Ancient Eastern healing wisdom provides a holistic approach to your health that focuses on the body being energetically connected to the entire universe. Instead of focusing on healing symptoms, like most Western medicine does, it focuses on bringing together the mind, spirit, and body to heal the overall cause of current health problems and to prevent future problems.
Types
Many different approaches can be adapted from the ancient history of Eastern health wisdom. These approaches are very different than the approach of most Western nations.
Naturopathy: The primary belief of naturopathy is rooted in the idea that toxins pollute your body and congest the organs responsible for elimination. Exercise, hydrotherapy, diet therapy, massage, herbal medicines and fasting are believed to help your body release these toxins.
Chinese Medicine: The root belief of Chinese medicine is to balance 'chi' or energy in your body---yin and yang energy. Acupuncture and acupressure are used to guide the flow of your energy through channel points believed to be in your body called meridians. Chinese herbs also have healing properties useful to your body.
Aromatherapy: Aromatherapy is an ancient art that uses essential oils. Each oil is believed to have a different effect on your mind, body, or spirit. The oils are use to relax and revitalize you.
Ayurveda: The ancient healing tradition of Ayurveda focuses on changing your lifestyle. Herbs, nutrition, exercise, yoga, massage, rest and meditation are all used in this practice to balance your body, mind, and spirit. In Ayurveda, your body is viewed as sharing and being one with the energies of the entire universe. It is believed to be essential that you balance these energies in order to maintain good health. Ayurveda seeks to look at your entire lifestyle to determine your overall health, rather than the symptoms of that lifestyle.
Reiki: Positive healing in Reiki is believed to be further supported with a healer that channels 'universal life energy' through the parts of your body that are in need.
Roots
Each form of Eastern health wisdom has its own history. Hippocrates, the Greek physician and father of medicine, was the first to use the naturopathic idea of light, touch, temperature, food, herbs and water to treat illnesses.
Chinese Medicine and Ayurveda, which originated in India, are over 5,000 year old practices. Both focus on the flow of energy. In Chinese medicine, it is believed that sickness is due to blocks in the flow of chi through your body. Ayurveda means "knowledge of life" in Sanskrit.
A consistent theme in Eastern health wisdom is the flow of energy relating to the health of the body. This is also true with Reiki, which means 'universal life energy' in Japanese.
Significance
Many Eastern approaches to health focus on the mind and body connection to well-being. Dr. Susan Everson, of the American Public Health Institute in Berkeley, California showed the importance of this connection by studying the attitudes of 942 people toward life and the effects on their arteries under ultrasound scans. Dr. Everson concluded that giving up hope had the same effect on the arteries of a middle-aged person as smoking 20 cigarettes a day.
Benefits
Drugs often have side effects that can be avoided through using Eastern healing methods. Also, there is a greater emphasis on preventative care, which can help you avoid illnesses altogether. Many traditional medicines focus on alleviating symptoms rather than healing the original cause of the problem.
Dangers
Many herbs have side effects. It's important to be familiar with an herb before using it.
Fasting is believed to detoxify your body. However, if fasting is makes you feel stressed your body could release stress chemicals that are harmful to your health.
No comments:
Post a Comment