When I qualified as a Doctor at 25 years old, I thought I knew everything there was to know about health and medicine. By the age of 30, I realized my medical training was limited and I didn’t really know much about health and wellness. So I went on a journey of discovery to expand my horizons and studied acupuncture, Chinese medicine, Functional medicine, nutrition, yoga and Buddhism. By 50, I realized my life training was limited too as my daughter (a teenager at the time) was pointing out “how stupid” I was. And now that I am 55, I realize I have amassed a lot of knowledge but have so much more to learn.
As I get older and hopefully wiser with every year, certain insights become clearer. Here are some of them gleaned from the wisdom I have gained from 30 years of marriage, having a 22 yr old daughter, 30 years of practicing medicine and being a perpetual student of life.
More Real Food, Less ”Food-like Substances”
More Fruit and Vegetables, Less Sugar, Wheat and Corn
More Organic, Less Chemicals
More Clean Products, Less Toxic Products
More Chewing, Less Eating
More Water, Less Soda
More Walking, Less Driving
More Exercising, Less Watching TV
More Recycling, Less Waste
More Outdoors, Less Indoors
More Sleep, Less Worry
More Slow, Less Hurry
More Smiles, Less Anger
More Love, Less Hatred
More Fun, Less Serious
More Letting Go, Less Holding On
More Being, Less Doing
More Generosity, Less Greed
More Forgiving, Less Blaming
More Ubuntu, Less Me!
Ubuntu means what makes us human is the humanity we show each other. It is a Xhosa (South African) word and philosophy emphasizing community, sharing and generosity.
As Archbishop Desmond Tutu says:
“Ubuntu is about the essence of being human, it is part of the gift that Africa will give the world. It embraces hospitality, caring about others, being able to go the extra mile for the sake of others. We believe that a person is a person through another person, that my humanity is caught up, bound up, inextricably, with yours. When I dehumanize you, I inexorably dehumanize myself. The solitary human being is a contradiction in terms and therefore you seek to work for the common good because your humanity comes into its own in belonging”.
Let 2010 be the year of UBUNTU








Why does my Doctor not take my muscle pain seriously?
Unfortunately most Doctors regard musculo-skeletal problems as relatively unimportant and all types of bodywork, including manipulation as having no benefit. This does a huge disservice to their patients as the musculo-skeletal system comprises a major system of the body, and its importance goes far beyond that of providing a supportive framework. The musculo-skeletal system comprises roughly 60 per cent of the structure of the human body, and it expends most of the energy of the body.
A mechanically sound and well-integrated musculo-skeletal system is essential to good health. Many different health philosophies have always recognized this and have developed various procedures to correct imbalances and changes in its function. The Osteopaths are probably the ones who have developed the most sophisticated philosophy and procedures to correct dysfunction in the musculo-skeletal system.
My experience has shown me that dysfunction of the musculo-skeletal system can cause or contribute to all sorts of diseases. This can be in the area where the soft tissue injury is or in distant areas as well. Releasing these chronic holding patterns in these soft tissues not only frees up physical holding which affect function, but also releases emotional holding in those tissues.
“The recognition of the importance, in the overall economy of the body, of the musculo-skeletal system, its proneness to dysfunction, and the repercussions of such changes, and finally the recognition of the ability of therapy to normalize such dysfunction by one or more of a variety of manipulative procedures, represents the essence of osteopathy’s individuality.”
Quote from Leon Chaitow N.D., D.O., M.R.O.
Osteopathy: A Complete Health Care System