Your insight guide to holistic healing & how it will change your life.

Ashley
Nov 27, 2022
8 min read

Updated: Feb 27, 2024

Change Through Holistic Health

Written by: Tetske van Dun

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A Tale As Old As Time

A tale as old as time. Alternative and holistic medicine has been around for thousands of years, yet when we hear the word alternative and holistic, many ideas, some false and some true, might come into your mind. In this article I would like to clear up some uncertainties and hopefully give you a new perspective. By giving you a clear and interesting overview of what holistic healing and alternative medicine is, and how it helps people to change their lives for the better.

Systemic Balance & Sustainability

Holistic healing is a way of healing that incorporates many treatments, styles and medicines.

The birth of the holistic approach was a movement that intended to widen the scope of the simplified and fundamentalistic thinking used in western medicine of western medicine (Gordon 1982). As such we must understand holistic therapy as complementary to our mainstream or more orthodox healing instead of a countermovement (Yahn G: 1979).

The most important difference between holistic and mainstream healing is that the holistic healer focuses on your body, mind and spirit as 3 equally important parts of you as a whole, and treats them in relation to each other, in order to get them back in harmony and balance with each other and the natural surroundings. So, holistic ways are natural ways of healing focusing on the mind-body connection which supports mainstream healing in its focus on isolated illness. Holistic healing looks at energy points, flows of fluids, nutrients and hormones in the body and connects it to the spiritual, social and psychological well-being of the person and his or her surroundings.

To learn more about holistic healing, to train yourself in healing technique, or have any questions regarding holistic healing and how it can help you, click here.

Independent

Another common factor that comes with holistic healing practices, is the improvement and aim for self-sustainability of the ‘patient’. A good example of this is holistic health mentorship where the mentor supports you to a place of health, knowledge and healing. Whereas some illnesses might require you to be in constant contact with a doctor, most holistic healing practices aim towards making you independently healthy and well. The power and responsibility for your personal well-being is given back to the people and away from unsustainable pharmaceutical treatments for medical operations. (Jasemi M, et al: 2017).

Alternative Medicine

Western mainstream forms of healing and medicine, which are based on healing illness, reducing symptoms and doing this in a cost and time effective way. You can see the routes of mainstream medical experts as the medicinal highways which might be fast and efficient but also destructive and single minded. On the other hand we can see alternative medicine and alternative healing as the forest roads, the roads which are less taken, but which are based on a subjective, natural and personalized view of each person as a network of energies. If we would use these roads more we will not only heal ourselves but also the land and our communities. So it is an important part of our work as holistic healers to bring people back to the natural ways, supporting them on this path and giving them the tools to heal themselves and the land in a sustainable way.

With alternative medicine support you can find the support you need to find the way back to the natural pathways. The medicines used are naturally sourced and heal the patient in a natural way back to the optimal balance for the entire system. Examples of alternative medicine ways are Ayurveda, Homeopathy and Acupuncture.

The methods include first and foremost a thorough and personal scan of your entire system, looking at body, mind and spirit and forming a complete picture of it, so the blockages and problems can be identified. Then the medicines used are, more often than not, natural, sustainably sourced and softer than the mainstream pharmaceuticals or operations. So, alternative medicine can also be called natural medicine or system medicine because it is a sustainable, kind and natural way of treating imbalance in your system (Kisling LA: 2022).

But how does it really work in practice? Let’s look at a major health and wellbeing problem in our western society, stress, and see how different holistic healing modalities tackle this (Leonard I. Pearlin 1989).

The nervous system has all kinds of signals it gives us when we are not in balance. Sleep deprivation, headaches, emotional imbalance, stiffness etc. Presently, a lot of people are aware that these signs have to do with stress but often miss the knowledge or awareness to deal with it in a sustained and independent way. Nervous system regulation, and/or hormone system regulation, could provide answers for this problem. As discussed above the importance lies in looking at the system as a whole. With a combination of physical exercises, slight dietary changes combined with mindfulness practices, we can achieve nervous system regulation & hormone regulation to be nudged back into balance. Click here to learn more about nervous system regulation.

Energy and electromagnetic healing like reiki and biofeedback therapy are often used in cases of stress and anxiety. But as mentioned above, holistic healing does not only focus on getting rid of complaints, it also deals with understanding and rebalancing the systems in order to sustainably heal body, mind and spirit. With energy healing the aim is to understand and become aware of the energy flow and possible blocks in your system. Thereafter blockages are cleared using the appropriate technique. Each technique has its own merits and strengths and it is dependent on the client and the blockages which are best to be used. After blockages are removed the self-healing capacity of the client is activated. Often people have a feeling of relief, strong emotions or bliss as a result. Click here to learn more about energy healing.

Most of you will know that the gut and liver are the parts of our body that take care of getting rid of the waste our body no longer needs. The health of our digestive systems impacts how much energy we have. What a lot of people don’t realize is the impact a natural healthy and sustainable diet can have on our hormone regulation and nervous system regulation which positively affects our emotions, our bodies ability to heal from (severe) diseases, and cognitive functions like dealing with stress and anxiety. (P Posadzki, et al: 2012) In order to start healing of the gut, liver and intestines, usually it is advised to start with fasting. This gives the body a moment to really get rid of all toxins and substances that are not needed. Then, a clean and healthy restart is offered in the shape of nutritious easy digestible foods. When the system is clean and has had a good restart the therapist looks at a dietary plan that is healthy, nutritious and sustainable for the client. To learn more about gut health, click here.

Exercise, movement and art therapies are the most effective for some people. Even when the cause for stress is something external to the body, an unhealthy social life or too busy at work, art therapy and (healthy) physical exercise can be of major benefit. Already, many people use creative outlets and sports as a way to release stress and return to a healthy hormonal, physical and mental balance. Under guidance of a holistic practitioner, your entire system can be rebalanced and your lifestyle severely improved. To learn more about healing through exercise, click here.

Holistic Integration

Now I have explained some of the basic traits of holistic healing and alternative medicine. Let's look closer at holistic integration. A strong, all-encompassing way of holistic healing that is aimed at complete and effective changes in lifestyle and well-being.

“When you are at a place of inner peace and self love,

you can then project that outward

and inspire and influence those around you

to make good decisions that are sustainable

for the planet and for human kind.”

www.healingtribe.com

Holistic integration focuses first on healing past trauma and blockages you might have, so the changes are built on a healthy and strong foundation. Then we move to incorporating holistic lifestyle methods in your daily life so you can enhance your life for sustainable change. Lifestyle describes our complete way of living, the physical, mental and spiritual/energetic parts. This includes our food, thoughts, clothes, friends, work etc. All of these factors are crucial for well-being. To learn more about healing past trauma and blockages, click here.

Take a simple cold for example, you can go to a doctor or a pharmacy and get medicine to get rid of the symptoms of the cold. However, it will come back unless you change your eating, sleeping and maybe even living habits to enhance your immune system and support your body to fight the bacteria as they enter the body. It works the same for all kinds of (mental, spiritual) health issues. First take out the root cause of unhealthy life patterns and next bring about sustainable holistic changes in your lifestyle. Holistic integrated therapy programs that work on these premises benefit yourself, your direct environment and the world as a whole.

In conclusion, when we understand through experience that we can solve not only one basic symptom, like a headache or lack of sleep, but re-balance our entire system in order to sleep, eat and feel balanced and well, we do not grab for that aspirin so quickly anymore. We understand that we can solve our problems in a personalized, sustainable and natural way. Without giving away our personal agency and power to a doctor or a pharmaceutical we do not understand. Holistic therapy incorporates a wide range of aspects of wellbeing in a human life. It always looks at these aspects in relation to each other and increases awareness, personal power and sustainability for the patient, him or her surroundings and the earth as a whole.

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Created by Ashley Elizabeth Dawson,

HOLISTIC HEALTH PRACTITIONER

FITNESS & NUTRITION TRAINER

FUNCTIONAL MEDICINE INTEGRATION SPECIALIST

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📢DISCLAIMER: This disclaimer emphasizes that the holistic health information provided in the blog is for educational purposes only and should not be considered a substitute for professional medical advice. Readers are encouraged to consult with their healthcare professionals before implementing any suggestions from the article. The creators disclaim responsibility for any adverse effects resulting from reliance on the information and underscore the importance of individual consultation and personal responsibility for health decisions.

References

Gordon JS. Holistic medicine: advances and shortcomings. West J Med. 1982 Jun;136(6):546-51. PMID: 7113200; PMCID: PMC1273970.
Yahn G. The impact of holistic medicine, medical groups, and health concepts. JAMA. 1979 Nov 16;242(20):2202–2205. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
Jasemi M, Valizadeh L, Zamanzadeh V, Keogh B. A Concept Analysis of Holistic Care by Hybrid Model. Indian J Palliat Care. 2017 Jan-Mar;23(1):71-80. doi: 10.4103/0973-1075.197960. PMID: 28216867; PMCID: PMC5294442.
Kisling LA, Stiegmann RA. Alternative Medicine. [Updated 2022 Jul 25]. In: StatPearls [Internet]. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing; 2022 Jan-. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK538520/
P Posadzki and others. Prevalence of Complementary and Alternative Medicine-use by UK Cancer Patients: A Systematic Review of Surveys. Journal of Integrated Oncology 2012, 1:102.