Holistic (sometimes called alternative) medicine is an approach at medicine that aims at treating the individual as a single entity. As we are whole beings, holistic practitioners believe that the definition of wellness includes the body, the mind, the soul, and the psyche. From acupuncture to hypnosis, holistic and homeopathic remedies are becoming more and more common, and are being covered, and even promoted by many mainstream insurance providers and hospitals.
Holistic medicine is all about achieving balance. Meditation can calm the mind and balance the chakras (and if you’re like me, it can put you to sleep!) Yoga increases circulation, blood flow, and body strength; literally the body is stronger and more easily balanced after regular practice. Maintaining proper nutrition and consuming the right amount of vitamins and minerals allows the body to focus on maintaining wellness, rather than forcing it to work harder to fight toxins and disease.
For many years, holistic medicine was viewed as an Eastern-only practice. For thousands of years, holistic professionals have been using these treatments in places like Korea, China, Japan, India, and Thailand. These treatments have been helping patients maintain their mental, physical, and spiritual health for years.
Here in the Western world, we often incur expensive medical bills and have to resort to fighting and “going into the ring” with intimidating insurance companies. However, health care providers are now warming up to the idea of more holistic approaches for treatment.
Rather than offering sleeping pills at the first sign of insomnia, some health care providers and insurance companies are prescribing self-hypnosis, meditation, and even herbal and nutritional remedies.
Western health practitioners are realizing that many conditions can be treated without medications. For example, depression can be reduced or even eradicated by increasing physical activity, dietary changes, and by increasing social interactions. This change in thinking has made the act of prescribing medications a second choice rather than a first one.
Since so many people have opened up their minds to alternative holistic treatments, it has become easier to locate discounts for these types of treatments. A great place to start looking for discounts is your own health insurance provider. They will be able to tell you what holistic treatments your policy will cover, if any.
If becoming healthier and achieving wellness are a priority for you, holistic treatments may be the best course of action. By changing your physical activity and eating habits, you can alter your health for the better. Small changes like eating healthier; grilling your food instead of frying it, and drinking water instead of soda can bring about major changes both in how you look and feel.
Allow yourself plenty of time to sleep. The amount of sleep required to keep you healthy varies from person to person, so make sure you check with a medical professional to determine what’s right for you.
Get more exercise. Take the stairs and skip the elevator. Park as far away from the entrance of the grocery store, mall, or movie theater as you can. If you’re vacuuming, do lunges with each sweep of the cleaner. You’ll get more floor space covered more quickly, and feel the burn while you’re doing it!
If you are thinking about trying alternative medicine, don’t be afraid to research it. Try searching for information on aromatherapy, massage, Reiki, or just search for holistic or alternative medicine in Google.
Alternative medicine is not a new concept. However, in Western medicine it has been difficult to move away from our traditional methods to new explore ones. It has also been difficult to convince some that Western medicine does not have all the answers and it may not always be the best choice for everyone. Often the oldest methods are the most effective. Remembering that holistic medicine can help save you time, money, and preserve your health will help you in the long run and add years to your life.
It’s astonishing to see the profound effects of holistic alternative medicine and how it can impact your life. To learn more on how to not only free your body, but free your mind and ultimately, free yourself – this author recommends exploring holistic alternative medicine.