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HOLISTIC MEDICINES FOR THE MIND, BODY,
AND SOUL
By ChristieLyn Diller
Holistic Health may heal the entire body, unlike some modern medicines that target specific symptoms.
The health of the body, mind and spirit are all considered when a holistic approach is taken. While western medicine might refer to holistic health as alternative medicine, it is actually western, modern, techniques that are alternatives. Holistic health has been in practice for 5,000 years, with roots in ancient China and India. Laura Kozlowski is a holistic health practitioner who advocates a renewed exercise of total body health.
"We are treating the body as a whole. When something hurts, instead of taking a pill to mask the pain, the holistic approach is to find out what is causing the pain, to find the root," Kozlowski said, "Treat the body as a whole. In modern medicine no one connects the whole body."
There are numerous practices of holistic health, the problem is deciding which is the most appropriate for you.
Yoga is a 5,000 year-old Indian discipline that strives for union with the absolute, or the true self. Yoga exercises the mind, body and spirit. Acupuncture uses tiny needles to help restore the Chi, the vital source or energy in the body. Holistic Health also includes various forms of massage such as Light Touch Chiropractic.
Light Touch Chiropractic relates to energy healing, as opposed to total body manipulation. Reiki is one example of this discipline. Reiki involves using energy to heal the body and emotions. Kozlowski describes her Reiki technique.
"I would have you lay down and I would try to feel where the energy is blocked then help, through me, to move or add energy. I'm taking universal energy that moves through me to you," Kozlowski said.
Reflexology is an approach where pressure or massage is applied to reflexes in the outer appendages of the body (hands, feet, ears). This massage relieves the tension of the parts of the body that each of the reflexes is associated with. As Kozlowski summarized, each part of the foot is connected to an organ in the body. By massaging the foot in specific places you help to heal a specific organ.
Other practices which do not necessarily involves massage include meditation, balancing the inner chakras and music arts healing.The human body is said to have seven main chakras, or energy systems in the body. These chakras include: root, belly or navel, solar plexus, heart, throat, third eye, and the crown chakra. Each chakra resides in a specific area of the body and balancing the chakras helps to relieve pain.
"If you have blockage or pain in one of these areas, the energy is stuck," Kozlowski said, "People who are healers are trying to move that energy so you aren't stuck somewhere."
Music Arts Healing does just what its name suggests providing healing through music. With this technique an initial piece of music is chosen that matches the particular mood of the seeker (the patient). The healer (or the individual, if this is done alone) then gradually and slowly lifts the mood with a slight change in the tempo of the music, selected from a discography of appropriate music selections. This form of therapy, as with others, is one that can be done by oneself to oneself. Kozlowski clarified the healer-seeker relationship.
"The practitioner is trying to aid in the seeker's healing of themselves. You heal you. We can eliminate some of the stresses and restore the energy and vitality so that the body can treat itself," Kozlowski said, "There are so many modalities that are helping to restore the vital signs and life's natural energy to help the patient heal themselves."
Although Kozlowski practices holistic healing on herself and others she acknowledges that certain situations arise where traditional medicine is more appropriate."If you break your bone, I can't meditate to make your bone go back in place," Kozlowski said.
Kozlowski also understands that not everybody is ready to choose holistic health over traditional techniques.
"Some people think it's crazy, that the only way to get better is to take a pill. They don't realize that masking the symptom is not solving the problem," Kozlowski said.