15/01/2026
At Philani, we find ourselves continually returning to the posture of the scholar — not as a phase, but as a way of being. There is a particular quality to this learning: a sense that we are not only acquiring new knowledge, but remembering something ancient. A reconjuring of memory so deep it feels familiar, as if we are being gently called back to what has always been known.
I am enjoying this dance with memory.
Much of our exploration circles around this theme. Osteopathic principles remind us that the body is a unit, that the body possesses an inherent capacity to heal itself. At its core, this speaks to memory — biological, cellular, relational. When we consider microorganisms as our “ancestors,” the resonance deepens. How could the microbiome not participate in both illness and health, if it is woven into our evolutionary and biological story?
Perhaps our conversations now need to mature beyond the binary of “scientifically proven, therefore real” versus “not proven, therefore dismissed.” Science is not invalid because it has not yet developed the tools to measure greater wisdoms. Equally, the absence of evidence is not evidence of absence. The scientist within us is invited not only to prove, but to listen, observe, and refine our understanding of realities that may be larger than our current frameworks.
It is very human to want to prove a point. Nature, however, has no point to prove — only harmony to restore and sustain. This, for now, is my working hypothesis.
I look forward to this ongoing adventure — a university called life.
