Paper short abstract:

Drawing on years of work with indigenous peoples of the Amazon, and of practice as a medical doctor, in this paper the author will discuss and propose a novel way of looking at wellbeing, health and the body, one which also puts forward a new mode of humanity for a sustainable future.

Paper long abstract:

Wellbeing, whatever its definition, necessarily includes the body. What type of body underpins current medical understanding of wellbeing? This paper will discuss critically and challenge conventional medical ideas of body and health. Drawing on years of work with indigenous peoples of the Amazon,and of practice as a medical doctor, the author of this paper will discuss and propose a novel way of looking at the above issues, one which also puts forward a new mode of humanity for a sustainable future. The discussion will also show the relevance of "ancestral" knowledge for this process.