vinit, 2019;Lachance & Desbiens, 2022). This experiential process leads the individual to develop new experiences of their body that allows them to experiment themselves differently and even open up to a quality of presence allowing them to meet the gap in order to move towards a better personal and professional well-being.…”

“…The goal of this article is to present and discuss the research findings of our thesis (Lachance, 2016) regarding what future physicians need to learn and their future medical practice. The different sections (problematic, objectives, and practical background) of our research are presented in French in the article Lachance et al (2016) and in English in the two following articles: Lachance, Emond and Vinit (2019) and Lachance and Desbiens (2022).…”