Moving to the music through pain and trauma
Michael Nguyen credits his studies as a Buddhist monk for igniting his work with fellow Veterans.
The prescription for pain and trauma can come in the form of movement, music, and mindfulness instead of a bottle. Whole Health Coach, Buddhist monk, and Veteran Michael Nguyen discovered healing through meditation, yoga, tai chi, and other practices, and he now guides other Veterans on the path to wellness at the San Diego VA Healthcare System.
Nguyen, a Navy Veteran, was attached to a Marine Corps unit on board the USS Blue Ridge during Desert Storm/Desert Shield. After separating from service in 1995, he found himself dealing with Post Traumatic Stress (PTS) and other traumas and was searching for a solution.
“I was struggling with my own PTS, my own MST (military sexual trauma), and wanted to find ways to heal myself without relying on medication. And so that's when I became a Buddhist monk for 13 1/2 years working on my mindfulness, my meditation, my yoga,” he said.
Nguyen lived and studied under well-known Buddhist monk and peace activist, Thich Nhat Hanh, in the Plum Village temple in France and other locations. “I cherish the time that I had to spend with my teacher and also he's the one who really ignited doing the work with Veterans,” he said.
Body and mind connection
Often pain in the body can be connected to emotional pain, and the use of movement and mindfulness can help to release the trauma. Nguyen combines meditation, yoga, tai chi, and Native American flute to heal.
“At first I was just in it for working on healing myself, and then later on a couple of my good friends ended up taking their lives because of their time in service, which made me want to help other Veterans,” he said.
Nguyen’s journey in VA started when he was a patient at the Loma Linda VA outpatient clinic and many of these practices were not yet offered to Veterans. He became a Peer Support Specialist, supporting Veterans who were experiencing homelessness and is now a Whole Health Coach at the San Diego VA Healthcare System.
A prescription for pain
Working on a 6-member Pain Management Team, Nguyen provides guidance to Veterans, helping them in the ways he found relief from his suffering. He explains how he orients Veterans to the pain management services offered by the team: “The first hour and a half is theory about pain and like some of the pacing exercises and setting SMART goals within that class. Then I have a 30-minute session of more of an experiential practice where I come in with additional mindfulness practices for the Veterans to be able to practice. Or if we're talking about moving the body, then I come in with a movement session. It's all about meeting their body where it's at.”
Nguyen also offers Native American Flute class at the Kearny Mesa VA Clinic where he instructs Veterans how to use the instrument to manage their emotions and bring joy into their lives. “I teach them how the flute can help with breath control,” he said. “The important thing is it's another way to show the Veterans, like, hey, you don't have to necessarily go off on somebody if you're having a bad day. Take your flute. Go outside. Become one with nature and play your flute. So therefore, you're no longer relying on somebody to relax you and calm you. You can now do that yourself, but because of the fact that you're playing the flute yourself.”
Nguyen has been featured on two videos for AboutFace, a series produced by VA’s National Center for PTSD. A performance of him playing the Native American Flute was also featured on VA’s International VA Movement Music Break.
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