Doctor, healer, and author of the Coyote Medicine, part of the Coyote trilogy, Lewis Mehl-Madrona looks at healing through the lens of Lakota, Cherokee and Cree traditions as well as how these practices collide with traditional medicine. He earned his medical degree from Stanford University and has taught at a number of universities, including Maine Dartmouth, Union Institute and University, the University of Hawaii, the University of Saskatchewan and the University of Pittsburgh, along with his alma mater. He has authored over one-hundred academic papers and has held positions in hospitals as well as complimentary healthcare organizations. Lewis’s work focuses on the role of narrative and imagery in healing.
Lewis joins me today to discuss the power of indigenous wisdom and why he believes that people must be aware of the real history of indigenous people in this nation. He shares insights surrounding his creative process as an author, and why it is crucial to be disciplined in your writing instead of waiting for the inspiration to hit. Lewis also highlights several books and authors who have had a profound impact on him and his advice for writers seeking to improve their craft.
“Freedom comes from service. It’s not an ‘all for me and none for you’ freedom. It’s a collective freedom.” – Lewis Mehl-Madrona
This week on The School for Good Living Podcast:
- Why indigenous wisdom has the power to change the world
- How indigenous people embrace the bio-psycho-social-spiritual model of healing
- The concept of freedom in indigenous culture, and how it differs from western culture
- Why awareness matters in understanding the social/cultural dynamic in this country and what people can do to improve prejudice and heal historical wounds
- The importance of coming to terms with the truth of genocide and broken promises
- Where people can begin with becoming more historically aware and the impact Lewis believes this would have
- The importance of radical acceptance when it comes to healing relationships
- The role that money can play in supporting life experiences
- Lewis’s book writing process and why he feels sharing his ideas through writing is important
- The dynamic between Lewis and his wife when co-authoring books
- Who has been influential in Lewis’s development as a writer, and what he learned from them
- Why Lewis considers Milton Erickson to be one of his heroes
- How Lewis writes balances his writing with his other work
- What Lewis feels is a reasonable daily word count in the book-writing process and his advice for aspiring writers
- Why you shouldn’t wait for inspiration to begin working towards your creative goals and the worst input that writers typically receive
Resources Mentioned:
- Coyote Medicine by Lewis Mehl-Madrona
- Coyote Healing by Lewis Mehl-Madrona
- Coyote Wisdom by Lewis Mehl-Madrona
- Remapping Your Mind by Lewis Mehl-Madrona and Barbara Mainguy
- A People’s History of the United States by Howard Zinn
- The Inconvenient Indian by Thomas King
- A Short History of Indians in Canada by Thomas King
- Ceremony by Leslie Marmon Silko
- Coyote Blue by Christopher Moore
- The Lone Ranger and Tonto Fistfight in Heaven by Sherman Alexie
- My Voice Will Go With You by Milton Erickson
- The Creative Habit by Twyla Tharp
- Finite and Infinite Games by James P. Carse
- Thomas King
- Keith Sawyer
- Kiva
Connect with Lewis Mehl-Madrona:
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