Major Holistic Health Therapies

Holistic health is the state in which we are whole, spiritually, mentally, physically and emotionally, in rhythm and in harmony with nature and our environment. So where does anthroposophical medicine or Ayurvedic medicine fit into this? What have biochemical tissue salts got to do with my holistic health and why are homeopaths, naturopaths, herbalists, traditional Chinese medicine practitioners, osteopaths, chiropractors, cranial sacro therapists so popular? If you’ve ever had an acupuncture session, done some qi gong or been to a cranial osteopath, you’d know that you feel better all over.

It isn’t just women that are enjoying the benefits of a regular massage these days, men have discovered it too. We’re talking about the benefits of holistic health therapies We all know the benefits of massage therapy – from the gentle stroke of a lover to a mother’s loving touch. It can play an important part in easing a wide range of health problems and is appropriate for almost any situation. Some of the most popular holistic therapies are commonplace these days. Acupressure, aromatherapy, chiropractic, flower remedies, massage and nutritional therapies, osteopathy, reflexology, shiatsu and lymphatic drainage are everyday treatments that some of us consider part of life’s necessities. Gone are the days when these treatments were regarded as little luxuries.

In many ways, acupressure is something we all enjoy when our instincts tell us to rub or apply pressure to a painful or injured part of the body. Developing from this basic awareness, the ancient Chinese discovered that there were specific points on the body that could be pressed in order to relieve pain, tension or discomfort. Aromatherapy is very trendy these days and it is a readily accessible, subtle therapy that uses highly concentrated essential oils from plants and trees that are used to improve well-being on a physical, emotional and metal level.

Chiropractic therapy manipulates the spine and other joints, and so gently encourages the body to carry out its functions in a balanced way as the spine returns to normal alignment. The 38 Bach flower remedies are gaining an increasingly popular profile - I’m never without Rescue Remedy, the 5 flower formula that has become extremely popular as a non-addictive, gentle medicine for the treatment of symptoms arising from trauma, stress or accident. With the increasing obesity of the western world, nutritional therapy is in ever increasing demand. We’ve all heard “you are what you eat” – it is one of the most fundamental strategies we can adopt to improve our sense of health and vitality and beyond that, we can use it as a therapy that can ease the symptoms of illness.

Osteopathy is an extremely popular system of wholistic medicine that focuses on the musculoskeletal system (bones, joints, muscles, ligaments and connecting tissue) and attempts to establish the greatest potential for health by restoring function and mobility to this system. Osteopaths view the person as a unit in which structure, function, mind and spirit need to be in balance for the maintenance of good health. Reflexology involves applying gentle pressure to points on the feet and hands. The regulated pressure to certain parts of the feet has a therapeutic influence on those organs, glands and parts of the body that corresponds to the reflex being stimulated.

Shiatsu is a dynamic form of body treatment that uses a variety of different kinds of pressure and stretches to stimulate the flow of energy along pathways (or meridians) that criss-cross the surface of the body. It may be regarded as parallel to acupuncture in that it seeks to rebalance and harmonize the flow of essential energy (or qi – pronounced as chi) throughout the system as a whole and so enhances the body’s capacity for self healing This list barely scratches the surface. The benefits of holistic health therapy vary from person to person and the specific impacts are as individual as we are. One fact remains, we all benefit from it.

Lizette le Clus-Fox is an ardent advocate for a holistic approach to health and runs http://www.wellnessthoughts.com and her ezine Wellness Thoughts provides regular in-depth information. To learn more about holistic health therapies visit her web site today!

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