I read that in Greece, once upon a time, hospitals were true healing centers. Music played throughout the grounds, carefully chosen colors lent beauty to the eyes of patients; flowers, plants and herbs were everywhere. In other words, there existed a beautiful center for true healing to take place. Wouldn’t it be wonderful to know that this would be waiting for us should we require the services of a healing place?
Hospitals, for the most part, cause great stress and anxiety to anyone having to be there as a patient. Even when visiting a patient, one can pick up the disquieting energy there. While visiting friends in hospitals, on different occasions, some nurses said they’d been working two days straight, because the hospital was understaffed. Who wants a nurse dispensing meds when she’s not slept for two days? That’s only one of many anxiety ridden problems. How is it that so many hospitals are screaming that they’re understaffed? What’s going on at the helm? Are you overcome by a sinking feeling in the pit of your stomach when you hear the word hospital? It should be the complete opposite. When we need to be in a hospital, we should think pleasant experience so that we can heal beautifullly.
In the July/August 2006 issue of Odemagazine, there’s an article, Healing by Design, by Kim Ridley. It’s a big breath of fresh air. The article mentions a book, THE ARCHITECTURE OF HOSPITALS, and explains that it is “an international collection of ground breaking studies, essays and hospital designs published this summer by the Netherlands Architecture Institute.” Right now changes are being implemented. The “radical rethinking” that is responsible for this transformation is underway. Finally, people with the ability, understanding, compassion and power to change existing conditions are doing just that. www.odemagazine.com