38: Natural Hopes, Natural Fallacies (w/Drs Juniper Martin & Adriana Berusch)

Many of us came to yoga and wellness spaces to heal or flee from the alienation of modernity. We wanted something untouched by our cities and factories and labs; something that reminded us of a world we never really knew. “Nature” was in such short supply that we had to invent it to colonize it anew, in exotic lands and mystical beasts: the deer whose antler gave longevity, the cow whose milk strengthened our family bonds. How many of us knew that our fetish for the “natural” could lead towards a consumerist cul-de-sac or fascist ideology?

In this episode we contemplate the meaning, practice, delusions, and hypocrisies of the “natural.” Derek talks to “Sea of Shadows” director Richard Ladkani about how the hunt for Traditional Chinese Medicine remedies has devastated the ecology of Baja California. Julian thinks about the disenchantment of the lab coat and how it drives so many to the warm regard of the “natural healer.”

To find out more about how some practitioners of complementary medicine are attempting to bridge the evidence and ideological gap with conventional care, Matthew interviews Naturopathic Doctor Juniper Martin and fourth-year student Adriana Berusch Gerardino about their efforts with the Naturopathic Alliance to dispel COVID misinformation and to challenge racism in their profession.

Show Notes

Gina Carano fired by Lucasfilm (and publicist and agent) for antisemitic Q-Trump social activity

RFK finally gets deleted by IG

Turn Off Your Mind, Relax—and Float Right-Wing?

Chairman Mao Invented Traditional Chinese Medicine

QAA shines on with Episode 128

Dale Beran’s extraordinary book It Came from Something Awful

Decoding the Gurus launches the Gurometer

Shouting out to Katya Weiss-Anderson of Kumbaya Confessional

Chinese gov and state media boost TCM COVID treatments at home and abroad

Article: Acupuncture Doesn’t Work

Dr. Lad’s kindly but rather banal Ayurveda advice re: COVID (August)

Daniel Moerman, medical anthropologist, on “meaning medicine”