03/31/2026
“The condition of modernity and tragedy are based on two things: separation from nature and distrust of our emotions.”
~ Stephen Toulmin
This quote was introduced to me in my first semester of acupuncture school by one of my favourite teachers, Peter Conway. It resonated immediately.
At the time, I was already starting to recognize the ways I had become disconnected from my body, from my environment, and from my own emotional landscape. Reading these words confirmed something I already knew but hadn’t fully named and acted as a recalibration in a sense. The quote comes from Cosmopolis by Stephen Toulmin, a book that looks at how we’ve come to think and live the way we do.
In my home clinic, I have a vintage message board where I share quotes like this. Words that have guided me through different chapters of my life. You could call me impressionable, but I can point to more than a few phrases that have quietly shaped the decisions I’ve made, and the direction I’ve taken.
Some stay up for a few days, others for a few weeks. However long it takes.
Because the ones that matter usually aren’t one-time insights, they’re reminders I need to come back to, again and again.
I’ll be sharing more of these from my clinic as they go up. What are some of your favourite quotes?