I worked at the Haight-Ashbury Free Medical Clinic from 1986 until 2001. With the exception of the medical director and a few nurse practitioners and physician assistants, the providers–psychologists, chiropractors, acupuncturists, podiatrists, physical and massage therapists, and a variety of medical specialists—were all volunteers. Read the rest of this entry »
The Haight Ashbury Free Medical Clinic: Radical Healing/Radical Healers
April 29, 2012
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Cultural Studies, History of Medicine, Integral Healing, Memoir, Philosophy of Health and Healing | 
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Re-Visioning Health and Healing, Part Two: A Systems Approach
April 3, 2012I just finished reading The End of Illness, a provocative new book by David Agus, MD. Agus is a medical oncologist and a leading cancer researcher. The focus of his research has been the varied mechanisms of cancer development.
One of the simple, profound conclusions he reaches, is that we must stop thinking about cancer as a “thing” to be cut out or poisoned, but as a pathological systemic process. Cancer, he believes, should be seen as a verb. We don’t just “have cancer.” Instead, we “cancer”. Read the rest of this entry »
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NAMM 2012: An Ergonomic Round-Up
January 30, 2012Once a year, in the Anaheim Convention Center, the National Association of Music Manufacturers (NAMM) provides space for the creators of musical instruments, amplifiers, recording equipment and every imaginable music accessory to display and demonstrate their newest wares. As a long-time bass player and a bit of a gear head, I was excited to finally be attending this legendary trade show. Read the rest of this entry »
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Integrative Care for Musicians: Upper Extremity Injuries
November 14, 2011Rockers play hard. Think of Pete Townsend and his windmill power chords, of Jerry Lee Lewis frenetically pounding the keys. We all love the sound and feel of that hard driving energy. But the physical effects on players can be significant. Repetitive stress injuries to shoulders, arms, and hands can stop a player in his or her tracks with debilitating pain and/or numbness. Read the rest of this entry »
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Re-Visioning Health and Healing, Part One: A Shifting Landscape
September 30, 2011As most of us know, we Americans are a mess—overworked, overweight, and stressed out. In addition to the increased demands of our technologically fueled lives and their damaging effects on our wellbeing, we have a health care system in free fall. In one generation we have seen a shift from low cost, comprehensive coverage to $3000 deductibles, low quality HMOs and escalating numbers of people without any insurance at all. Altogether, these developments have damaged health care outcomes and changed the trust relationships between patients, doctors, employers, and health insurance carriers. Read the rest of this entry »
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Rock and Roll Ergonomics, Part Three: The Studio
July 10, 2011It’s one AM. You’ve been in “Logic”, laying down beats, working the midi since 10, creating your latest masterpiece. Lost in the music, the creeping pain in your neck reminds you that it’s time to stand up and move around. Read the rest of this entry »
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Travel, Fear, and Misperception: Burma as Destination and Metaphor
April 13, 2011I first traveled to Burma in 1996, Co-Leading an educational tour with a group of eighteen students from New College of California. Burma had just opened to the West after thirty years and Aung San Suu Kyi, the democratically elected President, who had been under house arrest by the Military Regime since her election in 1988, had just been released. Read the rest of this entry »
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Norm and Normal: The Social Construction of Health
February 16, 2011You go for your yearly medical check up. The doctor listens to your heart and feels your pulse. Your blood is drawn and your blood pressure is taken. Looking at the sphygmomanometer (blood pressure cuff), she reports a number: 120/80. “Perfect”, she says and when your lab results come in showing all of your serum levels falling within the normal range, you are declared healthy and told to return in a year for another evaluation. Read the rest of this entry »
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The Sound of Healing
January 7, 2011I relaxed at Philz, my local cafe, sinking into a soft leather couch, taking in a fine selection of indie rock, and enjoying some very strong coffee. As I sipped on a tall Tesora, I daydreamed about the trip I’d soon be taking to Peru. I was excited, but at the same time troubled by a pain I was feeling. I knew its source. A deep wound inflicted by someone whom I thought was a friend. He had stolen something from me, something real and material, but also something more…vital. It felt as if this “friend” had made off with a piece of my heart. But knowing this did nothing to relieve the ache. I wrote furiously in my journal about the injury of betrayal and about my need for some kind of healing and that maybe I’d find it in Peru. I didn’t really understand why I thought this might be so. Read the rest of this entry »
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Peru and the Power of Mindful Travel
November 14, 2010Flying out of San Francisco, I imagined that all of my worries would simply disappear when I took off for the “mystical” land of Peru. I had recently been through a few travails, including an emotional business divorce and looked forward to some relief. But instead, I became aware that they traveled with me, like close friends who would not say goodbye. With this distressing realization, coupled with the frustration of having my plane ticket canceled for the flight out of Lima, I finally arrived in Cusco, irritated and exhausted. Read the rest of this entry »
5 Comments | Cultural Studies, Mindfulness, Philosophy of Health and Healing, Travel | Permalink
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