About Holistic Healing
What is Holistic Healing?
Holistic healing is an approach to tending to pain, discomforts or dis-ease that addresses not only your physical body, but also your mental-emotional state of being and your spiritual needs. Holistic healing may include seeing a practitioner, such as an acupuncturist, naturopath or massage therapist who is specifically trained to work on a multi-dimensional level to address the mind, body and spirit.
But this approach to healing is more than seeing a holistic practitioner. It is also about what you do to take care of yourself at home and in life. It encompasses what you include/exclude from your diet, the form of exercise that you choose, your spiritual practice or the things you do to nourish yourself on the soul level, and an attitude of introspection that supports a deepening of your self-knowledge. Holistic health is also about creating a balance in work and personal life, so you have the time and energy to devote to your social needs, physical health, and emotional and spiritual well-being.
Click here to see a list of holistic health practitioners.
AN INTEGRATIVE APPROACH TO WELLBEING
Born of the Western scientific approach, conventional medicine takes a mechanistic view of the body, viewing it composed of individual parts which need to be treated separately. Conventional medicine perceives the body as a mechanical structure with discrete parts, with pills targeting each one. Surgery was developed for fixing, removing or replacing faulty parts. The body as a “machine” could be stopped, taken apart, repaired and put back together. Holistic healing, on the other hand, sees the body as a web of interconnected and interdependent parts, so treating a particular part means looking at the whole person. For example, in treating heart dis-ease, it is necessary to look at other body systems that relate to heart function.
From a holistic perspective, we look at how a person’s diet, stress levels at home or work, or lack of exercise fuels the problem appearing in the heart. A practitioner of holistic health is a gardener cultivating the soil of good health by looking at the whole person, including their diet, exercise routine, social habits, spiritual practices, and work-life balance. The holistic perspective is based on the premise that all life occurs within the circle of nature. The human being is a microcosm of nature, a smaller universe. Health then is understood broadly, defined by the whole being within the social and natural order. What is good for the body is good for the Earth. What is bad for the body is usually bad for the Earth. To harm a part is to harm the whole. What damages one person damages everyone. From a holistic perspective, healing our mind-body-heart is paramount to healing the planet.
SPENDING TIME IN NATURE
Spending time in nature is one way to cultivate a felt experience of the interconnected web of life of which we are an integral part. This may include gardening, going for a walk or hike, watching a sunset at the beach, riding a bike in the countryside, camping with your family in the mountains, or sitting at a majestic vista point and enjoying the beauty of Nature that is surrounding you. Spending time in nature can be grounding, quieting, and nourishing to the soul.. For some it is their spiritual practice. It connects them to something bigger. For others, it is the place to exercise and tend to the body’s need to move and elevate the heart rate. For still others, spending time in nature clears the mind after a challenging work day or when you are upset. Most importantly, being in nature is a reminder that we do not live separate or apart from other life forms, but are intricately interconnected, and that the choices we make for ourselves influences the entire web of life, just as the entire web influences each of us.
EXERCISING THE MIND-BODY-SPIRIT
Holistic health is about our daily habits – what we eat, how we think (habituated attitudes), exercise routines, and sleep patterns, to name just a few. Walking the path of holistic healing becomes a way of life in which all aspects of our daily lives are examined. Rather than looking for answers outside of ourselves, this healing path encourages an introspective approach. Does holding on to my anger at my husband worsen these tension headaches? Does drinking coffee after 4 pm make it difficult to fall asleep? Do hourly breaks to stretch during my computer work day keep my mind fresher, more alert? How does daily meditation affect my mood? Does eating sugar add to my sluggishness? As we look deeper into ourselves, what we need to take care of ourselves becomes clearer. This could include various forms of exercise – for the body, mind and heart.
Most of us know that going to the gym, heading out for a run or bike ride, or lifting weights will build our physical muscles. There are, however, other forms of exercise that build other “muscles” of our being. Meditation, for example, builds the mental muscle of single-pointed concentration. Tai Chi, Qi Gong. and yoga build our “chi,” our life force energy. Keeping a daily journal of appreciations builds the muscle of gratitude. Integrating these practices of tending to the body, mind, and heart will build health on every level of our being- and for the planet.
NOURISHING THE SOUL WITH SPIRITUAL PRACTICE
Spiritual practice takes many forms, including prayer, chanting, meditation, performing rituals, and practicing kindness, to name just a few. It can also be the practice of mindfulness as we walk through the day – staying close to the breath, our sensations, our feelings and our thoughts. In whatever form spiritual practice takes, it is exercising the muscle of connectivity. In other words, it becomes the ground from which feeling connected can grow. That includes feeling more connected with ourselves, with nature and with the universe. Spiritual practice can be part of our healing journey. Tending to the soul includes tending to the body and mind, as these aspects of our being are intricately interconnected. Spiritual practice is one of many doors we can walk through to step on to the path of healing.
FEATURED HEALERS
Kim Bellisimo, Energy Worker
Marin County, CA
Donna Agoitia, Energy Worker
Sonoma County, CA
I heal with the powerful black light energy of Teotihuacan. My energetic lineage is with the Queztlcoatl clan. This gift came as a surprise the first time I visited the Pyramids.
If you are struggling with physical and/or emotional problems, feeling stuck, or have chronic problems, I may be able to help. I use the ancient black light healing energy to clear away old energy that may be causing physical and emotional problems. I don’t do any physical manipulation as I focus solely on your energetic body.
“You have two homes– Earth and your body. Take care of them.”