Podcasts about kitchen table wisdom

Hi, I'm Granger Forson, and you can find me at BizSmart Gloucestershire(www.bizsmart-gloucestershire.co.uk) or connect with me on LinkedIn(https://www.linkedin.com). In this exciting episode of ScaleUp Radio, we sit down with Emma Price, the dynamic founder of SupaFoot, a flourishing podiatry practice that's taken a giant leap from a solo operation to a 9-person clinic over the past decade. Emma shares the inspiring story of how she was motivated by her mother's career shift to start her own business, driven by a passion for helping people. SupaFoot has grown organically through an unwavering commitment to excellence and the power of personal referrals. Emma's journey is a testament to the impact of living your business values, and her leadership style is all about going first – embracing vulnerability, promoting continuous improvement, and creating a culture where feedback and growth are the norms. As SupaFoot prepares to expand into a new 7-room clinic, Emma discusses her strategic vision for the future. With a keen eye on maintaining the family-like atmosphere that sets SupaFoot apart, Emma is planning for full capacity within five years, with potential franchise options on the horizon. Join us as we dive deep into Emma's approach to recruitment, team development, and marketing in the niche field of podiatry. Whether you're leading a business or looking to start one, Emma's insights into overcoming challenges, staying true to your values, and leading by example will leave you inspired. To ensure you don't miss any inspirational future episodes, do subscribe to ScaleUp Radio wherever you like to listen to your podcasts. So, let's now dive into the inspiring journey of organic growth, values-driven leadership, and strategic expansion with Emma Price.   Scaling up your business isn't easy, and can be a little daunting. Let ScaleUp Radio make it a little easier for you. With guests who have been where you are now, and can offer their thoughts and advice on several aspects of business. ScaleUp Radio is the business podcast you've been waiting for. If you would like to be a guest on ScaleUp Radio, please click here: https://bizsmarts.co.uk/scaleupradio/kevin   You can get in touch with Granger here: grangerf@biz-smart.co.uk   Kevin's Latest Book Is Available! Drawing on BizSmart's own research and experiences of working with hundreds of owner-managers, Kevin Brent explores the key reasons why most organisations do not scale and how the challenges change as they reach different milestones on the ScaleUp Journey. He then details a practical step by step guide to successfully navigate between the milestones in the form of ESUS - a proven system for entrepreneurs to scale up. More on the Book HERE - https://www.esusgroup.co.uk/   Emma can be found here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/emma-price-5286b13a/ https://supafoot.com/ cheltenham@supafoot.com https://www.facebook.com/SupafootCheltenham https://www.instagram.com/supafoot_cheltenham/   Resources: Atomic Habits by James Clear - https://uk.bookshop.org/p/books/atomic-habits-the-life-changing-million-copy-1-bestseller-james-clear/2458373?ean=9781847941831 Dare To Lead by Brene Brown - https://uk.bookshop.org/p/books/dare-to-lead-brave-work-tough-conversations-whole-hearts-brene-brown/406737?ean=9781785042140 Kitchen Table Wisdom by Rachel Naomi Remen - https://uk.bookshop.org/p/books/kitchen-table-wisdom-stories-that-inspire-rachel-naomi-remen/5024712?ean=9781529045864 Michael Moseley Just One Thing Podcast - https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p09by3yy/episodes/downloads Beditations App - https://beditations.com/ Fitbit - https://www.fitbit.com/global/uk/home  

This week I'm sharing two of my favorite readings. One's that speaks to why as an animal professional you need to make space for grief. This is from Dr. Rachel Remen's "Kitchen Table Wisdom" book and this chapter is aptly named "Professionals Don't Cry". Also in the episode I read from John Roedel's "Remedy", poem #37.  Registration is currently open for my 6-month online group for women veterinarians, Living A Life You Love. This group runs April-September and you can get all the info here.  Registration closes on March 29, 2024 at 11:59pm ET. 

In this special Q&A episode, the Surgeon General sits down with his long-time medical school mentor, Dr. Rachel Naomi Remen, to talk about their journeys to becoming healers. Dr. Remen is the creator of a medical training course called “The Healer's Art,” which Dr. Murthy took as a medical student.  As a follow-up to their House Calls episode “Can We All Be Healers?”, the pair decided to reunite and field questions from medical students and other healthcare trainees, including: How do you stay compassionate in the tough environment of the healthcare system? How do you get through career disappointments? And how can we lean our relationships to help us?  Tune in for wisdom and stories from two of our country's most compassionate healers.  (04:08)    What hardships did Dr. Remen face on her road to becoming a physician healer?  (07:57)    On dealing with Dr. Remen's heartbreak of not matching for a residency  (10:46)    How did Dr. Remen stay true to her humanity during the taxing time of medical training?  (14:52)    Where does Dr. Remen turn when she feels burned out?  (17:05)    How does Dr. Remen cope with the reality that doctors can't always heal?  (20:04)    How can the act of healing heal the healer?  (27:54)    How does Dr. Remen find hope in difficult times?  (34:08)    How do cats and social connection help Dr. Remen?  (38:32)    What advice does Dr. Remen offer doctors?  We'd love to hear from you! Send us a note at housecalls@hhs.gov with your feedback & ideas. For more episodes, visit www.surgeongeneral.gov/housecalls.      Dr. Rachel Naomi Remen, Physician & Teacher  Facebook: @rachelnaomiremen    About Dr. Rachel Naomi Remen Rachel Naomi Remen, MD is Clinical Professor Emeritus of Family and Community Medicine at the UCSF School of Medicine and Professor of Family Medicine at Wright State University Boonshoft School of Medicine in Ohio. In 1991, she founded the Remen Institute for the Study of Health and Illness (RISHI) a national training institute for physicians, nurses, medical students, nursing students, veterinarians and other health professionals who wish to practice a health care of compassion, meaning, service and community. She is an internationally recognized medical educator whose innovative discovery model course in professionalism, resiliency and relationship-centered care for medical students, The Healer's Art, is taught at more than 90 American medical schools and schools in seven countries abroad. Her bestselling books “Kitchen Table Wisdom” and “My Grandfather's Blessings” have been published in 23 languages and have millions of copies in print.     In recognition of her contribution to medicine and medical education, she has received numerous awards including three honorary degrees, the prestigious Bravewell Award as one of the earliest pioneers of Integrative Medicine and Relationship Centered Care. In 2013, she was voted the Gold-Headed Cane award by UCSF School of Medicine for excellence in embodying and teaching the qualities and values of the true physician. Dr. Remen has a 70-year personal history of chronic illness, and her work is a potent blend of the perspectives and wisdom of physician and patient. 

Enjoy another healing hour of stories and music with master storyteller Rachel Naomi Remen, MD, and musician/songwriter Karen Drucker. This month, they offer stories and songs for the Thanksgiving Holiday. See all of the music and story events with Rachel and Karen on our on our website, listen on Soundcloud, watch on YouTube, or find us on Apple podcasts and Spotify. Photo by Alisa Anton_ on _Unsplash Rachel Naomi Remen, MD Rachel is a Professor of Family Medicine at Wright State Boonshoft School of Medicine and the Founder and Founding Director of the Remen Institute for the Study of Health and Illness (RISHI), which was at Commonweal for decades and is currently at Wright State University Boonshoft School of Medicine. She is one of the best known of the early pioneers of wholistic and integrative medicine. As a medical educator, therapist, and teacher, she has enabled many thousands of physicians to find individual meaning and purpose in the practice of medicine and thousands of patients to remember their power to heal. More than 30,000 medical students have completed The Healer's Art, her groundbreaking curriculum for medical students taught at the majority of medical schools in America. A master storyteller and observer of life, her bestselling books, Kitchen Table Wisdom and My Grandfather's Blessings have sold more than 2 million copies and have been translated into 21 languages. Rachel has had Crohn's disease for more than 65 years and her work is a unique blend of the wisdom, strength, and viewpoints of both doctor and patient. Karen Drucker Karen's message is all about healing and love--whether singing one of her positive message songs or sharing stories that are funny, inspiring, and heart opening. She is a keynote speaker, women's retreat facilitator, and entertainer who has recorded 22 CDs of her inspirational music. Karen is also the author of the best selling book Let Go of the Shore: Songs & Stories To Set The Spirit Free. Her chants and songs are used around the world and often help people deal with illness and loss, or help them fill the need to feel more centered for the day. Karen's intention is to make a difference by using her music to open hearts and share a message of hope, acceptance, and love. Find out more about Karen on her website: karendrucker.com Find out more about The New School at Commonweal on our website: tns.commonweal.org. And like/follow our Soundcloud channel for more great podcasts.

Rachel Naomi Remen is an author, a physician, and a healer. She uses her extensive medical experience and her wise intuition in the work that she does with patients diagnosed with cancer. Her book, "Kitchen Table Wisdom," is a treasure of wisdom, humor, and insight about the human condition.

When Claire McKie recommended Kitchen Table Wisdom by Rachel Remen to me I realised she wasn't the first person who'd suggested it and somehow it had drifted down my to-read pile.  I'm actually embarrassed it took me so long to realise it was almost everything I'd been looking at in a book to dip in and out of and to recommend endlessly to others.There's a global flavour to today - me in the UK, Claire in Australia discussing a book written by a physician from the USA.Claire and I had a fabulous conversation about conversations and stories. We explore the power of listening and of stories to help us make sense of the world as well as talking about the way that revisiting old favourites often shows us different perspectives on something that seems familiar.If you don't have a copy of it yet, get yours here: https://uk.bookshop.org/p/books/kitchen-table-wisdom-stories-that-inspire-rachel-naomi-remen/5024712?ean=9781529045864we also thought about the other books with which we'd file this on a helf: Listen by Kathryn Mannix, Self Compassion by Kristen Neff, Time to Think by Nancy Kline and Atlas of the Heart by Brene Brown - all of which have been covered as  previous episodes of this podcast and might eb worth going back to.We talked about the Civility Saves Lives movement https://www.civilitysaveslives.com/

Join us for a celebration of autumn, a time to harvest all the seeds we've planted in your life, aging, etc… the next stories and music event in our series with master storyteller Rachel Naomi Remen, MD, and musician/songwriter Karen Drucker. See all of the music and story events with Rachel and Karen on our website, listen on Soundcloud, watch on YouTube, or find us on Apple podcasts and Spotify. Rachel Naomi Remen, MD Rachel is a Professor of Family Medicine at Wright State Boonshoft School of Medicine and the Founder and Founding Director of the Remen Institute for the Study of Health and Illness (RISHI), which was at Commonweal for decades and is currently at Wright State University Boonshoft School of Medicine. She is one of the best known of the early pioneers of wholistic and integrative medicine. As a medical educator, therapist, and teacher, she has enabled many thousands of physicians to find individual meaning and purpose in the practice of medicine and thousands of patients to remember their power to heal. More than 30,000 medical students have completed The Healer's Art, her groundbreaking curriculum for medical students taught at the majority of medical schools in America. A master storyteller and observer of life, her bestselling books, Kitchen Table Wisdom and My Grandfather's Blessings have sold more than 2 million copies and have been translated into 21 languages. Rachel has had Crohn's disease for more than 65 years and her work is a unique blend of the wisdom, strength, and viewpoints of both doctor and patient. Karen Drucker Karen's message is all about healing and love--whether singing one of her positive message songs or sharing stories that are funny, inspiring, and heart opening. She is a keynote speaker, women's retreat facilitator, and entertainer who has recorded 22 CDs of her inspirational music. Karen is also the author of the best selling book Let Go of the Shore: Songs & Stories To Set The Spirit Free. Her chants and songs are used around the world and often help people deal with illness and loss, or help them fill the need to feel more centered for the day. Karen's intention is to make a difference by using her music to open hearts and share a message of hope, acceptance, and love. Find out more about Karen on her website: karendrucker.com #newschoolcommonweal #commonweal #healingstories #rachelremen #rachelnaomiremen #karendrucker #liberation #livingfree

In this incredible conversation, U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy, MD, makes a “House Call” at The New School at Commonweal--to talk with one of his long-time mentors and friends, Dr. Rachel Naomi Remen. You can join us for the conversation on New School channels, or find it on the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services channels as well: hhs.gov/surgeongeneral/priorities/house-calls. As Dr. Murthy says, “In an increasingly complex world, knowing ourselves and finding ways to express love is what this episode of House Calls is all about.” U.S. Surgeon General Vivek H. Murthy, MD Dr. Vivek H. Murthy was confirmed by the U.S. Senate in March 2021 to serve as the 21st Surgeon General of the United States. He previously served as the 19th Surgeon General under President Obama. As the Nation's Doctor, the Surgeon General's mission is to help lay the foundation for a healthier country, relying on the best scientific information available to provide clear, consistent, and equitable guidance and resources for the public. As the Vice Admiral of the U.S. Public Health Service Commissioned Corps, Dr. Murthy commands a uniformed service of over 6,000 dedicated public health officers, serving the most underserved and vulnerable populations. He is also the host of House Calls with Dr. Vivek Murthy, a podcast highlighting the healing power of conversations. The first Surgeon General of Indian descent, Dr. Murthy was raised in Miami and is a graduate of Harvard, the Yale School of Medicine, and the Yale School of Management. A renowned physician, research scientist, entrepreneur, and author, he lives in Washington, DC with his wife, Dr. Alice Chen, and their two children. Rachel Naomi Remen, MD Rachel Naomi Remen is the co-founder and medical director of the Commonweal Cancer Help Program. She is clinical professor emeritus of family and community medicine at the UCSF School of Medicine and professor of family medicine at Wright State University Boonshoft School of Medicine in Ohio. In 1991, she founded the Remen Institute for the Study of Health and Illness (RISHI) at Commonweal, a national training institute for physicians, nurses, medical students, nursing students, veterinarians and other health professionals who wish to practice a health care of compassion, meaning, service and community. She is an internationally recognized medical educator whose innovative discovery model course in professionalism, resiliency and relationship-centered care for medical students, The Healer's Art, is taught at more than 90 American medical schools and schools in seven countries abroad. Her bestselling books “Kitchen Table Wisdom” and “My Grandfather's Blessings” have been published in 23 languages and have millions of copies in print. In recognition of her contribution to medicine and medical education, she has received numerous awards including three honorary degrees, the prestigious Bravewell Award as one of the earliest pioneers of Integrative Medicine and Relationship Centered Care. In 2013, she was voted the Gold-Headed Cane award by UCSF School of Medicine for excellence in embodying and teaching the qualities and values of the true physician. Find out more about The New School at Commonweal on our website: tns.commonweal.org. And like/follow our Soundcloud channel for more great podcasts.

How can we become healers?   In these times of disconnection, we all search for sources of healing. One powerful, often untapped source is the healing we can provide for each other. For this conversation, I turned to my long-time medical school mentor, Dr. Rachel Naomi Remen. Rachel is widely known for launching the course The Healer's Art, which has been taught to over 30,000 medical students, including me. Now in her 80s, she has been a guiding light for decades.  In this live conversation, we explore deep questions: What is the difference between curing and healing? What is the role of love in doctoring? How is listening a form of healing? Rachel draws from her own life, including the harsh experience of being the only woman in her medical school class and living with chronic illness; while still painful, those experiences helped her understand who she is.  In an increasingly complex world, knowing ourselves and finding ways to express love is what this episode of House Calls is all about.    (03:40)    How Dr. Remen and Dr. Murthy connected through the heart and soul of medicine.  (14:01)    What is the difference between healing and curing?  (16:10)    What is a wounded healer?  (20:51)    What is the role of love in healing?  (23:00)    How does serving others help the heart and soul?  (24:28)    How did Dr. Remen find a place she really belongs, and how can we?  (30:20)    What does it mean to be one of a kind?  (34:30)    Why love is a blessing for a lifetime.  (46:22)    What has Dr. Remen learned from her cancer patients about healing?  (49:25)    How can we be source of healing for others?  (54:09)    What can help us break away from feelings of despair?      For more conversations, visit www.surgeongeneral.gov/housecalls.    We'd love to hear from you! Send us a note at housecalls@hhs.gov with your feedback & ideas.    Dr. Rachel Naomi Remen, Physician & Teacher  Facebook: @rachelnaomiremen    About Dr. Rachel Naomi Remen  Rachel Naomi Remen, MD is Clinical Professor Emeritus of Family and Community Medicine at the UCSF School of Medicine and Professor of Family Medicine at Wright State University Boonshoft School of Medicine in Ohio. In 1991, she founded the Remen Institute for the Study of Health and Illness (RISHI) a national training institute for physicians, nurses, medical students, nursing students, veterinarians and other health professionals who wish to practice a health care of compassion, meaning, service and community. She is an internationally recognized medical educator whose innovative discovery model course in professionalism, resiliency and relationship-centered care for medical students, The Healer's Art, is taught at more than 90 American medical schools and schools in seven countries abroad. Her bestselling books “Kitchen Table Wisdom” and “My Grandfather's Blessings” have been published in 23 languages and have millions of copies in print.  In recognition of her contribution to medicine and medical education, she has received numerous awards including three honorary degrees, the prestigious Bravewell Award as one of the earliest pioneers of Integrative Medicine and Relationship Centered Care. In 2013, she was voted the Gold-Headed Cane award by UCSF School of Medicine for excellence in embodying and teaching the qualities and values of the true physician. Dr. Remen has a 70-year personal history of chronic illness, and her work is a potent blend of the perspectives and wisdom of physician and patient. 

Listen to ASCO's Journal of Clinical Oncology essay, “When the Future Is Not Now,” by Janet Retseck, Assistant Professor of Medicine at the Medical College of Wisconsin. The essay is followed by an interview with Retseck and host Dr. Lidia Schapira. Drawing on cultural history, Retseck explores a dying cancer patient's persistent optimism. TRANSCRIPT Narrator: When the Future Is Not Now, by Janet Retseck, MD, PhD   The most optimistic patient I have ever met died a few years ago of lung cancer. From the beginning, Mr L was confident that he would do well, enthusiastically telling me, “I'll do great!” As chemoradiation for his stage III lung cancer commenced, he did do well. Until he got COVID. And then reacted to the chemotherapy. And then was admitted with pneumonia. And then c. difficile diarrhea. And then c. diff again. But whenever we checked in with him, he reported, “I'm doing great!” He could not wait to return to treatment, informing me, “We're going to lick this, Doc!” Of course I asked him if he wanted to know prognosis, and of course he said no, because he was going to do great. He trusted that his radiation oncologist and I would be giving him the absolute best treatment for his cancer, and we did. In the end, weak and worn out and in pain, with cancer in his lungs and lymph nodes and liver and even growing through his skin, he knew he was not doing great. But he remained thankful, because we had done our best for him. Our best just wasn't enough. While it can overlap with hope, optimism involves a general expectation of a good future, whereas hope is a specific desire or wish for a positive outcome. Research has shown that for patients with cancer, maintaining optimism or hope can lead to better quality of life.1,2 As an oncologist, I am in favor of anything that helps my patients live longer and better, but sometimes I also wonder if there is any real cause for optimism, because the odds of living at all with advanced cancer are just so bad. From 2013 to 2019, the 5-year relative survival rate for people with stage III lung cancer was 28%. For stage IV disease, it was just 7%.3 Immunotherapy and targeted treatments have improved outcomes somewhat, but the chances for most patients of living more than a couple of years after being diagnosed remain low. Even with our best treatments, there seems to be more reason for despair than optimism. Yet here was my patient and his persistent optimism, his faith in treatment to give him a good future, and my hope that he was right, even when I knew he was probably wrong. What drives this belief in a good future, a better future, in the face of such a rotten present? Optimism as a word and a philosophy emerged in the 18th century in the work of German thinker Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz. As it was for my patient, optimism served as a way to negotiate the problem of human suffering.  Attempting to explain how a perfect, omniscient, and loving God could allow so much suffering, imperfection, and evil, Leibniz argued that God has already considered all possibilities and that this world is the best of all possible worlds. Leibniz did not mean that this world is some sort of a utopia; rather, the God-given freedom to choose to do good or evil, and even our vulnerable aging bodies, are good in themselves.4 If my patient were Leibniz, his optimism about his cancer could be explained by an acceptance that everything happens for a reason, his suffering somehow part of a larger whole, selected by God as the best possible way to the greatest good.  But while Mr L did take his diagnosis and various complications in stride, a belief that it was all for the best did not seem to be at the core of his optimism. Nor, in the end, did he reject his optimism, as the French philosopher Voltaire would have him do. Voltaire famously skewered Leibniz's optimism in his 1759 novel Candide, in which Candide, having been raised on Leibniz' philosophy, is kicked out into the cold, cruel world, where not just he, but everyone around him, suffers horribly and unremittingly, such that at one point, he cries, “If this is the best of all possible worlds, what must the others be like?” Whatever Voltaire's satire in favor of empirical knowledge and reason did to Leibniz's philosophy, it did not kill optimism itself. Scientific optimism, in the form of progressivism, the idea that science and our future could only get better and better, flourished in the nineteenth century. Certainly, life for many did improve with scientific advancements in everything from medicine to telephones to airplanes. With this brightness, though, came a deepening shadow, a tension heightened by the experience of chemical warfare and shellshock in World War I. Instead of better living through chemistry, science provided the means for horrifically more efficient death. The assimilation of science to the service of evil soon culminated in the vile spread of eugenics, racism, and mass murder. Like Candide, pretty much everyone in the 21st century must be wondering if we do not live in the worst of all possible worlds. And yet, when it came down to it, what else could my patient hold onto if not optimism that science would save his life? As I continued to reflect on Mr L's response to his illness, I realized that I had unconsciously already stumbled on Mr L's type of optimism, or rather its popular culture archetype. One day, when he was getting his chemotherapy in an isolation room due to his recent COVID infection, I passed by the glass window. I waved, and he waved back. Then, I put my hand up to the glass, fingers separated in the Vulcan salute. He laughed, and waved again. The scene, for non-Star Trek fans, is from the movie The Wrath of Khan. The Vulcan, Spock, too is in glass-walled isolation, dying of radiation poisoning, after having sacrificed himself to save the ship and its crew. He and Captain Kirk connect through the glass with the Vulcan salute, as Spock tells his friend, “Live long, and prosper.” Later, Mr L told me that he had never been able to do the Vulcan salute and that he was not especially a Star Trek fan, though he had watched it years ago with his kids. But he loved this private joke we had, flashing this sign to me whenever we met, laughing when he could not make his fingers part properly. Star Trek epitomizes optimism for the future, arising as it did in the context of the Space Race to the Moon. Set in the 23rd century, Star Trek reveals that humans have finally learned the error of their ways: nuclear warfare, racism, and poverty are all things of the past, as are most diseases, ameliorated by the advance of science. In the world of Star Trek, medicine is, if not easy, then at least almost always successful. In one episode, the ship's doctor, McCoy, and Spock whip up an antidote to a deadly aging virus. Later, slung back to 1980s San Francisco in Star Trek: Voyage Home, McCoy, aghast at “medieval” 20th-century medicine, gives an elderly woman on dialysis a pill that allows her to grow a new kidney. In the world of Star Trek, cancer, of course, has been cured long ago. My patient's optimism is realized here, in a future that regards 20th-century science as “hardly far ahead of stone knives and bear skins,” as Spock complains in another episode. Star Trek remains popular because, in spite of everything, there endures a deep desire for, if not the best, then at least a better possible world. I'm an oncologist, not a Vulcan, and when it became clear that Mr L was not going to “live long and prosper,” I was frustrated and disappointed. His optimism could no longer sustain my hope. We were not in the idealized world of Star Trek, and I could not heal him with science and technology. Whatever the future of medicine might hold, our best possible treatments were still just “stone knives and bearskins.” Optimism, whether his, mine, or that of science, would not save him. The only optimism that seemed warranted was not for the future, but in the future. At the family meeting to discuss hospice, Mr L sat in a wheelchair, weak and thin, on oxygen, wrapped in a warm blanket. As his family slowly came to realize that their time with him and all that he was to them—father, husband, bedrock—was moving into the past, he seemed to shift from a focus on the future to the reality of now. Gathering his strength, he dismissed their concerns about what his loss would mean to them with a sweep of his arm. Tearful, but not despairing, he instructed his children to support their mother and each other after he was gone. At the end, Mr L's optimism became not about his future, but theirs. His wish was for them to embrace living their own best lives as they entered this new, not better, future, a future without him. A few days later, I visited him in his hospital room while he was waiting to go home with hospice care. He was dozing in the bed, and I hated to wake him. Then he opened his eyes and smiled. We chatted for a bit, but he tired easily. As I prepared to leave, I tried to give him the Vulcan salute one last time. He shook his head and opened his arms. “Give me a hug!” he said. And I did. I would like to thank Mr L's family and the Moving Pens writing group at the Medical College of Wisconsin for their invaluable support. Dr. Lidia Schapira: Hello, and welcome to JCO's Cancer Stories: The Art of Oncology, which features essays and personal reflections from authors exploring their experience in the field of oncology. I'm your host, Dr. Lidia Schapira, Associate Editor for Art of Oncology and a Professor of Medicine at Stanford University. With me today is Dr. Janet Retseck, Assistant Professor of Medicine at the Medical College of Wisconsin and the author of “When the Future is Not Now.”  Dr. Retseck has no disclosures.   Welcome to the show, Janet.  Dr. Janet Retseck: Well, thank you. Thank you for inviting me. Dr. Lidia Schapira: It's our pleasure to have you on. I like to start the conversation by asking authors what is on their night table or if they have a good recommendation for our listeners and colleagues.  Dr. Janet Retseck: Well, I usually read three books at a time—one book of short stories, one book of nonfiction, and one novel. And right now I'm reading Elizabeth Hand's book of short stories, Last Summer at Mars Hill. I am reading Dr. Rachel Remens' Kitchen Table Wisdom because I work with The Healer's Art, and I found this book misplaced, and I thought, "Oh, my, I should read that." And I'm reading a novel called The Donut Legion by Joe Landsdale. And I bought this because I liked the title, and I am very hopeful that it involves a group of people using donuts to fight evil.  Dr. Lidia Schapira: How interesting. I look forward to listening and hearing more about that.   Let me start by asking a little bit about your motivation for writing this essay. I mean, we often write to process difficult experiences, and then what leads many authors to want to share it and publish it is that there is a message or that something was particularly impactful. And I was struck by the fact that you start by sharing with us that you took care of Mr. L, the patient, and the story some time ago, several years ago. So what about Mr. L sort of left a deep impression with you, and if there is one, what is the message and what drove you to write this story? Dr. Janet Retseck: Mr. L and I connected right away when he came to my clinic. At that time, he did have a curable lung cancer, but everything that could go wrong did go wrong. Yet he had a dispositional optimism. He always told us, no matter what was going on, "I'm doing great,” just like that. When he died, I had a lot of grief around that. And at that time, I thought I would perhaps write about that grief and whether I had any right to that grief. And so I opened up a software that allows mind mapping, and I just looked at it last night in preparation for this interview. And on one side, it has all the things that I cared about and connected with Mr. L, and on the other, there's this bright purple line going with big letters "Do Better."  Then I reflected again on our connection with the Vulcan “Live long and prosper,” and how ironic it was that that's what one of our connections was. And yet he was not living long and prospering, and nothing about that over-the-top optimism of Star Trek had happened at all with all the medicine that I was able to give him. And that's where it came together.  Dr. Lidia Schapira: Let's talk a little bit about that Vulcan salute. My digging around a little bit led me to understand that it was Leonard Nimoy who introduced that and that it's really a representation of a Hebrew letter, Shin. So how did you and Mr. L come up with a Vulcan salute? What did it mean to you? It's very moving how you tell us about it and what it symbolized. And so I just want to give you a chance to tell our listeners a little bit more about that. Dr. Janet Retseck: Well, there was a point during his chemoradiation when Mr. L developed the COVID infection, and radiation oncology wanted to continue with radiation, and he wanted to continue with chemotherapy. And everything we knew at the time, we felt it would be safe to do so because it's a pretty low dose. It's just radio-sensitizing. But anyone getting chemotherapy in our infusion center had to be in an isolation room. And this has a glass window. And I was walking past, and I saw him in there, and I kind of goofed around with him. The scene from the movie Wrath of Khan came to me, where Spock is in an isolation room, and Kirk connects with him through the glass. Spock is dying, and Kirk doesn't want him to die, and they give the Vulcan salute to each other through the glass. And of course, he couldn't quite do it. He knew what I was doing. He watched Star Trek in the past, but he wasn't especially a fan. But after that, that was our thing. Whenever he came in, he was trying, he was struggling to push his fingers apart. That was one of the ways we just connected with each other, to signal our affection for each other. Dr. Lidia Schapira: There is a lot of affection here. When I finished reading it, I read it several times, but I just thought the word "love" came to mind. There's so much love we feel for patients. We often don't quite say the word because we have these weird associations with love as something that's forbidden, but that's what this feels like, and that's the origin for our grief. I mean, we've really lost a loved one here as well. Mr. L sounds incredibly special, even in that last scene where he wants his family to imagine a future without him. So tell us a little bit about your reflections from what you've learned from and with Mr. L about how people who have really no future to live think about their own future and sort of their presence or their memory for those who love them. Dr. Janet Retseck: That's a very complicated question. For Mr. L. I think he was certain he was going to do well, that with all everything that we would be giving him, that he would survive and spend more time with his family and that's what he held onto. And I don't know that it was sort of delusional hope. We get every brand of acceptance and denial as oncologists. We have people coming in with their magic mushrooms, their vitamins, their vitamin C infusions. We have people going down to Mexico for their special secret treatments that have been withheld by pharmaceutical companies. We have people denying altogether that they are sick, coming in with fungating masses. But Mr. L was very different from that. His disposition was "Everything is good and it's going to be good, and I trust you 100%," and that's a big responsibility— is to take the patient's trust and to try to deliver on that. And in some way, my grief when he died was I could not do that in a lot of the ways the medicine world is at now. We break our patients' trust. Dr. Lidia Schapira: That's an interesting way of looking at it, and I sort of would push back a little bit on that. Dr. Janet Retseck: As you should.   Dr. Lidia Schapira: Good. I'm trying to do my job here and say that you shared that you both were disappointed by the limitations of what current medicine can offer, and that's I think where you sort of spin your sort of philosophical and very beautiful reflection on the future. It is my understanding that that's where the title of this piece also comes, that you and Mr. L sort of could bond over his optimism and over the sort of futuristic view that medicine can fix anything until you couldn't. And then you both sort of adapted, adjusted, accepted, and again bonded in a very different way through the bonds of affection and support in presence. So I would not want your readers to think that your heart is broken because you disappointed him because you couldn't cure him, but that your heart is broken, if it was, because you had such affection and respect for him.  I agree with you that he seemed to be well served by his optimism and it was working for him until it wasn't anymore. And I wonder if you could talk a little bit more about how you think about that optimism and hope and acceptance. Dr. Janet Retseck: Well, I should come clean and say I'm an optimist myself. I have to be, as an oncologist. Here we are starting at the very beginning with a patient, a curable intent, or is palliative intent, and we are giving these very harsh drugs, and I am optimistic I am going to do good rather than hurt the patient. And I tell them that right up front, this is what we hope will happen. Optimism really subtends to everything that I do, as well as an oncologist. So I don't mean to say we shouldn't hope, we should not be optimistic about what we can do now, but there's also that tension with the desire to do better always for our patients. Dr. Lidia Schapira: Janet, I was struck by your sort of teaching us about the origin of the word optimism. So, say a little bit more about what led you to go back to thinking about what the word actually means and how your patient illustrated this for you.  Dr. Janet Retseck: Thank you for asking that. It was actually serendipitous because I had settled on the Star Trek motif for thinking about my relationship with Mr. L and Star Trek with all of its optimism about the future, and it just fits so well with Mr. L's disposition. And I thought I need to differentiate that from hope or wishful thinking or magical thinking because it is something very different. So I went to the handy dictionary and looked up optimism, and right there the first definition: optimism is a philosophy developed by Leibniz regarding the best of all possible worlds. In other words, this is the world that is the best possible one of all the possibilities, even with all the suffering and the evil and the pain that we have to deal with. And so I thought, well, maybe I'll learn a little bit more about this Leibniz. I'd heard the phrase ‘best of all possible worlds' before.   I did a little research and I found this wonderful article that I cite in my paper that described Leibniz and his optimistic science. And I thought, well, this is a real way in to thinking about Mr. L and putting into a larger context of optimism versus hope and optimism and its focus on the future. And really that idea of, not that everything that's happening to him is for the best, but it's the best. He got the best, and he very thoroughly believed that he was getting the best treatment, and he was. But my point was that even though it was the best, it wasn't enough yet. So where is that ‘enough' located? And I think it is located in the future, but it's a future we can continue to hope for, and a future I think will come to pass someday. Someday we will not need to be oncologists, just like there don't need to be doctors who treat tuberculosis anymore. Dr. Lidia Schapira: So when my son was very little and he heard me very optimistically also talk about new treatments and so on, he said to me, “Mummy, the day that there's no more cancer, what are you going to do?” If somebody asked you the same question? What do you imagine yourself doing other than being an oncologist? Dr. Janet Retseck: Well, I guess I would go back to being an English professor. Dr. Lidia Schapira: Tell us more about that.  Dr. Janet Retseck: Now, I have let the cat out of the bag. So that little Ph.D. next to my name, I've decided to embrace that - that is in English. And as many people may know, the job market in English is not fantastic. And I've always had a bent toward science and medicine. And when I discovered that it was possible to go back and get my sciences, in part through sheer memorization, I decided to do that. Because what better way to spend ten years of my life than learning how to be a physician? Dr. Lidia Schapira: So in the last minute of the podcast, tell us a little bit about your Ph.D. What is your area of interest, and have you taught? Are you planning to go back to teaching or are you currently teaching? Dr. Janet Retseck: My Ph.D. is more or less in Victorian novel and interpretation, and I taught for 16 or 17 years, mostly community college, some at the Claremont Colleges, mostly composition, and I am teaching right now. This is what I love, being at the Medical College of Wisconsin. It is like I hit a home run coming here because they have a very strong medical humanities program. And when I arrived here, I was directly pointed to the directors of the medical humanities, “Look, here's a Ph.D. in English!” And I thought, “You mean I can do something with this here in medicine?” And so I connected with Bruce Campbell and Art Derse, who were instrumental in bringing narrative medicine to the Medical College of Wisconsin. So I'll be teaching a class of that in narrative medicine in the spring, and I do everything I can to teach the medical students and residents and fellows here at the Medical College of Wisconsin as a VA.  Dr. Lidia Schapira: Well, that was quite a surprise for me. I didn't know that. I knew, reading your essay, that it was beautifully written. Thank you. I was going to ask what your Ph.D. was in, expecting you to tell me something about some branch of science I know nothing about. But this came as a surprise. So I am so glad that you're doing what you're doing. I'm sure your patients and your future students really appreciate it and will appreciate it. So thank you so much, Janet.  And until next time, thank you for listening to JCO's Cancer Stories: The Art of Oncology. Don't forget to give us a rating or review and be sure to subscribe so you never miss an episode. You can find all of ASCO shows at asco.org/podcast.  The purpose of this podcast is to educate and to inform. This is not a substitute for professional medical care and is not intended for use in the diagnosis or treatment of individual conditions.   Guests on this podcast express their own opinions, experiences, and conclusions; guest statements on the podcast do not express the opinions of ASCO. The mention of any product, service, organization, activity, or therapy should not be construed as an ASCO endorsement.  Show Notes:  Like, share and subscribe so you never miss an episode and leave a rating or review. Guest Bio:  Dr. Janet Retseck is an Assistant Professor of Medicine at the Medical College of Wisconsin.

Join us for the next stories and music event in our series with master storyteller Rachel Naomi Remen, MD, and musician/songwriter Karen Drucker. See all of the music and story events with Rachel and Karen on our website, listen on Soundcloud, watch on YouTube, or find us on Apple podcasts and Spotify. Rachel Naomi Remen, MD Rachel is a Professor of Family Medicine at Wright State Boonshoft School of Medicine and the Founder and Founding Director of the Remen Institute for the Study of Health and Illness (RISHI), which was at Commonweal for decades and is currently at Wright State University Boonshoft School of Medicine. She is one of the best known of the early pioneers of wholistic and integrative medicine. As a medical educator, therapist, and teacher, she has enabled many thousands of physicians to find individual meaning and purpose in the practice of medicine and thousands of patients to remember their power to heal. More than 30,000 medical students have completed The Healer's Art, her groundbreaking curriculum for medical students taught at the majority of medical schools in America. A master storyteller and observer of life, her bestselling books, Kitchen Table Wisdom and My Grandfather's Blessings have sold more than 2 million copies and have been translated into 21 languages. Rachel has had Crohn's disease for more than 65 years and her work is a unique blend of the wisdom, strength, and viewpoints of both doctor and patient. Karen Drucker Karen's message is all about healing and love--whether singing one of her positive message songs or sharing stories that are funny, inspiring, and heart opening. She is a keynote speaker, women's retreat facilitator, and entertainer who has recorded 22 CDs of her inspirational music. Karen is also the author of the best selling book Let Go of the Shore: Songs & Stories To Set The Spirit Free. Her chants and songs are used around the world and often help people deal with illness and loss, or help them fill the need to feel more centered for the day. Karen's intention is to make a difference by using her music to open hearts and share a message of hope, acceptance, and love. Find out more about Karen on her website: karendrucker.com Find out more about The New School at Commonweal on our website: tns.commonweal.org. And like/follow our Soundcloud channel for more great podcasts. newschoolcommonweal #commonweal #healingstories #rachelremen #rachelnaomiremen #karendrucker #valentine #fathersday #mothersday

For sixty years, Rachel Naomi Remen has lived with a diagnosis, Crohn's disease, that was considered universally terminal when she was first diagnosed. How did that affect her life? She became a physician who worked with terminal illness, a New York Times bestselling author and a fierce advocate for compassionate medicine. She founded the Institute for the Study of Health and Illness (ISHI) at Commonweal and is also co-founder of the Commonweal Cancer Help Program. She worked with thousands of patients and trained many doctors in healing care. Join us as we talk about her own story and the stories of those she has worked with over many decades. We are all sure to be inspired.

For sixty years, Rachel Naomi Remen has lived with a diagnosis, Crohn's disease, that was considered universally terminal when she was first diagnosed. How did that affect her life? She became a physician who worked with terminal illness, a New York Times bestselling author and a fierce advocate for compassionate medicine. She founded the Institute for the Study of Health and Illness (ISHI) at Commonweal and is also co-founder of the Commonweal Cancer Help Program. She worked with thousands of patients and trained many doctors in healing care. Join us as we talk about her own story and the stories of those she has worked with over many decades. We are all sure to be inspired.

Dr. Rachel Remen, author of Kitchen Table Wisdom, wrote, “When people are talking . . . listen to what they're saying.  Care about it. Don't interrupt.” I clearly remember a situation when I was sharing my distress over my mother's stroke with a friend. My friend asked, “How are you doing?” And I started to […] The post When to Avoid Saying “I Understand” appeared first on Wisdom of the Wounded.

Join us for the next stories and music event in our series with master storyteller Rachel Naomi Remen, MD, and musician/songwriter Karen Drucker. See all of the music and story events with Rachel and Karen on our website, https://tns.commonweal.org , listen on  Soundcloud, YouTube, or find us on Apple podcasts and Spotify. Rachel Naomi Remen, MD Rachel is a Professor of Family Medicine at Wright State Boonshoft School of Medicine and the Founder and Founding Director of the Remen Institute for the Study of Health and Illness (RISHI), which was at Commonweal for decades and is currently at Wright State University Boonshoft School of Medicine. She is one of the best known of the early pioneers of wholistic and integrative medicine. As a medical educator, therapist, and teacher, she has enabled many thousands of physicians to find individual meaning and purpose in the practice of medicine and thousands of patients to remember their power to heal. More than 30,000 medical students have completed The Healer's Art, her groundbreaking curriculum for medical students taught at the majority of medical schools in America. A master storyteller and observer of life, her bestselling books, Kitchen Table Wisdom and My Grandfather's Blessings have sold more than 2 million copies and have been translated into 21 languages. Rachel has had Crohn's disease for more than 65 years and her work is a unique blend of the wisdom, strength, and viewpoints of both doctor and patient. Karen Drucker Karen's message is all about healing and love--whether singing one of her positive message songs or sharing stories that are funny, inspiring, and heart opening. She is a keynote speaker, women's retreat facilitator, and entertainer who has recorded 22 CDs of her inspirational music. Karen is also the author of the best selling book Let Go of the Shore: Songs & Stories To Set The Spirit Free. Her chants and songs are used around the world and often help people deal with illness and loss, or help them fill the need to feel more centered for the day. Karen's intention is to make a difference by using her music to open hearts and share a message of hope, acceptance, and love. Find out more about Karen on her website: karendrucker.com Find out more about The New School at Commonweal on our website: tns.commonweal.org. And like/follow our Soundcloud channel for more great podcasts.

Join us for the next stories and music event in our series with master storyteller Rachel Naomi Remen, MD, and musician/songwriter Karen Drucker. See all of the music and story events with Rachel and Karen on our website, listen on  Soundcloud, watch on YouTube, or find us on Apple podcasts and Spotify. Rachel Naomi Remen, MD Rachel is a Professor of Family Medicine at Wright State Boonshoft School of Medicine and the Founder and Founding Director of the Remen Institute for the Study of Health and Illness (RISHI), which was at Commonweal for decades and is currently at Wright State University Boonshoft School of Medicine. She is one of the best known of the early pioneers of wholistic and integrative medicine. As a medical educator, therapist, and teacher, she has enabled many thousands of physicians to find individual meaning and purpose in the practice of medicine and thousands of patients to remember their power to heal. More than 30,000 medical students have completed The Healer's Art, her groundbreaking curriculum for medical students taught at the majority of medical schools in America. A master storyteller and observer of life, her bestselling books, Kitchen Table Wisdom and My Grandfather's Blessings have sold more than 2 million copies and have been translated into 21 languages. Rachel has had Crohn's disease for more than 65 years and her work is a unique blend of the wisdom, strength, and viewpoints of both doctor and patient. Karen Drucker Karen's message is all about healing and love--whether singing one of her positive message songs or sharing stories that are funny, inspiring, and heart opening. She is a keynote speaker, women's retreat facilitator, and entertainer who has recorded 22 CDs of her inspirational music. Karen is also the author of the best selling book Let Go of the Shore: Songs & Stories To Set The Spirit Free. Her chants and songs are used around the world and often help people deal with illness and loss, or help them fill the need to feel more centered for the day. Karen's intention is to make a difference by using her music to open hearts and share a message of hope, acceptance, and love. Find out more about Karen on her website: karendrucker.com newschoolcommonweal #commonweal #healingstories #rachelremen #rachelnaomiremen #karendrucker #spring #stories #music #healingmusic #healingsong #musicasmedicine

Love is all there is. The love for our friends, our family, our work, our home, our country, and for ourselves. Let's make love our way of life. Rachel Naomi Remen, MD, and Karen Drucker will share songs and stories about living from the heart. See all of the events with Rachel and Karen on our website [ tns.commonweal.org/series/story-music ] Rachel Naomi Remen, MD Rachel is a Professor of Family Medicine at Wright State Boonshoft School of Medicine and the Founder and Founding Director of the Remen Institute for the Study of Health and Illness (RISHI), which was at Commonweal for decades and is currently at Wright State University Boonshoft School of Medicine. She is one of the best known of the early pioneers of wholistic and integrative medicine. As a medical educator, therapist, and teacher, she has enabled many thousands of physicians to find individual meaning and purpose in the practice of medicine and thousands of patients to remember their power to heal. More than 30,000 medical students have completed The Healer's Art, her groundbreaking curriculum for medical students taught at the majority of medical schools in America. A master storyteller and observer of life, her bestselling books, Kitchen Table Wisdom and My Grandfather's Blessings have sold more than 2 million copies and have been translated into 21 languages. Rachel has had Crohn's disease for more than 65 years and her work is a unique blend of the wisdom, strength, and viewpoints of both doctor and patient. Karen Drucker Karen's message is all about healing and love--whether singing one of her positive message songs or sharing stories that are funny, inspiring, and heart opening. She is a keynote speaker, women's retreat facilitator, and entertainer who has recorded 22 CDs of her inspirational music. Karen is also the author of the best selling book Let Go of the Shore: Songs & Stories To Set The Spirit Free. Her chants and songs are used around the world and often help people deal with illness and loss, or help them fill the need to feel more centered for the day. Karen's intention is to make a difference by using her music to open hearts and share a message of hope, acceptance, and love. Find out more about Karen on her website: karendrucker.com Find out more about The New School at Commonweal on our website: tns.commonweal.org. And like/follow our Soundcloud channel for more great podcasts.

It's a time for new beginnings, for releasing the old and claiming greater joy! Master Storyteller Rachel Naomi Remen, MD, and Musician Karen Drucker will share songs and stories about finding the courage to live our best life. Here's to rebirth! Watch or listen to other events with Rachel and Karen on our website, tns.commonweal.org Rachel Naomi Remen, MD Rachel is a Professor of Family Medicine at Wright State Boonshoft School of Medicine and the Founder and Founding Director of the Remen Institute for the Study of Health and Illness (RISHI), which was at Commonweal for decades and is currently at Wright State University Boonshoft School of Medicine. She is one of the best known of the early pioneers of wholistic and integrative medicine. As a medical educator, therapist, and teacher, she has enabled many thousands of physicians to find individual meaning and purpose in the practice of medicine and thousands of patients to remember their power to heal. More than 30,000 medical students have completed The Healer's Art, her groundbreaking curriculum for medical students taught at the majority of medical schools in America. A master storyteller and observer of life, her bestselling books, Kitchen Table Wisdom and My Grandfather's Blessings have sold more than 2 million copies and have been translated into 21 languages. Her new book is The Birthday of the World: A Story About Finding Light in Everyone and Everything (2022). Karen Drucker Karen's message is all about healing and love—whether singing one of her positive message songs or sharing stories that are funny, inspiring, and heart opening. She is a keynote speaker, women's retreat facilitator, and entertainer who has recorded 22 CDs of her inspirational music. Karen is also the author of the best selling book Let Go of the Shore: Songs & Stories To Set The Spirit Free. Her chants and songs are used around the world and often help people deal with illness and loss, or help them fill the need to feel more centered for the day. Karen's intention is to make a difference by using her music to open hearts and share a message of hope, acceptance, and love. Find out more about Karen on her website: karendrucker.com. Find out more about The New School at Commonweal on our website: tns.commonweal.org. And like/follow our Soundcloud channel for more great podcasts.

On today's episode I share about how showing up to your journal is a gift to yourself.  Giving yourself space to process, open up, and work through what is weighing you down gives you an opportunity to lighten the load and feel more joy.     Show Notes: Books near my alter My Grandfathers Blessings by Rachel Naomi Remen, M.D. Kitchen Table Wisdom by Rachel Naomi Remen, M.D. I Am Her Tribe by Danelle Doby Hear Roar by Bryonie Wise Clarity & Connection by Yung Pueblo   Join the conversation over in the free Soul Circle Community https://soulcirclecommunity.mn.co/feed   Let's connect: Instagram - @jbelthoff  Website -  www.jenniferbelthoff.com   Email - jennifer@jenniferbelthoff.com

A player falls and the world holds its collective breath. We make a wish. Jan shares the impact of one of his heroes, Dr. Rachel Naomi Remen, and a lesson in wishes that has changed lives, one that could lift us all.

In a special presentation for the holidays, join us in welcoming Commonweal's own Rachel Naomi Remen, MD, and musician Karen Drucker: two feisty women of a certain age who have been friends for years. We will sing together, hear stories together, and tell some of our own. Bring the people you love and the cat! Rachel Naomi Remen, MD Rachel is a Professor of Family Medicine at Wright State Boonshoft School of Medicine and the Founder and Founding Director of the Remen Institute for the Study of Health and Illness (RISHI), which was at Commonweal for decades and is currently at Wright State University Boonshoft School of Medicine. She is one of the best known of the early pioneers of wholistic and integrative medicine. As a medical educator, therapist, and teacher, she has enabled many thousands of physicians to find individual meaning and purpose in the practice of medicine and thousands of patients to remember their power to heal. More than 30,000 medical students have completed The Healer's Art, her groundbreaking curriculum for medical students taught at the majority of medical schools in America. Her new children's book is The Birthday of the World: A Story about Finding Light in Everyone and Everything. Her bestselling books, Kitchen Table Wisdom and My Grandfather's Blessings have sold more than 2 million copies and have been translated into 21 languages. Rachel has had Crohn's disease for more than 65 years and her work is a unique blend of the wisdom, strength, and viewpoints of both doctor and patient. Karen Drucker Karen's message is all about healing and love–whether singing one of her positive message songs or sharing stories that are funny, inspiring, and heart opening. She is a keynote speaker, women's retreat facilitator, and entertainer who has recorded 22 CDs of her inspirational music. Karen is also the author of the best selling book Let Go of the Shore: Songs & Stories To Set The Spirit Free. Her chants and songs are used around the world and often help people deal with illness and loss, or help them fill the need to feel more centered for the day. Karen's intention is to make a difference by using her music to open hearts and share a message of hope, acceptance, and love. Find out more about Karen on her website: https://www.karendrucker.com/ Find out more about The New School at Commonweal on our website: tns.commonweal.org. And like/follow our Soundcloud channel for more great podcasts.

The conversation of this hour always rises as an early experience that imprinted everything that came after at On Being. Dr. Rachel Naomi Remen is one of the wise people in our world. She trained as a doctor in a generation that understood death as a failure of medicine. Yet her lifelong struggle with Crohn's Disease and her pioneering work with cancer patients shaped her view of life. Becoming whole, she teaches, is not about eradicating our wounds and weaknesses; rather, the way we deal with losses, large and small, shapes our capacity to be present to all of our experiences. That arresting notion, and the distinction Rachel Naomi Remen draws between curing and healing, makes this an urgent offering to our world — of healing we are all called to receive and to give.--YOU ARE INVITED!A Listening Party.Celebrating the first 20 years of On Being with Krista.All are welcome — bring friends and family.Visit onbeing.org/staywithus to register and learn more.--Dr. Rachel Naomi Remen is founder of the Remen Institute for the Study of Health and Illness and a Professor of Family Medicine at the Boonshoft School of Medicine at Wright State University in Ohio. She's also a Clinical Professor Emeritus of Family and Community Medicine at UC San Francisco School of Medicine, that's where she developed “The Healer's Art,” her course for medical students. Her beloved books include Kitchen Table Wisdom and My Grandfather's Blessings. And in September, 2022, she will publish her first book for children: The Birthday of the World: A Story about Finding Light in Everyone and Everything.Find the transcript for this show at onbeing.org.This show originally aired in August 2005.

The conversation of this hour always rises as an early experience that imprinted everything that came after at On Being. Dr. Rachel Naomi Remen is one of the wise people in our world. She trained as a doctor in a generation that understood death as a failure of medicine. Yet her lifelong struggle with Crohn's Disease and her pioneering work with cancer patients shaped her view of life. Becoming whole, she teaches, is not about eradicating our wounds and weaknesses; rather, the way we deal with losses, large and small, shapes our capacity to be present to all of our experiences. That arresting notion, and the distinction Rachel Naomi Remen draws between curing and healing, makes this an urgent offering to our world — of healing we are all called to receive and to give.--YOU ARE INVITED!A Listening Party.Celebrating the first 20 years of On Being with Krista.All are welcome — bring friends and family.Visit onbeing.org/staywithus to register and learn more.--Dr. Rachel Naomi Remen is founder of the Remen Institute for the Study of Health and Illness and a Professor of Family Medicine at the Boonshoft School of Medicine at Wright State University in Ohio. She's also a Clinical Professor Emeritus of Family and Community Medicine at UC San Francisco School of Medicine, that's where she developed “The Healer's Art,” her course for medical students. Her beloved books include Kitchen Table Wisdom and My Grandfather's Blessings. And in September, 2022, she will publish her first book for children: The Birthday of the World: A Story about Finding Light in Everyone and Everything.This interview is edited and produced with music and other features in the On Being episode "Rachel Naomi Remen — How We Live With Loss." Find the transcript for that show at onbeing.org.This show originally aired in August 2005.

Margaret Hann is the Executive Director and Martin Smith is the Clinical Director of Outpatient Services for The Bridge Family Center. www.bridgefamilycenter.org 860-313-1119 margaret@thebridgefamilycenter.org msmith@thebridgefamilycenter.org It was great to sit down and talk with Margaret and Martin! We talked about: The mission of The Bridge Family Center (minute 1) Getting a brand new building (minute 4.40) 3 KEYS (sponsored by West Hartford Lock) to be a great Executive Director (minute 8.04) 3 KEYS (sponsored by West Hartford Lock) to be a great Therapist (minute 10) Our Podcast Sponsors (minute 18.20) Marriage Advice (minute 24) T he Children's Charity Ball on Saturday, April 30th (minute 28) The Hartford St. Patrick's Day Parade (minute 32) Favorite restaurant and 4 dinner guests (minute 38) Crazy Questions sponsored Donut Crazy (minute 43) Importance of Exercise & Routines (minute 54) 50th Podcast Celebration at Playhouse on Park on Tuesday, May 3rd (minute 59.20) Incohearent with Feeney (minute 1.02) Shout outs: Directline Media - www.directlinemediaproductions.com WeHa Brewing and Roasting - www.wehabrewing.com Alpinist on Netflix - www.netflix.com/title/81500204 Kitchen Table Wisdom - www.amazon.com/Kitchen-Table-Wisdom-Stories-Anniversary/dp/1594482098 Margaret's from Michigan - www.michigan.gov/som Martin's from California - https://www.ca.gov/ Podcast Sponsors: Donut Crazy - www.donutcrazy.com The Fix IV - www.thefixivtherapy.com West Hartford Lock - www.westhartfordlock.com Keating Agency Insurance - www.keatingagency.com GastoPark - www.thegastropark.com --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/friendsoffeeney/support

Lissa Rankin, M.D.: "Healing and spirituality should never be a luxury. It should be absolutely equitable for everybody.”  Rankin, a mind-body medicine physician a New York Times bestselling author, joins mbg co-CEO, Jason Wachob, to discuss how spirituality has the power to heal, plus: - How to navigate the paradoxes of healing (~04:07) - The 4 types of intelligence & how to know which one you use most (~14:32) - How to set intentions on your healing journey (~40:27) - Why surrendering is so important for your health (~49:12) - How to become a better self-healer (~01:12:14) Referenced in the episode: - Rankin's newest book, Sacred Medicine. - Rankin's previous titles, Mind Over Medicine, The Fear Cure, and Anatomy Of The Calling. - mbg Podcast episode #133, and #111, with Rankin. - Read more about Larry Dossey and the science of prayer. - Read more about William Bengston, Ph.D., and "image cycling." - Kitchen Table Wisdom, by Rachel Naomi Remen. - mbg Podcast episode #226, with Jeffrey Rediger, M.D. - When The Body Says No, by Gabor Maté, M.D. - Learn more about Rankin's organization, Heal At Last. Enjoy this episode! Whether it's an article or podcast, we want to know what we can do to help here at mindbodygreen. Let us know at: podcast@mindbodygreen.com.

Meg Favreau is a filmmaker, writer, and artist whos worked primarily on animated series for Netflix, Hulu, Warner Brothers Animation, Hasbro, and Mattel. In 2020, her short film Hot Dog Steering Wheel won Best Short Short at the Fort Myers Film Festival. Meg has also worked in food writing, often focusing on weird and forgotten recipes. In 2011, she published the cookbook Little Old Lady Recipes: Comfort Food and Kitchen Table Wisdom. Her essays have appeared in The New Yorker's Shouts and Murmurs, Real Simple, Eating Well, McSweeney's, and The American Bystander. 

Amar Atma is a Board-Certified Chaplain who has specialized training to create peace and joy amidst the most challenging situations. Amar Atma is also a grief coach helping those who seek relief and peace. Because of his background in the hospital setting, he has a special connection to working with nurses and physicians, leading mind-body resilience presentations and events using his training in TCM & life coaching to create peace of mind amidst the challenges they faced together.Chaplains are trained in the art of presence and the power of transformation that can come from deep listening and spiritual reflection, but I truly believe that he was born with these gifts.  Amar Atma shifted my own trajectory back in our grad school days  and I am so thrilled to share this conversation with you. This conversation is important for people who play a supportive role to other humans and for anyone who has experienced a loss and is feeling an incomplete loop in the cycle. What You'll Learn in this Episode: The importance of advocacy and safety in trauma-informed containers of careThe necessary work of co-regulation for hospital staff and other humans who work in service of others What trauma is and why we need to integrate experiences from the Body levelGrief as a process of honour and love and how it can mutate if left unattendedThe distortion of  “good vibes only”References: “Kitchen Table Wisdom”  Rachel Naomi Remen, MD “Clinical Applications of The Polyvagal Theory”  Stephen W. Porges “The Body Keeps the Score”  Bessel Van der Kolk “On Death and Dying“  Elisabeth Kubler Ross, MD  “Daring Greatly”  Brene Brown Ph.D LMSW “Healing through the Dark Emotions”  Miriam Greenspan Your Speakers:Kat Lee  is an Intimacy + Relationship Coach, host of The Empowered Curiosity Podcast and Creator of The Heart Lab. She guides pattern-breakers to alchemize their emotions and embody their healing journey to cultivate intimacy as a spiritual practice. Kat Lee's Website // InstagramAmarAtma is a Board Certified Chaplain through the Spiritual Care Association (2018), with 4 units of Clinical Pastoral Education (2015), Ordination with Sikh Dharma International (2012), and a Master's Degree in Traditional Chinese Medicine (2011). AmarAtma has extensive training in end of life care with speciality certifications in Advanced Palliative Care Chaplaincy, Crisis and Prevention Intervention, Critical Incident Stress Management, and Communication and Optimal Resolution.AmarAtma's Website //Instagram //LinkedinThis podcast is made possible with sound production by Andre Lagace.Support the show (https://www.patreon.com/user?u=34245616)

Welcome back to the Two Much Lyme Podcast! On today's episode, Julia and Maddy take you through some of their favorite books for hard times in healing. They talk all things from memoirs to fiction. Let's face it, chronic illness is not easy, but finding words that resonate can be such a relief. If you are searching for that comfort or your next great read this is the perfect episode! Glennon Doyle's, Untamed, and Dr. Rachel Naomi Remen's, Kitchen Table Wisdom, top the list!

The Learning Community Series at The New School Join TNS host Steve Heiig with two long-time members of the Commonweal community, Rachel Naomi Remen, MD, and Marion Weber. Rachel is a master story-teller and co-founder of the Commonweal Cancer Help Program. She is the author of Kitchen Table Wisdom and My Grandfather's Blessing, both international best-sellers. Marion is a pioneer of the healing arts movement, a long-time sand tray practitioner in the Commonweal Cancer Help Program, the inventor of group sand tray, and a deep seer into the wisdom and mystery traditions. Rachel Naomi Remen: Rachel is a Professor of Family Medicine at Wright State Boonshoft School of Medicine and the Founder and Founding Director of the Remen Institute for the Study of Health  and Illness (RISHI), which was at Commonweal for decades and is currently at Wright State University Boonshoft School of Medicine. She is one of the best known of the early pioneers of wholistic and integrative medicine. As a medical educator, therapist, and teacher, she has enabled many thousands of physicians to find individual meaning and purpose in the practice of medicine and thousands of patients to remember their power to heal. More than 30,000 medical students have completed The Healer’s Art, her groundbreaking  curriculum for medical students taught at the majority of medical schools in America. A master storyteller and observer of life, her bestselling books, 

Part of The Learning Community Series at The New School “There are some experiences,” Brother David Steindl-Rast once said, “where only poems can carry the freight.” The myths of original peoples were often chanted and held in memorized poems. The great religious and spiritual texts are often poems. Join Rachel Naomi Remen and New School Host Michael Lerner in the next conversation in The Learning Community series as they share some of the poems (and sayings) that they live by. Share the poems and sayings that inspire you. Rachel Naomi Remen, M.D., is a Professor of Family Medicine at Wright State Boonshoft School of Medicine and the Founder and Founding Director of the Remen Institute for the Study of Health and Illness (RISHI), which was at Commonweal for decades and is currently at Wright State University Boonshoft School of Medicine. She is one of the best known of the early pioneers of wholistic and integrative medicine. As a medical educator, therapist, and teacher, she has enabled many thousands of physicians to find individual meaning and purpose in the practice of medicine and thousands of patients to remember their power to heal. More than 30,000 medical students have completed The Healer’s Art, her groundbreaking curriculum for medical students taught at the majority of medical schools in America. A master storyteller and observer of life, her bestselling books, Kitchen Table Wisdom and My Grandfather’s Blessings have sold more than 2 million copies and have been translated into 21 languages. Dr. Remen has had Crohn’s disease for more than 65 years and her work is a unique blend of the wisdom, strength, and viewpoints of both doctor and patient.

Welcome to Episode #19. This is season 2 of 'Sharing Life Lessons'. A podcast that brings you stories from around the world to have fun with and to learn from because stories inspire, stories teach, and stories heal! To support the creation of this podcast please go to https://anchor.fm/sharinglifelessons, hit the support button with the dollar sign to sign up for a monthly subscription for an amount of your choice. This will enable me to continue creating and enhancing Season 2. The target audience for this episode is EVERYONE I am delighted to bring you our guest for this episode. David Sampson is an intuitive coach. During the journey of transformation there are times when we bump up against stuff and don't know what it is. David is able to read you and recreate what is going on. This gives you the freedom to either choose what you are doing or to create something new. Email address to contact : davidhsampson@gmail.com OR Contact David Hugh Sampson via messenger in face book Books suggested by David: 1. Science of Mind by Ernest Holmes, and 2. Think and Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill The passage that was read in conclusion was from the book titled Kitchen Table Wisdom, Stories That Heal by Rachel Naomi Remen, MD I will return with episode #20, the last episode of season 2 of 'Sharing Life Lessons' next Wednesday. Until then, 'Stay safe, be happy and be well'. Podcast links: Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/sharing-life-lessons/id1495248815?uo=4 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1EZMzRw1cWMyvSiyeeyTRd Anchor.fm: https://anchor.fm/sharinglifelessons Google Podcasts: https://www.google.com/podcasts?feed=aHR0cHM6Ly9hbmNob3IuZm0vcy9mNWY1YjkwL3BvZGNhc3QvcnNz https://sharinglifelessons.buzzsprout.com/ --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/sharinglifelessons/support

Join us for this webinar from The Learning Community series at The New School at Commonweal, this time with Host Michael Lerner and Rachel Naomi Remen, MD. Rachel is a long-time part of the Commonweal family and co-founder of the Commonweal Cancer Help Program—as well as a master story teller and author of best selling books Kitchen Table Wisdom and My Grandfather’s Blessings. During the webinar, Rachel read a quote from Vaclav Havel, from Disturbing the Peace (pp. 181-182). https://www.vhlf.org/havel-quotes/disturbing-the-peace/ Rachel Naomi Remen, M.D., is a Professor of Family Medicine at Wright State Boonshoft School of Medicine and the Founder and Founding Director of the Remen Institute for the Study of Health and Illness (RISHI), which was at Commonweal for decades and is currently at Wright State University Boonshoft School of Medicine. She is one of the best known of the early pioneers of wholistic and integrative medicine. As a medical educator, therapist, and teacher, she has enabled many thousands of physicians to find individual meaning and purpose in the practice of medicine and thousands of patients to remember their power to heal. More than 30,000 medical students have completed The Healer’s Art, her groundbreaking curriculum for medical students taught at the majority of medical schools in America. A master storyteller and observer of life, her bestselling books, Kitchen Table Wisdom andMy Grandfather’s Blessings have sold more than 2 million copies and have been translated into 21 languages. Dr. Remen has had Crohn’s disease for more than 65 years and her work is a unique blend of the wisdom, strength, and viewpoints of both doctor and patient.

In today's episode Aeriol sits down with guest Joan Stutes to discuss how the problems of the World can be solved with Joan's Kitchen Table Wisdom and by moving past "of course" consciousness and into one's own mastery. Guest Bio: Joan Stutes, Kitchen Table Wisdom, started Joan's Lunch Bunch Jan. 2009 as because she believe that if people sat around the kitchen table, the problems of the world would be solved. While the problems of the world remain urgent, pressing and largely unsolved, Joan and her Lunch Bunch Ladies have had a lot of fun.  Designed to encourage entrepreneurial women to  explore  their creative powers and using them in the business world, topics have ranged from Past Life Experiences, Crystal Healing, and  How to Increase Sales.   Joan studied metaphysics through a variety of programs and is currently on track to become Rev. Joan in November with the Universal Church of the Masters, a spiritualist organization. She has done past life readings to help people with their current challenges. Currently she is writing a book, Snippetts, which is a collection of life events and thoughts about life. Called Snippetts because these a short, quick easy recounts. She has previously been included in two collaborative books, and, at one time, sold articles to astrology magazines. Joan worked as a full time Realtor for 30 years and won many top producer awards She is an active member of Toastmasters International earning the Distinguished Toastmaster  award. She helped start three clubs, and  has helped revitalize her current club which moved from the failing list to Select Distinguished Award. At age 75 after two years of very boring retirement, she became an Investment Advisor Representativer, She remains active at age 84, and loves helping people develop a money plan for Adventure now and in the golden years Check out Joan's lunch bunch on Eventbrite if you are in the South SF Bay Area; https://www.eventbrite.com/o/joan-stutes-6706963387   I hope you enjoyed this episode of Healing Body Mind and Soul with Aeriol. Until next time, Happy Healing! Aeriol Ascher, MsD www.AeriolAscher.com www.SomaSoundTherapy.com www.HealingBodyMindandSoul.com  

The wise physician and lyrical author. How our losses actually help us to live. Perfection as the booby prize in life. “Wholeness is never lost, it is only forgotten.” “Stories are the flesh we put on the bones of the facts of our lives.” Listening Generously. Rachel Naomi Remen’s lifelong struggle with Crohn’s disease has shaped her practice of medicine, and she in turn is helping to reshape the art of healing. “The way we deal with loss shapes our capacity to be present to life more than anything else,” she says. And each of us, with our wounds and our flaws, has exactly what’s needed to help repair the part of the world that we can see and touch. Dr. Rachel Naomi Remen is founder of the Remen Institute for the Study of Health and Illness (RISHI), clinical professor of family medicine at UCSF School of Medicine, and professor of family medicine at the Boonshoft School of Medicine at Wright State University. Her beloved books “Kitchen Table Wisdom” and “My Grandfather’s Blessings” have been translated into 24 languages. This interview is edited and produced with music and other features in the On Being episode “Rachel Naomi Remen — The Difference Between Fixing and Healing.” Find more at onbeing.org.

The wise physician and lyrical author. How our losses actually help us to live. Perfection as the booby prize in life. “Wholeness is never lost, it is only forgotten.” “Stories are the flesh we put on the bones of the facts of our lives.” Listening generously. Rachel Naomi Remen’s lifelong struggle with Crohn’s disease has shaped her practice of medicine, and she in turn is helping to reshape the art of healing. “The way we deal with loss shapes our capacity to be present to life more than anything else,” she says. And each of us, with our wounds and our flaws, has exactly what’s needed to help repair the part of the world that we can see and touch. Dr. Rachel Naomi Remen is founder of the Remen Institute for the Study of Health and Illness (RISHI), clinical professor of family medicine at UCSF School of Medicine, and professor of family medicine at the Boonshoft School of Medicine at Wright State University. Her beloved books “Kitchen Table Wisdom” and “My Grandfather’s Blessings” have been translated into 24 languages. Find the transcript for this show at onbeing.org.

During this 40th anniversary year for Commonweal, Michael Lerner, Commonweal Co-Founder, and Rachel Remen, MD, Medical Director of the Commonweal Cancer Help Program, offer the fourth in a series of conversations about Commonweal’s story for The New School. In addition to being the Medical Director of the Commonweal Cancer Help Program for almost 30 years, Rachel directed the Institute for the Study of Health and Illness (ISHI) at Commonweal for 25 years. One of ISHI’s programs, the Healer’s Art, has reached almost 16,000 medical students at medical schools around the world. Rachel is the author of Kitchen Table Wisdom and My Grandfather’s Blessings, best sellers in many languages around the world. Rachel Naomi Remen, MD Rachel is a nationally recognized medical reformer and educator who considers the practice of medicine to be a spiritual path and a path of service. She is internationally acclaimed as one of the earliest pioneers in the Integrative Health movement, and among the first to practice and teach a medicine of the whole person. As a doctor with a 63-year personal history of Crohn’s disease, she brings the perspective of both physician and patient to her pioneering work and her approach to medical education. She is clinical professor of family and community medicine at the University of California San Francisco (UCSF) School of Medicine, clinical professor of community health at Wright State University Boonshoft School of Medicine, founder and director of the Remen Institute for the Study of Health and Illness at Wright State University, and cofounder of the Commonweal Cancer Help Program that was featured in the highly acclaimed Bill Moyers PBS series, Healing and the Mind. Her many groundbreaking curricula enable physicians and other health professionals worldwide to recognize their work as spirit in action, strengthen their calling to heal and renewing their commitment to compassionate service.

Rachel Naomi Remen, MD Trusting the Process: The Basics of Discovery Model Learning ~A Healing Circles and New School Event~ Please join us for this series with Dr. Rachel Remen. She is joined by Commonweal Founder Michael Lerner as well as Healing Circles-Langley Founders Diana and Kelly Lindsay. In part 1 of this series, Michael Lerner introduces the speakers and Healing Circles community. Diana and Kelly Lindsay give an overview of Healing Circles-Langley and the work being done there. Finally, Michael talks about the theory and process work that has been the heart of the Commonweal Cancer Help Program for decades and is the “curriculum” for the Healing Circles programs developing now. In part 2, Rachel gives an overview (and some experiences) of the discovery model curriculum for medical students, The Healer’s Art, which is presently taught annually at more than 80 medical schools in the United States and in seven other countries. Rachel has developed this experiential model to create a community of inquiry in which mutual healing, clarification of deep meaning and values, and personal transformation become accessible. Her discovery model philosophy and curriculum design is integral to the work of Commonweal’s new program, Healing Circles. In part 3, Michael, Rachel, Diana, and Kelly sit together to explore the important pieces of the day, and bring in audience questions. Rachel Naomi Remen, MD Rachel Naomi Remen, MD, is the founder and director of the Institute for the Study of Health and Illness at Commonweal. Rachel has served as medical director of the Commonweal Cancer Help Program for the past 29 years. Her New York Times bestselling books of healing stories, Kitchen Table Wisdom and My Grandfather’s Blessings, have been translated into 22 languages. Rachel is also clinical professor of Family and Community Medicine at University of California San Francisco School of Medicine. Find out more about The New School at tns.commonweal.org.

Rachel Naomi Remen, MD Trusting the Process: The Basics of Discovery Model Learning ~A Healing Circles and New School Event~ Please join us for this series with Dr. Rachel Remen. She is joined by Commonweal Founder Michael Lerner as well as Healing Circles-Langley Founders Diana and Kelly Lindsay. In part 1 of this series, Michael Lerner introduces the speakers and Healing Circles community. Diana and Kelly Lindsay give an overview of Healing Circles-Langley and the work being done there. Finally, Michael talks about the theory and process work that has been the heart of the Commonweal Cancer Help Program for decades and is the “curriculum” for the Healing Circles programs developing now. In part 2, Rachel gives an overview (and some experiences) of the discovery model curriculum for medical students, The Healer’s Art, which is presently taught annually at more than 80 medical schools in the United States and in seven other countries. Rachel has developed this experiential model to create a community of inquiry in which mutual healing, clarification of deep meaning and values, and personal transformation become accessible. Her discovery model philosophy and curriculum design is integral to the work of Commonweal’s new program, Healing Circles. In part 3, Michael, Rachel, Diana, and Kelly sit together to explore the important pieces of the day, and bring in audience questions. Rachel Naomi Remen, MD Rachel Naomi Remen, MD, is the founder and director of the Institute for the Study of Health and Illness at Commonweal. Rachel has served as medical director of the Commonweal Cancer Help Program for the past 29 years. Her New York Times bestselling books of healing stories, Kitchen Table Wisdom and My Grandfather’s Blessings, have been translated into 22 languages. Rachel is also clinical professor of Family and Community Medicine at University of California San Francisco School of Medicine. Find out more about The New School at tns.commonweal.org.

For sixty years, Rachel Naomi Remen has lived with a diagnosis, Crohn's disease, that was considered universally terminal when she was first diagnosed. How did that affect her life? She became a physician who worked with terminal illness, a New York Times bestselling author and a fierce advocate for compassionate medicine. She founded the Institute for the Study of Health and Illness (ISHI) at Commonweal and is also co-founder of the Commonweal Cancer Help Program. She worked with thousands of patients and trained many doctors in healing care. Join us as we talk about her own story and the stories of those she has worked with over many decades. We are all sure to be inspired.

For sixty years, Rachel Naomi Remen has lived with a diagnosis, Crohn's disease, that was considered universally terminal when she was first diagnosed. How did that affect her life? She became a physician who worked with terminal illness, a New York Times bestselling author and a fierce advocate for compassionate medicine. She founded the Institute for the Study of Health and Illness (ISHI) at Commonweal and is also co-founder of the Commonweal Cancer Help Program. She worked with thousands of patients and trained many doctors in healing care. Join us as we talk about her own story and the stories of those she has worked with over many decades. We are all sure to be inspired.

Rachel Naomi Remen, MD, and Christina Puchalski, MD Spiritual Dimensions of End of Life Join Rachel Naomi Remen and Christina Puchalski—two pioneers in the discussion of spirituality in healthcare—in conversation about the spiritual dimensions of the end of life. Christina Puchalski, MD Christina Puchalski, MD, MS, is the executive director of the George Washington Institute for Spirituality and Health, Washington, DC, and a professor of Medicine and Health Sciences at The George Washington University School of Medicine, where she has pioneered novel and effective educational and clinical strategies to address the spiritual concerns common in patients facing illness. She has authored numerous chapters in books and edited and authored a book published by Oxford University Press entitled Time for Listening and Caring: Spirituality and the Care of the Seriously Ill and Dying with a forward by His Holiness, The Dalai Lama. Her work has been featured on numerous print and television media including Good Morning America, ABC World News Tonight, NBC Nightly News, The Washington Post, The New York Times, and the Washington Times. Rachel Naomi Remen, MD Dr. Remen is clinical professor of Family and Community Medicine at the UCSF School of Medicine, a co-founder of the Commonweal Cancer Help Program, and the founder and director of the Institute for the Study of Health and Illness at Commonweal, a post-graduate and undergraduate program for physicians who wish to reclaim their calling and integrate Hippocratic values into their work. She is the author of the New York Times bestseller Kitchen Table Wisdom and the national bestseller My Grandfather’s Blessings. Dr. Remen was recently was recognized with the Bravewell Award as one of the earliest Pioneers of Holistic and Integrative Medicine. She has a 56-year personal history of chronic illness and her work is a unique blend of the perspectives of physician and patient. Find out more about The New School at tns.commonweal.org.

Our SOF First Person series continues with physician Rachel Naomi Remen, author of “Kitchen Table Wisdom.” She sees these fiscally hard times as an opportunity to find our way back to the largeness of our collective story, which is part of the spiritual path we are on as we ask ourselves questions during this economic crisis: What do I trust? What do I really need? Last fall we began to conduct an online conversation parallel to but distinct from our culture’s more sustained focus on economic scenarios. For in each of our lives, whoever we are, very personal scenarios are unfolding that confront us with core questions of what matters to us and what sustains us. We made a list of our guests across the years who we thought might speak to this in fresh and compelling ways. See more at onbeing.org/program/repossessing-virtue-wise-voices-religion-science-industry-and-arts/162

Rev. Dwayne explores the movie Brokeback Mountain and challenges us to move beyond the “brokeback” places in our lives. Scripture: Hebrew 12:1-3, Luke 13:6-9, and a reading from, "Kitchen Table Wisdom," by Rachel Naomi Remen. Movie based on novel, "Close Range: Wyoming Stories," by Annie Proulx.