Every New Beginning Comes from Some Other Beginning’s End — Seneca

I’m beginning again.

And just writing those words makes me smile.

Today marks a new chapter in my life and in my medical practice—one rooted in the belief that health starts from within and radiates outward. I’m committing to sharing what I’ve learned (and am still learning) about healing, wholeness, and how we cultivate health—body, mind, and spirit.

This is still prevention, not prescription. It’s still about transforming “sick care” into true health care. But my focus has shifted.

In the past, I wrote as a systems-level advocate, working to reimagine medicine in the U.S. I wrote to influence policy and culture—from championing the Affordable Care Act to calling for sensible public health reforms to reduce gun violence. I told stories from my clinical work to humanize the need for change and to amplify the voices of those often left unheard.

But here’s what I’ve come to know even more deeply:

Health begins inside each of us.

To create a healthier world, we must first tend to our inner landscapes—with compassion, curiosity, and care. We need a new lens—one that sees health not just as the absence of disease, but as a dynamic, evolving state of vitality and resilience.

This is the salutogenic model of medicine.

It asks not “What made me sick?” but “What keeps me well?”

Health doesn’t come from a single intervention. It emerges from the choices we make every day—how we move our bodies, nourish our minds, tend to our relationships, and connect to purpose. It arises when we feel seen, safe, supported, and aligned with the natural rhythms of life.

Through this blog, I’ll be sharing reflections from my integrative family medicine practice, weaving in insights from Ayurveda, yoga, lifestyle medicine, and the lived experiences of the people I work with. My hope is to create a space that celebrates transformation, honors imperfection, and supports others on their journey toward healing and the full expression of themselves—whatever that looks like for them.

Because in this imperfect, beautiful world, we’re all growing into the fullness of our resilient selves.And that’s where the real medicine begins.

Originally published in 2017 and republished in 2025 to mark the relaunch of Dr. Kohar Jones’ integrative medicine blog.