So much to think about here. Thank you for pulling back your lens to take in the bigger picture. While the exposure of these health gurus is a timely and relevant development that is opening our eyes, it’s more important to understand the wider context for what ails us. And you do this so well. It’s both exciting to consider the possibilities, and daunting to comprehend just how enormous the task is. And yet, like most enormous tasks, this one can be approached one small step at a time - changing your personal assumptions, questioning the status quo, advocating for yourself, sharing experiences with other women. Thank you for helping us think through these complex issues.
Thank you for this, Jamie. You articulated the tension so beautifully: both the enormity of what we’re dealing with during this time of disruption on so many levels and the excitement of new possibilities. Thank you for adding such a grounded perspective!
I found this so useful Dr. Heidi! Will share. I listened by audio, your voice is so soothing as well. I trust your acumen as an authentic and authoritative voice in the wellness space. Thank you for sharing your caring heart and wisdom!
Thank you for this thoughtful note Jen! That means a great deal to hear from you. I'm really glad the article was useful. I appreciate you taking the time to share this.
As I read this Dr. Heidi, Tina Turner's "We Don't Need Another Hero" popped into my head.
I appreciated your sharing of how health and wellness has evolved and the challenges of how women have largely been ignored in the models. I knew the percentage of funds spent on women's health was small and many major studies were not optimized for women, but I didn't realize how much.
I think we always have to be our hero and health advocate and carefully consider the source of information you're using.
I'm trying to think if I ever followed a health guru (or influencer). I don't think so. I have an inherent distrust of them. It feels like they're selling snake oil.
Thank you for so beautifully articulating so many of the disconnects in the medical and wellness fields that put everyone at such a disadvantage and potential harm - especially women.
Thank you! I’m grateful it resonated. Your instinct to be skeptical is healthy, especially in a space where confidence can be mistaken for credibility. I hoped to tease apart the structural gaps that create the demand for gurus in the first place. I recently watched "Breath of Fire" a documentary on Kundalini and the last famous guru, a woman. It really stayed with me in terms of how “authority” gets built — and how women can legitimize it as well as be harmed by it. Complex stuff once brought to light, but still better than being in the dark.
That is so interesting, Heidi. My family outsourced their taste to professional decorators who they believed would have more beautiful suggestions for the homes they lived in - and that was probably true in their case. I think that Gurus are more slippery. We assume they achieved a level of spirituality that we can learn from. We can be blinded by even the appearance of such an elevated consciousness.
I just added the documentary to my HBO Max list. Thank you for the recommendation!
So much to think about here. Thank you for pulling back your lens to take in the bigger picture. While the exposure of these health gurus is a timely and relevant development that is opening our eyes, it’s more important to understand the wider context for what ails us. And you do this so well. It’s both exciting to consider the possibilities, and daunting to comprehend just how enormous the task is. And yet, like most enormous tasks, this one can be approached one small step at a time - changing your personal assumptions, questioning the status quo, advocating for yourself, sharing experiences with other women. Thank you for helping us think through these complex issues.
Thank you for this, Jamie. You articulated the tension so beautifully: both the enormity of what we’re dealing with during this time of disruption on so many levels and the excitement of new possibilities. Thank you for adding such a grounded perspective!
I found this so useful Dr. Heidi! Will share. I listened by audio, your voice is so soothing as well. I trust your acumen as an authentic and authoritative voice in the wellness space. Thank you for sharing your caring heart and wisdom!
Thank you for this thoughtful note Jen! That means a great deal to hear from you. I'm really glad the article was useful. I appreciate you taking the time to share this.
As I read this Dr. Heidi, Tina Turner's "We Don't Need Another Hero" popped into my head.
I appreciated your sharing of how health and wellness has evolved and the challenges of how women have largely been ignored in the models. I knew the percentage of funds spent on women's health was small and many major studies were not optimized for women, but I didn't realize how much.
I think we always have to be our hero and health advocate and carefully consider the source of information you're using.
I'm trying to think if I ever followed a health guru (or influencer). I don't think so. I have an inherent distrust of them. It feels like they're selling snake oil.
Thank you for so beautifully articulating so many of the disconnects in the medical and wellness fields that put everyone at such a disadvantage and potential harm - especially women.
Thank you! I’m grateful it resonated. Your instinct to be skeptical is healthy, especially in a space where confidence can be mistaken for credibility. I hoped to tease apart the structural gaps that create the demand for gurus in the first place. I recently watched "Breath of Fire" a documentary on Kundalini and the last famous guru, a woman. It really stayed with me in terms of how “authority” gets built — and how women can legitimize it as well as be harmed by it. Complex stuff once brought to light, but still better than being in the dark.
That is so interesting, Heidi. My family outsourced their taste to professional decorators who they believed would have more beautiful suggestions for the homes they lived in - and that was probably true in their case. I think that Gurus are more slippery. We assume they achieved a level of spirituality that we can learn from. We can be blinded by even the appearance of such an elevated consciousness.
I just added the documentary to my HBO Max list. Thank you for the recommendation!