“The person who relies on non-natural medicine must recover twice; once from the disease and once from the synthetic medicine.”
— William Osler —
When Healing Becomes Disconnected From Nature
Have you ever wondered if we're missing something essential in our approach to health and healing? After treating thousands of patients across hospital, private practice, and performance settings, I found myself questioning the disconnect between our sophisticated medical technologies and our declining collective wellbeing.
The story of the fisherman and the fishmonger from the original text perfectly captures this tension. One lives in harmony with the natural environment they both depend on, while the other works clinically, detached from the living essence of what they're treating. This powerful metaphor helps us understand the fundamental difference between treating disease and fostering true health.
What if we could bring these two worlds together - honoring the remarkable achievements of modern medicine while reconnecting with the natural wisdom our bodies inherently possess?
The 3 Major Challenges We're Here to Solve Together
- Disconnection from Natural Healing: Most people have surrendered their innate healing capabilities to systems that treat disease rather than build health.
- Passive Approach to Wellbeing: We've been conditioned to wait until something breaks before seeking help, rather than proactively nurturing our vitality.
- Overwhelming Health Information: With conflicting advice everywhere, many feel stressed and unfulfilled trying to navigate the path to genuine wellness.
Would you be curious to discover a community of people just like you who are reclaiming their natural healing wisdom? Join us here
The SelfCare Framework: Learn-Do-Embody-Teach
1. LEARN: The Two Healers Within Our Healthcare System
The fisherman and the fishmonger both derive their living from the same source—the ocean and its fish—yet their relationship with this resource couldn't be more different.
The fisherman sails the sea, feeling the currents beneath his boat, sensing the water's temperature, and reading the patterns of waves. He develops an intuitive relationship with the fish, understanding their behaviors and habitats. He knows that whatever affects the fish ultimately affects him too—they share an interconnected existence.
The fishmonger, however, works in a sterile environment far removed from the natural habitat. His relationship with fish is clinical—he dissects with precision, understands anatomy perfectly, but never experiences the living energy of the creatures or their environment. The fish he knows are already dead or dying.
Modern medicine often resembles the fishmonger—precisely technical but disconnected from the living ecosystem that is your body. Yet what if we could combine the fishmonger's technical expertise with the fisherman's intuitive understanding?
As Dr. Emill Kim discovered, "This didn't happen through my academic studies, this occurred for me first on my yoga mat; from this space it spread outward into everything." The difference between Eastern and Western approaches can be summed up simply: "one understands it, the other lives it."
2. DO: Finding the Perfect Balance for Your Health Journey
Modern medicine creates sophisticated tools that can support our natural healing mechanisms—when used with intention. The key lies not in rejecting medical advances but in positioning them properly within our overall approach to health.
Would you be open to considering that:
- Modern medicine works best when supporting—not replacing—your body's natural healing processes
- The ideal system intervenes only when necessary while empowering your inherent wellness mechanisms
- A balanced approach uses technology for diagnosis and acute care while relying on lifestyle and natural approaches for everyday wellbeing
As Dr. Mark Hyman reminds us, "The power of community to create health is far greater than any physician, clinic or hospital." This wisdom points to a profound truth—the most powerful medicine may not come in a bottle but through our connections with others and nature.
3. EMBODY: Becoming the Driver of Your Health Story
What if we measured health differently? Consider these questions:
- What if wellness meant freedom from chronic disease, not just their management?
- What if we valued quality of life as much as its length?
- What if, like Bhutan measuring "gross domestic happiness," we prioritized wellbeing over productivity?
- What if we counted the days lived free of restriction and disability rather than just total lifespan?
It's time to decide which path we want to take together. Continue relying primarily on interventions after problems develop? Or build enabling environments, supportive communities, and nourish our natural world while taking radical responsibility for our daily choices?
As one wise observer noted: "A single bee is often ignored. But when millions come together, even the bravest run in fear."
What do you choose?
4. TEACH: Sharing a New Vision of Health with Others
The truth is that both approaches have their place. If you experience a traumatic accident, modern medicine proves invaluable. But for the 80-95% of health challenges we face, the twelve Medicines of SelfCare—many free and readily available right now—form the foundation of true wellbeing.
Perhaps we need to start listening more to the wisdom from global longevity hotspots in the Blue Zones and less to entities driven primarily by profit margins. Whatever you believe, the current statistics make one thing clear—our approach isn't working as well as it could. Together, we can pivot toward solutions that move people from struggling to thriving, potentially freeing up tremendous resources for humanity's greater challenges.
Imagine what we could co-create for future generations!
Your Next Step: Reclaiming Your Natural Healing Wisdom
True health interventions should not have collateral damage. They shouldn't be expensive and limited. They should be empowering, not passive.
Ready to discover how the 12 Medicines of SelfCare can transform your relationship with health? Grab your copy of the SelfCare Book and join our supportive community where thousands are already reclaiming their natural healing wisdom together.
Key Research References:
- William Osler, Father of Modern Medicine: "The person who relies on non-natural medicine must recover twice; once from the disease and once from the synthetic medicine."
- Blue Zones Research (Buettner, D.): Identified the only seven communities worldwide with extraordinary longevity and quality of life.
- Global Disease Burden Study: Showing 1 in 2 people currently live with chronic preventable disease.
- Dr. Kim, E. (2022): "The Fisherman and Fishmonger: Eastern vs. Western Medicine Approaches."
- Dr. Mark Hyman's research on community health impact models.
REFERENCES
This is directly referenced from the Amazon best-selling SelfCare Book "Lifestyle Medicine For the People" by Rory Callaghan. If you would like to read more content like this, grab the free online chapters of the book or a hard copy.
We have done our best to reference everyone's expert opinions, peer-reviewed science, and original thoughts, all references available here and referenced in the text.
We also understand that most thoughts are not our own and there is a collective unconsciousness, unconsciousness, and universal mind stream of energy that is always at work. How our references are sorted and filtered is here.
This article is for informational purposes only and should not replace professional medical advice. Always consult with your healthcare provider before beginning any new health regimen.
