Mana for the Doctor's Soul

This is a painting by Navajo ( Diné)  artist David K. John , called "Emergence Song." Not many paint female deities, but he created this one in honor of his mother, who had passed away not long before (2017).  Many of his paintings represent Yei-Be-Chei, sacred spiritual messengers of the  Diné. His great grandfather was a medicine man, who instilled strong spiritual beliefs and practices while raising him. David grew up attending and participating in many healing events, from seasonal rituals to sand painting. The most revered members of his culture instructed him, as he grew.  His work has always held me spellbound, and this image especially touched my heart. A peaceful yet powerful quality exudes from it. He often shows his Yei-Be-Chei with the breath of life coming from their mouths. These are holy people who were here before humans -- and in  Diné  culture, they created everything in the universe. So, these are creation images. In ceremonies today, peo...

"What is done by what is called myself is, I feel, done by something greater than myself in me." ~James Clerk Maxwell, physicist, on his deathbed in 1879 The artwork above is a painting by Navajo artist David K. John , and hangs in my office. Titled "Rain Chanters," it depicts beings that are sacred to the Dine (the Navajo people), and which can offer healing assistance. It blesses the space where I see my patients. I am grateful for any feeling of help when working with my patients. To me this is a huge responsibility, and doctors, nurses, therapists, and other caregivers can easily feel overwhelmed. We're all the time trying to understand and solve others' problems. It sometimes amounts to what Dr. David Reilly of Glasgow Homeopathic Hospital in Scotland calls " fixitology ". We act as if we think the patient is broken , needing to be "fixed" -- as quickly as possible (" quickfixitology "). Further, we reduce the person to b...