Holistic Health – A Closer Look
Over the past century, medical professionals and ordinary people alike have been realizing that health isn’t just about surgery, medication, and treating symptoms.
The role of mind and spirit in keeping your body healthy has been examined and publicized more than ever before.
Even staunchly traditional medical doctors sometimes recommend massage, aromatherapy, and chiropractic services. All of these fall under the realm of holistic health.
If you want to stay healthy and on top of every aspect of your holistic health, you need to be familiar with the different types of professionals you can consult.
Here are some of the different approaches to holistic health.
1. Acupuncture & Acupressure
Much physical injury and illness can be put down to poor energy flow, according to these professionals. Acupuncture uses needles so thin you can scarcely feel them, while acupressure uses steady pressure.
Each therapy method targets pressure points from the fourteen meridians used in traditional Chinese medicine. They have been proven effective in cases like those of chemotherapy patients suffering nausea, or less severe ailments like headaches or anxiety.
2. Aromatherapy
Have you walked into a room and instantly felt relaxed by the smell, whether or not you could identify it? Aromatherapy uses a similar technique of targeting your ailments, ranging from fungal infections to low energy, with specific smells.
Essential oils include scents like rosemary, lavender, and peppermint, and an aromatherapy professional can help you treat your specific condition with a combination of scents.
3. Biofeedback
Your vital signs and systems are always functioning, whether or not you’re aware of them, and they affect your mood, energy, and health. Biofeedback lets you control both your body and mind by becoming aware of your body processes and nervous system.
There are treatments available for even severe conditions like spinal cord rehabilitation. Professionals can help you learn how to perform certain techniques on your own.
Recently, the FDA cleared a home device that is similar to Biofeedback lowering blood pressure and reducing stress. See Amazon for pricing. Please note it is not a blood pressure monitor.
4. Chiropractic Therapy
One of the most conventionally accepted holistic health treatments is chiropractic medicine. This type of therapy revolves around the practitioner manipulating your limbs, bones, and muscles to realign them.
People most often seek out chiropractic services because of back pain, but they can help with other physical and mental ailments.
5. EFT/EMDR
These mental and emotional techniques help you escape self-limiting beliefs, PTSD, depression, anxiety, and so on. A professional guides you through speaking about your current or past experiences, and helps you focus on positive feelings of security and safety.
You will be gradually desensitized to situations or feelings that used to trigger negative feelings, and you may even learn how to perform certain EFT techniques at home. EMDR employs bilateral stimulation. EFT involves tapping.
6. Hypnosis
Despite all the jokes and stage acts involving hypnosis, it’s a real and very powerful technique of accessing your inner consciousness. Hypnosis allows you to rest your conscious mind and tap into your inner thoughts.
You may retrieve thoughts, memories, feelings, or other stored events, influence behavior patterns, or learn how to overcome self-limitations through hypnosis with a qualified professional.
Read this article to learn how clinical hypnotherapy for anxiety can be helpful.
7. Massage Therapy
Even insurance companies have seen the benefits of massage therapy and frequently pay for sessions with licensed therapists. Many types of massage therapy and bodywork exist for various purposes.
Some therapists focus on soft tissue healing, deep tissue massage, trigger points, or other schools, while others use a combination of methods to address each individual patient’s needs.
You can release not just physical tension, but emotional and spiritual burdens with a skilled massage therapist.
8. Meditation
Meditation has been used for thousands of years in various religious traditions. There are many types of meditation, some of which are designed for use in specific religious or spiritual traditions.
Mindfulness meditation in particular has been identified as a useful secular practice for patients undergoing treatment for mental and physical ailments.
A meditation instructor can teach you how to get the maximum benefit from your meditation sessions, and how to do it yourself at home.
9. Spiritual Coaching
A spiritual holistic practitioner (sometimes referred to as a spiritual coach) can be as helpful to your health as any other type of professional. The right coach can help you identify life patterns, goals, and upcoming challenges.
You can gain much insight from your Akashic records, spiritual guides, or Shaman – depending on what your professional specializes in.
Through techniques like reading your palm, tea leaves, aura, or surroundings, psychics can help you figure out where you have been, where you’re going, and how to achieve success. Consider this a pathway to receiving spiritual guidance.
10. Reflexology
The feet have a variety of pressure points that are linked to other spots on the entire body. If you’ve ever wondered why having a particular spot on your feet tickled makes your shoulders tense or relax, for example, this is a reaction to the link between that spot and your shoulders.
A reflexologist applies gentle pressure to various areas on your feet to help treat hormonal, emotional, and stress-based imbalances. Even conditions like arthritis can benefit from a skilled reflexologist’s help.
Bonus
Reiki
The spiritual healing potential of Reiki is not yet recognized widely, but if you have ever realized that you have a spiritual, emotional, or energetic block that is interfering with your health, Reiki can be an effective way of clearing these blocks.
Your spiritual vibrations and energies can be aligned in ways you don’t even sense, though many people notice the effects and can even cry or feel overwhelmed when experiencing Reiki for the first time. No matter what condition you’re treating, Reiki can be an effective complementary and holistic treatment.
Wrap Up
There are dozens of types of holistic professionals not listed in this brief guide, but these are some of the most common. As the West becomes more aware of the link between mind and body, holistic and “alternative” therapies are becoming more common.
The focus on holistic health can sometimes forget the spiritual or mental side and focus on new physical therapy solutions. While you seek out conventional treatment, make sure you don’t ignore the rest of your body.
To find a professional in your area, visit the Alternatives For Healing website to find a professional near you.
