The Six Principles of Naturopathy Part 4 – Doctor as Teacher
“Doctor” as Teacher
Educate patients in the steps to achieving and maintaining health
Do you know where the word ‘doctor’ comes from?
In my naturopathic education, I learned that naturopaths function primarily as educators―no different from the dedicated schools who span the globe.
We are tireless in our efforts to educate, because it is only in the transmission of the right knowledge of self-care that the patient can contribute to their healing.
This must be the case for health and happiness to emerge. For health is a symptom―an effect―of doing the right things (and knowing what those “right things” are).
The word ‘doctor’ comes from the Latin ‘docere’, which means ‘to teach’. To doctor someone is to teach someone something valuable. We are all doctors to some degree in the true spirit of the word―by teaching something valuable to someone that helps them improve their lives, with the sole condition that it does not harm anyone else.
This brings to the forefront the principle of self-care.
We will harm ourselves in one of two ways: either through ignorance of the fundamentals of proper living, or through willful blindness and disobedience.
Either way will manifest ill health and disease.
There’s not much a provider can do when the patient’s attitude is a refusal of self-care. But, when a person doesn’t even know what to do, that’s when the doctoring truly takes place.
We teach:
- The right principles of living
- The right balance of nutrients
- The proper balance of work, rest, and play
- The balanced respect of others, and proper rules of discourse
- The importance of introspection through prayer/meditation in our very busy outward lives
- The respect of the nature and her natural seasons with all the wonderful opportunities that each season brings
All in an effort to achieve harmony within ourselves, and our greater relationship to the world beyond.
Breaking these intrinsic rules, again, either through ignorance or willful blindness, gives the same result―disease.
Honoring the rules brings about the qualities that life truly promises―strength, vigor, happiness, optimism, curiosity, joy.
The word ‘doctor’ comes from the Latin ‘docere’, which means ‘to teach’.
A truly effective teacher always possesses the best qualities of the ideal student―receptive, open, and forever dedicated to learning.
As it’s been stated, what you don’t know is more important than what you currently do know; for knowledge is unbounded and should always be expanded.
