by Amber Lawrence

Created on: August 21, 2008   Last Updated: November 08, 2008

Holistic medicine focuses on treating a person as a whole. In addition to treating a person's physical body, holistic practitioners focus on emotional and spiritual well-being. Our body is much strong than we think. It has ways of healing itself. We misunderstand what it is that our body is telling us much of the time. As we learn how our bodies work, we also obtain knowledge to prevent illness and promote well being.

This is not a new concept. For years, several different countries including the United States have used natural methods to promote good health. Our society needs more than ever to research new methods of treating illness. This is why further research should be done. We now use a variety of different alternative therapies in our treatments.

There are several therapeutic practices. The health care field is now introducing some of these practices to more traditional methods. Some of these included light therapy, massage, acupuncture, and several more. These disciplines include Ayurveda, Chinese herbalism, herbalism, flower essences, folk medicine, homeopathy, aromatherapy, and nutrition. Many of these disciplines have been used for thousands of years.

Ayurevda means wisdom, and uses the belief that we are composed of energy. Any change in our environment, lifestyle, diets, circumstances, or world around us affects our health. In this practice we are made of three doshas, vatha - the driving force, pitta - fire, and kapha - water. Balance of these doshas depends on correct diets, exercise, maintaining good digestion, healthy elimination of waste, and emotional and spiritual health. Ayurveda treatments consist of detoxifying the body and bringing balance to the doshas. Yoga is considered an ayurvedic remedy, because it brings harmony to the body.

Chinese Medicine uses the Life Force "qi" (pronounced chee). Qi is received from a mixture of influences of both Heaven and Earth. It is believed that our energy runs through us in channels called meridians, or organs. This is where the philosophy of yin and yang, the dual forces of the universe, come into play. This force must remain n balance for true well-being.

Herbalism is one of the oldest forms of medicine in the world. Herbalism uses plants for medicinal purposes. In fact most pharmaceutical companies identify the therapeutic properties of the plants and produce drugs from them. There are many different ways of taking herbs in order to get the best results for illnesses. Herbs are turned into infusions, decoctions, simple syrups, tinctures, liniments, and oils.

There is nothing wrong looking for another alternative to the drugs commonly used today. You do need to have a basic understanding of the way these natural cures work. That is why it is a good idea to find a Holistic Health Practitioner. They will be able to go into more detail about how natural alternatives will help you, and how to use them. I wish you all the best in your search for a balanced lifestyle.

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