111: The No. 1 Thing To Ask Yourself When You Can’t Figure Out What’s Wrong With Lissa Rankin

Lissa Rankin, M.D., is the New York Times bestselling author of Mind Over Medicine, The Fear Cure, and The Anatomy of a Calling. She’s a physician, a mystic, and the founder of the Whole Health Medicine Institute. Growing up as the daughter of a physician put Rankin on the traditional Western medicine track and she trained as a physician at Duke University, the University of South Florida, and Northwestern University. After practicing as an OBGYN for eight years in San Diego, she reached an all-time low. She was pregnant with her daughter, sick on seven medications, and overwhelmed by the guilt of not living up to her patient's needs. It wasn’t until she found herself sitting on the floor ready to end her life that she discovered what she calls her inner pilot light. Lissa joined me on the mbgpodcast to discuss this challenging time in her life and how her inner pilot light saved her. At the time, this voice told her to quit her job and she did not know what was next. For two years she felt directionless, but she, ultimately, started her own practice in Marin County, California. She found more and more patients coming to her with mysterious illnesses, but instead trying to solve their conditions simply with prescriptions, Lissa asked questions like “What does your body need to heal?” When her patients started to see positive results, she began researching spontaneous remissions and unpacking the profound impact of self-healing. While physician and mystic may not sound like they go together, Lissa believes the physician is the healer and believes there is immense healing available in the spiritual world if one is willing to access it. Lissa tells real stories of people who healed when they were told they didn’t have a chance. Her blend of expertise in the traditional medical world with experience in the spiritual realm provides a fresh perspective to healing that empowers the patient. Her words will leave you inspired to take your health into your own hands and help you find out how to trust your inner voice. To contact Colleen or Jason with comments, questions, or speaker ideas, please email podcast@mindbodygreen.com. For all sponsorship inquiries, please email sales@mindbodygreen.com. Want to join our podcast email newsletter? Sign up here! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices