by Scott Albright
Daily Lobo
Massages and music aren't part of the traditional hospital environment, but they're a weekly event at UNM Hospital.
Every Wednesday, the hospital offers an alternative approach to healing through the Arts in Medicine program on the hospital's fifth floor.
The program runs from noon to 1 p.m. in the Ambulatory Care Center lobby. Musicians and massage therapists provide nontraditional healing methods to patients, staff, students and the community.
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The Bernalillo High School Choir performed Wednesday while staff members enjoyed massages.
Patricia Repar, director of the program, said the events help transform hospital culture and the environment of the health care community.
"It's a transformation of consciousness," she said. "When we change that, we can change everything."
Repar said additional therapy is good for anyone who wants to use it.
"De-stressing activities changes from person to person," she said. "We all need different things. Transformation is self-directed. If you listen to yourself hard enough, you'll know."
Repar said the program allows patients and staff to explore outlets for healing through art, poetry, music and yoga.
Ann Plunkett, a patient attending Wednesday's event, said more people should know about the possibilities.
"Homeopathic and other alternative medicine very much have a place," Plunkett said. "The future has a lot to offer."
She said patients should come to appointments a half hour earlier so they can
experience it for themselves.
She said the music was uplifting and made her forget about the worries of being in a hospital.
"Music soothes the soul," she said.
Nina Carlson, music consultant for the hospital, said the program had a positive effect on patients and staff.
"People are generally stressed out when they visit a hospital," Carlson said. "Music is healing in many ways."
She said music can help relieve stress, anxiety, sleeplessness and other ailments.
She said different genres of music do different things for different people, but it is something that can be understood by everyone.
"Music is kind of a universal language," she said. "You don't have to speak the same language to understand
the music."
