dear reader, i've slept in this morning (glorious! some days our bodies need rest) and now as I take my tenth sip of coffee my brain is too excited about the healing work that is to be done. I'm planning the next mini series for the blog, which will focus on dreamers and do-ers in a variety of fields that support a community's thriving. so far I've asked a dear friend who is an expert at osteopathic manipulative therapy and plans to make this the focus of their future practice; an agricultural activist and leader who directs the regional climate smart agriculture program here in western NC; and I have a few others in mind. writing these stories brings me so much joy and inspiration, and gives me the feeling that Reginaldo talks about in his beautiful episode on Where Hope Grows (link below) - he speaks of waking up at four in the morning because his mind is racing with ideas and excitement about how to better care for his chickens that day.
in the beginning, listen to the blessing and intention setting for a beautiful grounding reset and brief meditation. listen to the whole thing to have your world view flipped upside down, and to have your heart and soul be reminded that the only thing limiting our world from radical transformation is our own doubt and fear. regi's story is incredible.
Regi emphasizes: "I'm not selling chickens. I'm selling nutrition."
This point is CRITICAL, dear reader. As a healer, I am not merely a physician - anyone can do that. I'm not selling checked boxes in the EMR for cancer screenings and tidy prescriptions that an AI version of a family doctor could easily dole out based on your labs. I'm selling thoughtful, personalized, relationship-centered care. I'm selling the ability to thrive. I'm selling healing.
You can get a chicken at Costco for five dollars. You can get a fifteen minute consultation with a doctor on Amazon and get your SSRI refilled.
But while it's a good deal, that chicken won't contain nourishment for your muscles, tendons, eyes, and bones, because its building blocks are genetically modified, pesticide-laden food, and its lifetime has been misery and confinement. Its nutrient density is poor, and you'll have to eat a lot of it to feel satisfied. You'll wind up overfed, and undernourished - just like most people in this country are.
That fifteen minute visit might check your box in the short term, but that physician won't dig deeper into reversible contributors to your depression, or inquire more deeply for concerning symptoms to rule out the need for additional testing or care. That physician definitely won't give you a daily affirmation to put on your refrigerator to give your Self daily word medicine that reassures your brain and body that you are safe, that these hard feelings will pass, and that you have the capacity to heal within yourself. That physician won't refer you to a place where you can get nourishing food for your family, or teach you about the relationship between daily sunlight exposure, regular movement, and a quality diet rich in plants to help your brain heal.
I'm not selling primary care. I'm selling healing.
P.S. I just ordered new coffee mugs that make me really happy because they can't explode in my rucksack while I ruck (and sometimes run with my heavy pack) to work. I decided to get them engraved. The front reads: dr. olivia (lowercase intentional). The back reads: healing by example. I think this is the tagline for my future practice.
