Mind Over Medicine - More a Recommendation than a Review

From My Pinterest Inspiration Art

Anyone who’s read my blog for any length of time will know that I have, in the past struggled with depression.  Struggled with admitting to it’s existence, understanding what it is and with the long and arduous journey out of the depths.  If you know me, at all, you will also know that I am a recovering Self Help Addict. Today’s post is evidence that it’s all a one day at a time journey.  And that helping yourself is a more natural reponse than you might think.

‘Mind over Medicine’ by Dr Lissa Rankin is a book that brings into perspective the shortcomings of the medical professionals and our own responsibility in our recovery and wellbeing.  And whilst I am not affiliated with Dr Rankin or Amazon in any way I highly recommend you get yourself a copy.

Strangely enough, I started reading this not so much on a Self Help kick but as I found myself questioning more and more the authenticity and validity of the medical professionals I was coming into contact with on a daily basis, regarding the treatment of a family member.

Dr Rankin validated my belief that these professionals were not treating the patient, but individual symptoms.  Hence we went through over a year of endless poking and prodding at various hospitals, each time seeing no light at the end of an endless dark tunnel.   Every so often there would be a little glimmer of light from someone who ‘understood how we felt’ , only for it to extinguish as they were blinkered to the Big Picture. But I digress...

Do you know how ingenious your body is?  Do you know what it does best?  It has “the ability to heal itself”.  The ‘Relaxation Response’, a natural function of our body, activates self repair mechanisms, releasing endorphins and other healing chemicals.  And this healing process is very much a by product of what is going on in our minds. Hence the title of ‘Mind Over Medicine.

Whilst there is still a need for Doctors, they are highly qualified and experts in their fields, the need to treat the patient as a whole person is key to the holistic approach and the achievement of the finest healing process.

This book is a breath of fresh air.  It asks the patient ‘what does your body need in order to heal’’, recognises there is courage in taking responsibility for your own healing, “healing yourself is not for the faint of heart” and that we are all entitled to the best level of care.  And that you are a key member ot your care team, there is no ranking, but perhaps for the fact that you have been with your body the longest and thus know it best.

Do what you can to encourage that Relaxation Response to do it’s thing, it’s alter ego the ‘Stress Response’ has the key to the toxic cabinet so don’t let it go there.

Happy reading.

Namaste

Catherine x

Show Your Work - Focus on What You Want the World to See

'Show Your Work' by Austin Kleon

“Show Your Work” by Austin Kleon, I had this on my Amazon Wish List for quite some time and devoured it in one sitting when it arrived after the publish date.  I saved writing about it till today for a number  of reasons.

The Process for the 'New Header'

Firstly, today I start my weekly Wednesday blog thread, the main theme for this is ‘The Spectrum of Mindful Living.’  (The banner shown is a mock up because the final one isn’t quite ready.)  I’m following Austin’s advice here and ‘sharing the process’ because waiting till you’re ready kind of leads to nothing getting done.

“Show Your Work” is a book written by a man who ‘walks the walk’.  I felt like I had followed this work through it’s not ready stage, it’s development and it’s final release into the world and enjoyed every step. 

This is a book of “10 ways to share your creativity and get discovered”.  And each way commends the virtues of showing your work whether you think it’s ready to go “out there” or not.  In fact it brings a whole new meaning to the concept of “ready”.  And as much as your work may be your life it is about sharing your work not your life, sharing processes, and unashamedly tooting your own trumpet.  Tooting your own trumpet by sharing your love for what you do, not by hitting the ‘hard sell’’ option.

I loved the concept of ‘the Vampire Test’, summarised in the quote from Derek Sivers “Whatever excites you, go do it. Whatever drains you, stop doing it.”  It's a Tweetable

This was such an easy and  enjoyable read full of great stuff, some of it you already knew but  a gentle reminder is always worth having, and some you knew but hadn’t quite thought of it ‘that way’.

Like “Steal Like An Artist”, “Show Your Work” ends with a plan to take forward and my reason for not writing this post before now.  There’s a page to show your work on.  I’ve now filled mine in and ‘show’ it here:

Puting it out there for some accountability

The mindful bit about today’s piece: Focusing on doing what you love makes more of it – and I’m committing to completing 3 books for September: 3 ways of telling one story – a novel about a girl finding her focus, a ‘non-fiction’ about finding your focus and a craft book of mixed medium art with ‘how-tos’ and lots of lovely pics.

All with a Focus on Mindful Living.

Remember We really do ‘get more of what we focus on’.

Namaste

Catherine