Donnie Yance is an internationally known master herbalist and nutritionist. He is the author of the book, "Herbal Medicine, Healing and Cancer" and "Adaptogens in Medical Herbalism"
Can’t make it?This talk will be recorded and a link to view the replay will be sent within one week following the event to the email you provide when you RSVP.
I have always been a proponent of spending time outdoors in the fresh air, including the practice of forest bathing therapy for physical, mental, and spiritual wellbeing. Unfortunately, most people spend almost 90% of their time in indoor environments,[1] much to the detriment of their health.
“When one tries to rise above nature, one is liable to fall below it.” – Sherlock Holmes
Exploring ‘Sherlock’s Corner’ of Mederi Medicine
From a wholistic perspective, cancer and other complex diseases require a deep investigation in several areas and involves the layering of various lenses, both macro and micro. Aptly, the Mederi Medicine approach has been greatly influenced by the problem-solving methods of the fictional detective, Sherlock Holmes. This is why I refer to the investigational component of Mederi Medicine as “Sherlock’s Corner”, to pay homage to Holmes’ logic.
Of equal relevance to the exploration, collection, and analysis of data in medicine is the understanding and application of hermeneutics. Hermeneutics is the science and method of interpretation, the process that helps us determine what is most relevant when considering the information within the context of a patient’s life story, which involves communication and relationship. Dr. Drew Leder explains that “Clinical medicine can best be understood not as a purified science, but as a hermeneutical enterprise: that is, as involved with the interpretation of (methodological) texts.” He suggests that the hermeneutics of medicine can be broken down into four text categories: “the “experiential text” as the patient’s experience of the illness; the “narrative text” as the history of the illness; the “physical text” as the objective examination of the patient’s body; the “instrumental text” as the construction by diagnostic technologies.” The information generated, when pooled together, can be useful in developing an understanding of the underlying disease, as well as a treatment plan. Leder further suggests that: “Certain flaws in modern medicine arise from its refusal of a hermeneutic self-understanding…in seeking to escape all interpretive subjectivity, medicine has threatened to expunge its primary subject–the living, experiencing patient.”[1]
The
distribution of community outbreaks of the current global pandemic shows
seasonal patterns associated with latitude, temperature, and humidity, which is
similar to the behavior of seasonal viral respiratory tract infections.[1]
The seasonality
of many viral infections is associated with a lack of sunlight, which results in
low 25(OH)D concentrations and an uptick in diseases such as respiratory
syncytial virus (RSV) infection.[2],[3],[4]While it’s
obvious that winter in temperate climates interferes with sufficient exposure
to ultra violet rays, the rainy season in tropical climates also results in low
UVB exposure.
In my work, I connect daily with people who have received a diagnosis of cancer or other significant illness. For many, the diagnosis of a life-threatening illness brings life into crystalline focus, making clear what is most important. I believe that a chronic illness, such as cancer, is an invitation to attend to our true nature and to bring our focus into the present moment. This is the essence of the great spiritual teachings of the world, which encourage us to live not in the past or the future, but in the now.
