Listen to “Mind-Body Medicine and the Future of Healing”.
Mind-Body Medicine, sometimes referred to as holistic healing or holistic medicine, has been at the core of philosophical, medical, and therapeutic discussions for centuries.
Mind-Body Medicine refers to the interaction between the mind, body, and spirit. More specifically, it explores how emotional, mental, social and spiritual factors together can directly affect health.
What would you think of a healthcare system that focuses on helping people become and stay healthy—rather than one which focuses purely on ‘managing’ diseases? How about a system of care that is aimed at optimizing conditions in which the body can use its remarkable powers of self- healing and regeneration, before resorting to invasive interventions and powerful drugs that carry added costs and complications?
Here are the key differences between conventional and integrative medicine.
Conventional medicine:
- Manages diseases
- Treats symptoms
- Finds problems and fixes them
- Uses hi-tech, biomedical interventions
- Reacts to existing health issues
Integrative medicine:
- Optimizes health
- Treats the whole person
- Identifies risks and minimizes them
- Uses hi-touch, whole-person approaches
- Anticipates possible health issues and promotes prevention
While modern-day medicine has brought many incredible and life-saving advancements, one of the downfalls is that it often fails to treat the human system as a whole. This is why it is of vital importance that patients understand the importance of self-care techniques, rather than relying entirely on the health care system for a complete remedy.
Holistic health includes not only treating or curing specific symptoms but also supports promoting the overall health and well-being of individuals, families and communities in different aspects.
Here are some of the key focal points of holistic healing:
1.Dietary choices
To keep the body healthy, we need to align what we eat with the body’s need for fuel, and the disease-preventing properties inherent in certain foods. We should also avoid consuming foods that increase the risk of disease.
2. Activity
Movement and exercise are crucial for a healthy life. Physical activity ensures that the whole person—body, mind, and spirit— remain strong, flexible, and balanced.
3. Stress management and relaxation
Practising mindfulness and stress reduction habits can help you manage life’s daily stressors. Meditation, breathing, and other techniques enable you to keep stress and anxiety under control.
4. Connect with Nature
Connecting with the Earth brings us to life. It gives us breath and restores and rejuvenates our energy fields. The frequency of Mother Earth is incredibly healing, and it is perfectly configured for optimal being.
Mind-body-spirit health and healing starts with you. It is not a magic pill, but rather a journey that may take you where you would never have thought or known to go.
