I’ve been thinking about writing the following post for a while, and I think it has percolated long enough to warrant letting it out. The therapeutic relationship is an extremely important part of what we do, and I am continually faced with the fact that the patient will not get well until he takes it upon himself to be responsible for his own health. However, I’ve realized that not everyone knows how to do this. Therefore, I present “How to Get Well.” This is actually just a restatement of the Eight-fold Path of Buddhism, taken from The Tao of Jeet Kune Do by Bruce Lee. I would really like to give this to all my patients as a hand-out once in private practice.
1. Right views (understanding): You must see clearly what is wrong.
2. Right Purpose (aspiration): Decide to be cured.
3. Right speech: Speak so as to aim at being cured.
4. Right conduct: You must act.
5. Right vocation: Your livelihood must not conflict with your therapy.
6. Right effort: The therapy must go forward at the “staying speed,” the critical velocity that can be sustained.
7. Right awareness (mind control): You must feel it and think about it incessantly
8. Right concentration (meditation): Learn how to contemplate with the deep mind.
Filed under: Chinese Medicine, General Discussion, Health-General, Martial Arts
