By Lee Green, Business Owner, Melbourne, Vic
The picture of the traditional family doctor is well known to us all – a General Practitioner that has a history of the family and is well versed in the ailments of all generations. This role is often depicted in period dramas, especially in well to do families of old – the visiting practitioner being the authority figure that knows ’health,’ or seemingly so, as is portrayed.
Interestingly, as illness and disease climb through the roof, the pressure on our worldwide medical systems is such that they veer closer to collapse – in effect a breakdown of a system that has been essentially supporting us to get on and function – the same system as portrayed by the family GP of old that we have given our power away to and expect to fix us and ready us for the next thing to do.
We have essentially made the role of the GP the first line of support – we take along our ailing bodies and ask for help. The appointments are often short, there is often a wait, and the GP may or may not be having a good or bad day; how they look after themselves in their important role of looking after other people is a key component to this particular element.
Another one being how we walk into the surgery ourselves.
Is the family doctor any more important than the person who checks us through at the supermarket? We are certainly all equal, yet some of us have learned skills that support us in different ways. One of the key factors in life that may skew our own views of the GP is that, with education, we place more status on the person – wrongly assuming that they are better than us because they know more about this particular subject or that.
Has there been too much emphasis placed on education and, in that, an assumed status of the person above others? This may or may not be held by the GP, but it sits as a construct in society and to some degree we may always look up to the family doctor as someone who knows more about our ailments than we do. This continues to feed this construct of superior status and does not support true equality in these relationships.
How many of us feel equal to the doctor when we sit talking about our own bodies? Do we allow ourselves to truly express all that we know about ourselves in that moment or do we hold back because we ‘don’t know’ as much as the highly qualified man or woman sitting in front of us?
Recently I attended a Chakra-puncture course, one of the many modalities offered by Universal Medicine, and heard one of the presenters, Serge Benhayon, say that the modalities and their original intent is for the domestic homes of all to truly support friends and family, as we require it through life.
What struck me about this and our current medical system is that all the pressure could be relieved if we all started to look at how we move ourselves around the planet. Are we truly taking care of ourselves? The answer has to be ‘no’ because of the state of our health as a society. Yet we continue to live in a way that results in more complex medical conditions.
How interesting is it then, that when we know truly what is and what is not good for our bodies and our health, we continue to live in a way that does not support a true state of health?
To start to heal how we have been living so that we may support and aid in the healing of another and another and so on, is the fundamental reason for us being here together on one planet.
This allowed me to feel that, as we develop ourselves, all of us the world over have the opportunity to connect with the modalities as taught by Serge Benhayon and Universal Medicine. We can build a different relationship with health within our family and friend groups. The understanding that we are responsible for all that the body is – that every ailment and dis-ease is a result of our choosing – can be communicated. The foods and drinks we consume, the way we handle our emotions, accept and appreciate ourselves, the way we walk etc. all have an amazing imprint for all to feel and see.
Although there will always be a need for General Practitioners and medical specialists, it becomes apparent that we all have our own inner “General Practitioner” and that within family groups of the future we will all be able to support each other with true healing modalities, family discussions that will evolve and grow each other, true counselling with each other with issues that come up to be revealed, worked on and let go of.
Herald in the new way
What a support this would ultimately be for the current long-suffering medical systems. Imagine taking ourselves to the GP knowing that ‘the way’ we live allows us to feel and present a body that is not ‘functioned’ out, but rather a loving body that is showing signs of illness and requires Western Medicine to support it.
There is no fix needed when the batteries have run down – the GP is not ticking another box and coping with another being needing fixing. There is a responsibility brought into the surgery and, as that is felt, the relationship between patient and the family doctor naturally returns to an equal footing. One knows their body intimately, inside and out, the other has the knowledge, skills and medicine to support the body back to physical health. Together the body benefits and becomes more harmonious as a result.
I am forever inspired and deeply appreciative of the work of Serge Benhayon and Universal Medicine.
Medicine and Serge Benhayon 
I recently went to the doctor as my family had been asking me to go for months, so I eventually went, and I really enjoyed my experience with the doctor whom I had never met before. We definitely met on equal terms. I cannot recall being met with such pure sweetness and genuine care. Because I hardly go to the doctors, I was asked to have blood tests which have since come back as ‘abnormal’ and require further investigation. I know that whatever is found I now have Universal Medicine that will support me to read and understand what my body is showing me which is the core issue and I will also have Western Medicine that will also support my body back to health. This to me is the perfect relationship of the two modalities that is on offer to everyone.
This is a great conversation to be having because as you say Lee our health conditions are becoming more complex, people just don’t seem to have one thing wrong with them now, they seem to have a variety of problems which then involve different medical teams to try and sort out. And so the answer to your question: are we truly taking care of ourselves? has to be a no. Then the next question is: why are we developing more complex illness and diseases? when are we going to stop and say: hang on a minute, what is going on here?
Since I go to the doctor open and connected to the equalness there is between us, I feel the space to express exactly what happens to me, which makes the encounter more fluid, direct and human. He doesn’t feel distant or higher to me anymore, but closer, more sensitive and receptive to what I bring.
Our attitude makes the difference.
Lee, this bought up memories of how I grew up thinking that doctors of any kind were to be respected and to put them on a pedestal. According to my parents, these professionals had studied so they must know more than us. And I used to feel inferior when I was visiting the GP. And yet many a times, I had procedures performed on me, that I felt shouldn’t have been performed and I would have this voice saying I shouldn’t be challenging them as they knew what was best for my body.
Roll on years, I no longer carry this belief, I see GP’s from a different perspective. They are no different to me, and while they may have a few degrees up their sleeves, they may not know more about my body than I do. Yes I visit them, as I do need their support, the rest of the healing is also my responsibility too. I don’t palm my health and wellbeing to them either. They have their purpose, just like any other professional in this world.
If we all play our part in our health and wellbeing, this world will be a different world.
“There is a responsibility brought into the surgery and, as that is felt, the relationship between patient and the family doctor naturally returns to an equal footing.” Society as a a whole is a long way from this, but there will be a time when it is more accepted the responsibility we each bring to our own health.
To access healthcare when we need it, at the same time as embracing the responsibility we have to take care of ourselves, means we can be a strong team working collaboratively to return to being well. And we can take this out of the healthcare setting too and consider the way we access financial, legal, home maintenance support etc. Always as an equal with a clear sense of the qualities, training and wisdom we offer that make up the whole.
In days gone by, we would have the same GP for the majority of our lives, and the family GP knew more about our lives than most people, but these days there doesn’t seem to be that kind of relationship where the GP feels like your extended family being invited to family events and going to the same church. Nowadays we are lucky to see the same GP unless you specifically ask and wait a couple of weeks for an appointment. Here in London, it’s becoming popular to use the drop in doctors in the city. It’s more the convenience as you can book online to see who is available, pay a fee and there you go with an appointment on the same day.
I remember our family Doctor as he attended to my father, sometimes on a daily basis, so he knew our family very well. Currently, our surgeries are so extremely busy, so much so I feel this reflects the deteriorating health many of us are in. This must put a huge strain on the doctors that take care of us and the medical system as a whole.
What you say about the (in)equality between the doctor and the patient is so true. We the patient diminish our lived authority of our bodily experience while we expect the doctor to know it all and be able to fix it all – because they are ‘the expert’ and we are not. There indeed is responsibility to be taken which empowers every one of us.
I grew up in a time, and in a family, where the power of healing us was handed over to the doctor, as the general belief was that they knew everything that was needed to ‘fix’ us. As I too came to believe that this was normal, I used to hand over my power as well and not considering that I too was responsible for my own healing. These days when I go to the doctor, I go with all of me and the knowing that I have my own ‘inner practitioner’ who is always open to work with the practitioner sitting in front of me; the optimum healing equation.
Can we start to view health care as something we live every day rather than only something we go to to get fixed when something goes wrong?
Wow Andrew, that is a powerful statement you have made here. If we made life as our medicine, because at the end of the day, everything is everything, nothing happens for the sake of happening.
We need to bring greater understanding to healing and it isn’t about getting ‘fixed’, it is about healing the presenting issue, so the next can reveal itself.
I am now learning to look at the body’s signals more and more, I’m by far perfect, but I am listening and then pondering what has led to this dis-ease/illness and what do I need to do to support me and the additional support I need, whether the GP or an Esoteric practitioner; I take much more responsibility than before.
This sense of responsibility you talk of Shushila, I also have towards myself; it comes from my association with Universal Medicine. Over the years I have come to understand that what I put into my body is going to affect how I am. By making different food choices, I feel less sluggish, less dense and I have more energy throughout the day to enable me to sustain a full day’s work. So much so, as I reach retirement age, I know I’m not yet ready to take my foot off the gas pedal of life as there is so much more I can contribute to society.
“To start to heal how we have been living so that we may support and aid in the healing of another and another and so on, is the fundamental reason for us being here together on one planet.” When we take responsibility for our own part in the healing process we are working with the doctor rather than expecting them to prescribe a ‘fix it’ pill.
When we truly begin to grasp the fact that life is medicine we gain a far deeper understanding of the human being and the body it is enhoused within so that no longer do we see the human form as a machine that is subject to wear and tear that must be ‘fixed’ when it ‘breaks’ but more so as a vessel for the divine that can be cared for and nurtured in such a way that all the love that naturally lives within us can express outwardly without being encumbered by that which we otherwise move into place to halt such expression.
The more respect and care I have for my body the more I marvel at its willingness to work and serve.
What you are sharing Lee is a collective responsibility for each person, that we care for ourselves, receive the care of our medical professionals, and support one another in family groups and beyond. It feels like health and well-being through brotherhood.
I remember when I lived in Japan the older people would massage each other nearly every day..or would be treated by their children or grandchildren. For those working in the fields it would be part of the nightly ritual to be rubbed and stretched and loosened up after a days work. Generally speaking we don’t do this for each other in the West although having been on training courses for the Sacred Esoteric modalities I find it possible to do swaps or have some bodywork from someone even if they are not a professional practitioner. The people who come on these courses are generally not there to learn a new craft for a career change but to find ways to support themselves, friends and family in ordinary life. I feel we do not do enough of this for each other and if we were to we would relieve a lot of the pressure from the NHS (in the UK) because our stress levels would decrease enormously.
While it is necessary and indeed wise to take the required medications when we fall ill, nothing compares to the exquisite warmth of human touch and the healing that occurs when hearts speak to hearts.
Lee you make some great points here, and we definitely have the choice to consider how much our choices affect us, and how those choices ultimately are reflected within the body, the more we are able to connect to our body the easier it is to know if something is supportive or not and we become our own doctor initially with the support of western Medicine and our GP to support us further.
Reading this, what comes to me is how connected are we to be able to feel and express honestly how we are in our body? Some years ago, I certainly was not. The modalities that support us to build this connection so that we could place ourselves back in a position to be able to care and love our own body is an amazing accompaniment to conventional medicine.
Reading through all you have shared in this wonderful blog Lee, I got a clear sense that my true “Family Doctor” is me. But it doesn’t stop there as this doctor also includes the quality of my relationships with all the members of my family and my friends, the food I eat, the way I move, the way I live, the way I work and so much more. Then, no longer relying on one person, my doctor, to have a cure for every one of my aliments, it is now up to me to be responsible for the foundation of my health and well-being, with the doctor being there when I am needing medical support.
Yes and then the way we access medical support is totally different. I love the developing relationship I have with my GP; it gets more real and equal every time we meet.
Giving our power away to another in regards to anything including our health is so unloving and disregarding to ourselves. Yes absolutely there are some amazing trained healthcare professionals in many different fields and we need them for sure but what, as you say, about truly looking after our own health first. So much so that we are living in a way to prevent illness and dis-ease by how we are living! This is exactly what Serge Benhayon and Universal Medicine present and have been presenting for years. On a separate note to do with GP’s, it used to be you could make an appointment get one quickly and go and see them what it is regarding, now you have to wait at least 1 week to get an appointment and when you get the appointment are told you can only speak to the GP about 1 thing regarding your health, so if you had several things you wanted checked or to speak about you need to book several appointments! This alone tells us how much stress and pressure the NHS or health services across the world are under. More of a reason to take care of ourselves.
Thanks Vicky for everything you have shared here. I have seen some doctors that have taken a detailed history and then asked me what I feel the problem is, not so much a diagnosis but when do I feel it started, what was happening at the time and beforehand, as well as getting an oversight into my life in general when symptoms occurred (life stresses etc). Those appointments are quite extraordinary because it’s more a feeling of team work, both myself and my doctor working together to understand my condition, how it came about, and how to treat it. It’s beautiful to have a relationship like this experiencing the depth of care and knowledge of my doctors and their humility, genuine concern and equality.
Yes it is great to expose how we see people’s value in the titles and jobs they have even though this does not make the person any different than any one of us. It is just that the person chose to study something and therefore has the knowledge but this does not change who the person is, neither does it change the person when they don’t study for a profession at all. We are all the same inside.