The Personal Roots of ​a healing Practice

Tara Rynders ‍has always associated dance ⁤with‌ healing. While navigating ⁤a
⁤ ‌⁣ tumultuous ⁤childhood that ofen required ⁢her to care for her siblings, she
found⁤ refuge in the studio. And when her sister‍ lost her speech after
​developing acute disseminated encephalomyelitis (ADEM), ‍a ‍rare inflammatory
disease of the​ brain and spinal cord, Rynders⁤ used dance as ⁢a connection
⁤ tool.

​ ⁣ But Rynders,who is a registered nurse,often focused on healing others,
⁣ neglecting her own needs. When she‌ found herself in the emergency‌ room with
⁣ an⁣ ectopic pregnancy, a nurse offered a⁣ hand to hold and words of ⁢support,
​ and everything changed. “I remember softening into my nurse’s ⁢hand and
⁢ ⁢ ​ feeling⁢ so⁤ grateful that ⁢she remembered ‍my heart, and remembered me as a
person,” Rynders ⁢says. “I learned something ⁢by letting​ myself receive care,
⁤ and I wanted to share that.” ‌Now, rynders uses performances and
movement-based workshops to extend that learning‍ to other nurses. “My mode
‍ ⁣ of storytelling has always⁣ been⁢ dance,” ​she says.

The Art and Heart of Healthcare Institute

‍ ‌ In ⁢2017,rynders⁢ founded The Art and⁣ Heart of Healthcare ⁣Institute,which
‌uses ‌movement,art,and storytelling to help fight burnout,compassion
⁤ fatigue,and isolation. “Nurses are taught⁤ to just give and give, and
‍⁢ ⁢ receiving can often feel like shame,” she says.”So⁤ much of our identity
‌ ‌ ‍and ‌worth is tied up ⁤in our work. It’s hard to​ untangle​ that.”
⁤ ⁣

The⁣ Institute’s main offering is​ Rynders’ signature (re)Brilliancy
⁢ ⁢ workshops. (“re-brilliancy” is a​ play ⁢on “resiliency.”) ​” ‍’Re-brilliancy’
is about helping people remember the brilliant humans ​they already are,” she
says. Rynders travels to health-care‌ facilities around the country to work
​ with nurses in person.

The (re)brilliancy Workshop Experience

⁣ When participants arrive, ⁤she welcomes them personally, washing their hands
for them to create an atmosphere where they ‌feel honored and cared for. As
⁣ ‍ the day progresses, they create music and poetry, and they put ​on an
improv-based dance ⁣show together, complete with costumes. Rynders says the
performance,​ which begins as​ a guided story-based experience, often morphs
⁤ ‍ ​into amiable dance-offs. “For my​ colleagues, ⁤who are usually ⁣so serious-running
⁤ ‍ ‍ ⁤codes and navigating life-or-death situations-just belly-laughing and
⁢ ⁢⁣ playing​ together…
⁤