Future Del Mar Times Article
My Prescription for a Healthy Life
By Mark Kalina MD
As a
doctor, the biggest question I have for my patients is “what does it mean for you to be well?” It is not just the
absence of disease that makes a person qualify as well. There is a different
sense of being well for every person. It
often has very little or nothing to
do with the state of our physical being. The biggest impediments to feeling
well are the limitations and rules we impose upon ourselves that take away the joy of living. We end up
feeling stuck or trapped and this is what keeps us from being truly well.
When people
come to see me for individual or group consultation, I ask them a few questions.
Do you like yourself? Do you like your life? Are you “there” for yourself when
things go awry? Are you your own best friend? Do you like your relationships?
Do you like who you are in your relationships? Are you proud of yourself? How
do you handle the wounds of your past history so they do not creep into your
daily life?
The answers to these questions tell
me much about your true health. Why? Because this tells me how connected you
are to yourself, and that reflects how connected you are to your world. And why
is connection important to me? Your connection to yourself and others nourishes
the core of your being; it is the cornerstone of wellness and basis of life
itself. Like it or not, we are all one.
If we feel at odds with or estranged from our bodies, minds or support system,
we will be unable to tap into joy, love and fun and are more likely to seek
refuge in numbing compulsive behaviors. On the other hand, connecting to our
life, body, health and mind creates an internal feeling (connection) that
creates freedom, energy and general well-being.
So, my 8 recommendations for being
well and returning to health and vibrancy are:
(1)
Wellness is an individual journey with a
personal destination and should not be globally defined. Ask yourself what you need and want.
(2)
Realize that sometimes “well” may not feel great
in the beginning; getting well is a journey that may include crying or yelling
or feeling angry or sad as we start out on the adventure of learning to care
for ourselves.
(3)
Well is feeling free as opposed to stuck which
is limiting, rigid and mechanical. Let yourself out of the box instead of being
contained.
(4)
Be who you are; speak your truth; don’t censor
your words to please other people.
(5)
Love with all your heart – starting with
yourself.
(6) Find what makes you happy and joyful and do it regularly
forever.
(7) Use your body to get out of your thinking mind
and into the joy of living
(8) Live like you might die tomorrow and don’t have
any regrets.
This prescription is intentionally NOT very “medical”. Modern medicine is
good for acute injuries and illnesses but it does not make us well. We make
ourselves well by the way we live and what we believe and the focus of our
attention. We have the power to set ourselves free to live fully regardless of
our age, medical conditions or circumstances. You can have it all.
** Mark is a board certified internal medicine doctor. He
has recently opened a new practice on Cedros in Solana Beach based on the above
recommendations to help people feel better and reach their own definition of being
well. He can be contacted by calling (858) 876-6360. The practice website is www.PandoHealthGroups.com Individual
and group appointments are available daily.
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