Dr. Bernie Siegel’s wisdom has made him one of our family’s favorite doctors, and yet we’ve never set foot in his office. Our son loved listening to audio versions of his writings during his daily commute. This doctor is a popular and well known physician, an M.D., who has authored many books on wellness. His philosophy greatly aligns with what I have experienced. May you find comfort in ten of his quotes!
Dr. Siegel Says Body Communication is Two Way!
- The doctor I would want for myself or for anyone else I cared about would be one who understands that disease is more than just a clinical entity, it is an experience and a metaphor with a message that must be listened to.
- If you talk to your body, it will listen.
I love Dr. Siegel’s empowering message that we have the capacity to positively affect our own health. This uplifting concept more than likely had an impact on our son’s longevity during his illness. Illnesses speak to the fact that you’ve not been listening to your body. If your body needs a little attention, perhaps try having a chat with yourself! It may seem silly, but tell your body that you care for it and you love that it has been so supportive of you.
General Good Advice in Dr. Siegel’s Wisdom
- You can’t control the world, but when you control your thoughts, you bring order.
- The spiritual message is we lose our lives in pleasing others; if you’re the good child who pleases Mommy and Daddy but internalizes anger, you’re setting yourself up for disease.
- Stories change people while statistics give them something to argue about.
Again, his thoughts give the patient control over their health. He asks for us to feel into what our very own thoughts are doing to our bodies. This involves mentally doing a body scan and determining where you hurt. It also means paying attention to when you sense discomfort or tension and pondering what created the discomfort. This site tells how to do a body scan: https://draxe.com/health/body-scan-meditation/
As to stories, some of his books are filled with recounts of cancer patients who have successfully improved their health by using various tips Dr. Siegel recommended. He formed a group called ECaP. It stands for Exceptional Cancer Patients. Here is a resource detailing his group. https://healingartsreport.com/3-alternative-resources-for-cancer-patients/ It is always uplifting for patients to read the survivor stories, especially when compared to crying over fatality statistics.
Dr. Siegel’s Mind-Body Wisdom
- The mind and body are not separate units, but one integrated system. How we act and what we think, eat and feel are all related to our health. Physicians should be capable of teaching this behavior to patients. Mind-body medicine should not be an ‘alternative’ nor should complementary and integrative medicine be something doctors are not exposed to during their training.
- Traditional doctors say I’m a mystic. I don’t deny it. For me, consciousness is non-local, not limited to the body, and can exist independent of it.
I’ve noticed that much of the time the most successful health practices involve working with not only the body, but also the mind. Incidentally, Dr. Siegel also feeds the spirit in his work with patients.
Arts and Inspiration Wisdom
- Inspiration is the greatest gift because it opens your life to many new possibilities. Each day becomes more meaningful, and your life is enhanced when your actions are guided by what inspires you. True inspiration overrides all fears. When you are inspired, you enter a trance state and can accomplish things that you may never have felt capable of doing.
- One of the best ways to change is to act as if you are the person you want to become. When you behave as if you are a different person, you change on a very basic level – even your physiology changes. When actors and actresses perform, their body chemistry is altered by the roles they play.
- I use music in the operating room to help create a healing environment for patients and staff. There is a reason that certain heart rates are healthy and certain beats of music heal and relax us.
I find Dr. Siegel’s Wisdom so refreshing when he validates the healing power of the arts. Isn’t it amazing that role playing can actually affect our physiology? Allow yourself to be inspired by the wisdom of Dr. Bernie Siegel!
