Osteopathic Health Access

This post is a commentary on the audio text “The Clinician’s State of Mind” by Dr. James Jealous.

Many of the lectures in this audio series discuss the process that happens as we practice biodynamic osteopathy over time. We learn of the shift from treating biomechanically to biodynamically. We learn of the process of shifting landscapes and rates, in the patient, after they pass through a neutral state. We hear about different levels of stillness which emerge in a treatment.

In this lecture, Dr. Jealous steps away from the process and into the mind of the clinician. He discusses the developmental changes that happen to the doctor who practices biodynamically. Whether you are new to the biodynamic model, or have been practicing for years, you have probably recognized that this practice is one that will happen to you, and through you – it is not just a set of skills to pick up. I think you’ll find that most of us who stick with the study this work are here because we want this personal growth.

As with many of Dr. Jealous’s earlier lectures, there are warnings in this one- you should have a teacher, and you should be aware that your ego may be getting in the way. Also, if you are pretty sure you know something, like the Long Tide, you might be getting ahead of yourself… it takes time to really know, and in the end, it’s not up to you, it’s up to the Tide to transform you so you can really experience it. And finally, don’t expect the shift that happens to be one that is fixed – you will move between faster and slower rates, or different states of mind over time. Again, if you make an assessment that you’ve arrived, you are being controlled by your ego and you might want to take a breath and just wait a while.

What are we to make of these warnings? Was Dr. Jealous unsure about if he should teach these concepts? Was this a reaction to having had his work stolen by others several times over his years as a teacher? Was he uncomfortable that people who weren’t in osteopathic training with a mentor would try to practice just by listening to the lectures? Perhaps he saw that some long-time students were not growing anymore.

It’s all part of the story. But as with most of his words, if we simply wait and listen more emerges.

Over the years of working with Dr. Jealous I went through periods of time where I could not listen to these lectures. They triggered my insecurities. I was sure those warnings were meant personally for me – I would believe my ego was too large, I was nowhere near “getting it.” I was simply mistaken about anything and everything. The feedback I was getting from Jim was the opposite so I just put the CD’s on a shelf. What I learned, over time, was that my ego and my insecurities were just as dangerous as the one Dr. Jealous described, but mine was telling me I was bad, not good.

As a teacher I have used this recognition to help me understand my students. Each of us has a temperament, a personality, a book of life experiences that flavor how we interact with the world, our patients, the Tide. We have many things in common as humans on the planet, as practitioners on this journey, and many things that make us perceive the world differently. In this instance my ego was doing exactly what Dr. Jealous’s ego had done, but it was hiding in clothing that looked entirely different. Both our egos blocked us from experiencing the transmutation, but mine did it by telling me I was inadequate, and Jim’s told him he was extraordinary. The end result was the same – and required self-examination and patience.

I am grateful beyond words for my time with Dr. Jealous. He was dedicated to osteopathy and to honesty. He was willing to be vulnerable and make mistakes. He generously gave what he had learned and he earnestly hoped that we could carry on learning – not replicating his work, but growing from it into our own. He saw me and waited with me. Only once or twice in the more than 20 years that I worked with him did he point directly at my ego and both times with such love that I experienced it as kindness and not judgement. He managed to teach me by seeing the Health – not correcting the lesions. It’s all we are supposed to do – find the health. In our patients, in our students, around us as well. How many of us really take this on?

Take your time with his words. They are a gift. Listen to the warnings and listen to the compassion and the love. Listen with curiosity and be ready to abandon what you think you know. Find a mentor that sees you and can help you take the next step. Be ready to be transformed.