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Essay: Intentional Self Care and Community Connections Can Improve Our Wellbeing

October 17, 2025

Dr. Lorraine Bonner, a retired physician, presents her concept of "Liberatory Health," which integrates traditional western medicine with mindfulness and alternative approaches like meditation and guided imagery. Throughout her medical career, she treated conditions such as hypertension and diabetes while incorporating relaxation techniques and addressing root causes of illness rather than just symptoms. Dr. Bonner believes that illness stems from larger societal issues and coping mechanisms, advocating for community involvement as a pathway to collective well-being.

Who is affected

  • Patients with health conditions such as high blood pressure, diabetes, and various pain issues
  • Community members seeking better health outcomes
  • People suffering from addictions like sugar, tobacco, or alcohol
  • All people collectively, as Dr. Bonner views health as interconnected and a collective right

What action is being taken

  • Community members are working for liberation in various capacities, including running for office, providing food assistance, volunteering in schools and hospitals
  • People are studying liberation movements, working in community gardens, practicing restorative justice, creating liberation art, mentoring youth, and apprenticing young people
  • Dr. Bonner is sharing her philosophy of "Liberatory Health" to encourage a more comprehensive approach to wellness
  • Compassionate humans are finding others and working together to build a better world

Why it matters

  • The approach addresses not just disease symptoms but aims to dismantle conditions that cause illness
  • It recognizes health as connected to environmental, mental, and emotional factors
  • Dr. Bonner suggests that overcoming "spiritual disorder" and working collectively offers a path to liberation and true health
  • A more compassionate world would result in better health for everyone
  • The article presents health and well-being as collective rights rather than individual responsibilities

What's next

  • No explicit next steps stated in the article

Read full article from source: The San Diego Voice & Viewpoint

Essay: Intentional Self Care and Community Connections Can Improve Our Wellbeing