I’ve been practicing Brain Education by Ilchi Lee for almost 10 years now. I’ve never had a major illness, so I can’t tell you my “miracle” story. But I have heard many stories from people it has helped. And it has made managing my life a little easier.

I was just reading the OECD Health Statistics 2014 report for the United States. Essentially it said that we have the highest obesity rate and highest medical expenditure by far. Our alcohol and tobacco consumption is lower than most OECD member countries. Our life expectancy is a couple of years below average, but our mortality from cancer and cardiovascular diseases is also slightly less than average. The report notes that the highest obesity and other poor health conditions are found among populations of lower socioeconomic status, which is not a surprise.

So, we have a big, fancy and expensive healthcare system, and if you get a major illness and can afford the care, it seems to give you a better chance at surviving. However, if you can’t, then not only are you more likely to get sick from your lifestyle and environment, but you are less able to do anything about it. We’ve all heard about the difference between the “have’s” and the “have not’s” already, a gap that people say is widening.

Brain Education consists of simple movements and meditations that help you manage health of body and mind. If you don’t take a long and intensive workshop or are not trying to become an instructor, Brain Education is cheap. You can buy a book, watch some YouTube videos, and/or go to a free outreach class and do the exercises at home. They are also simple and easy. Just tap your toes.

It’s already being taught in some prisons, senior centers, women’s shelters, etc. If that could be expanded . . . if we could design a program to teach people how to take care of their health inexpensively . . . we can inch up those numbers that say the United States is lagging behind other countries.

Let’s do it.