Dr. Lorraine Bonner | Special to California Black Media Partners
Thank you for reading this post, don't forget to subscribe!I went to a medical school that was steeped in the principles of classical western
medicine. However, I also learned mindfulness meditation during that time, which
opened me to the multifaceted relationship between illnesses and the
interconnecting environmental, mental and emotional realities that can impact an
individual’s health.
Therefore, when I began to practice medicine, I also pursued training in hypnosis,
relaxation techniques, meditation and guided imagery, to bring a mind-body focus
to my work in both medical care and prevention.
The people I saw in my practice had a mix of problems, including high blood
pressure, diabetes and a variety of pain issues. I taught almost everyone relaxation
breathing and made some general relaxation tapes. To anyone who was willing, I
offered guided imagery.
“My work embraced an approach to wellness I call “Liberatory Health” — one that
not only addresses the treatment and management of disease symptoms but also
seeks to dismantle the conditions that make people sick in the first place.”
From my perspective, illness is only the outermost manifestation of our efforts to
cope, often fueled by addictions such as sugar, tobacco, or alcohol, shackled by an
individualistic cult belief that we have only ourselves to blame for our suffering.
At the deepest and also most expansive level of reality, we are all part of the same
being, our bodies made from the minerals of the earth, our spirits infused by the
spiritual breath that animates the universe. Willingness to move more deeply into
fear and pain is the first step toward moving into a larger consciousness.
Willingness to move beyond the delusion of our separateness can show us new
ways of working and living together.
To put these ideas into practical form, I would quote the immortal Mr. Rogers:
“Find the helpers.” There are already people in every community working for
liberation. Some of them are running for office, others are giving food to those
who need it. Some are volunteering in schools, libraries or hospitals. Some are
studying liberation movements, or are working in urban or community gardens, or
learning to practice restorative and transformative justice, or creating liberation art,
music, dance, theater or writing. Some are mentoring high schoolers or
apprenticing young people in a trade. There are many places where compassionate
humans are finding other humans and working together for a better world.
A more compassionate world is possible, one in which we will all enjoy better
health. Creating it will make us healthier, too.
In community, we are strong. Recognizing denial and overcoming the fragmenting
effects of spiritual disorder offer us a path to liberation and true health.
Good health and well-being are the collective rights of all people!
About the Author
Dr. Lorraine Bonner is a retired physician. She is also a sculptor who works in
clay, exploring issues of trust, trustworthiness and exploitation, as well as visions
of a better world