Originally called “Sorrow Songs,” they were composed by African slaves whose names we will never know. With hidden stories and meanings, what we call “Spirituals” today are songs of suffering, survival, and hope. How do we survive when the worst happens? Through these songs, faith was transmitted as the stories of the Bible became the …Read More
Author: Dr. Joel Ying, MD
Physician-Educator-Storyteller. Integrating the power of story into medicine, healing sessions, workshops, speaking and performance.
#21: The Story of HIV (Dr. Larry Friedman)
Time stood still. Even the air in the room refused to move, when Dr. Larry Friedman launched into a teaching story. As a resident doctor-in-training, we rotate through many different areas of medicine. Looking back at memorable moments during that time, the teachers that captivated me the most were the ones that told stories. In …Read More
Sacred Medicine Wheel – New Year’s Retreat
“Birth, Life, Death is a cycle, and they are all beautiful. You celebrate all of them.” ~ Cesar Milan The Native American teachings are connected to observation of the natural world. All over the natural world we see cycles. The cycle of the day and night. The cycle of the seasons. The cycle of life. …Read More
SLAM Storytelling comes to FGCU
The contestants are on stage pouring out their deeply personal moments to a riveted audience. The laughter roars. Touching moments move us. We are all connected by the intricate web the storyteller weaves in just five minutes. It’s a contest, and the winner goes home with the prize for the best story. The judges are …Read More
#20: Intuitive Reading (Jamie McCall)
If you are like me, fortune tellers are scary! Tapping into some secret knowledge, they make pronouncements about my future. It is as if they are taking away my free will and I no longer have any power to change my life. I am trapped in my life, rather than master of my life. In …Read More
Too good to be true
An unexpected email arrived in my inbox. “I would like you to perform at Oxford Storytelling Festival…” Wow! How did they find out about me? I’m a famous storyteller. I’ve been doing this for a while. Working hard on stories. This is so cool! Maybe they saw me perform at one of the festival new …Read More
#19: Heart Transplant (Sonja Greene-Smith)
“It is our stories that make us human.” In medical school, I learned all the technical details about heart transplant. I studied the medical criteria that makes you a candidate, the drugs required post-transplant, and the labs and physical symptoms to monitor. Yet, what I did not yet learn were the stories. Those stories came …Read More
Count Your Blessings
Gratitude is a tool that keeps us in the present moment. As we count our blessings, we point our compass towards more joy in life. Here is a contemplative exercise based on Celtic-tradition. As you stand in the center of your life, each of the cardinal directions brings a different blessing. Contemplative Exercise Take out …Read More
Poem: “The Box” by Victor Caroli
The Vietnam War drafted many young men, including Victor Caroli. While he did not end up in Vietnam, many of those he trained with in bootcamp did end up there. Many did not come back. Many came back injured. As he contemplated this war during his time in the military, he created this poem so …Read More
For Grief by John O’Donohue
For Grief —by John O’Donohue When you lose someone you love,Your life becomes strange,The ground beneath you becomes fragile,Your thoughts make your eyes unsure;And some dead echo drags your voice downWhere words have no confidenceYour heart has grown heavy with loss;And though this loss has wounded others too,No one knows what has been taken from …Read More