Holistic medicine is a system of health care which fosters a cooperative relationship among all those involved, leading towards optimal attainment of the physical, mental, emotional, social and spiritual aspects of health. It emphasizes the need to look at the whole person, including analysis of physical, nutritional, environmental, emotional, social, spiritual and lifestyle values. Holistic medicine focuses on education and responsibility for personal efforts to achieve balance and well being.
Reflexology Introduction
Ed Kaler © 2007Mostly all articles on Reflexology will appear on my website (Reflexology For Health) http://www.reflexologyforhealth.biz/.
Reflexology is a Holistic approach which is non-invasive, safe, and effective.
When illness or imbalance occurs in the body, the corresponding “energy channels” become blocked. Reflexology aims to destroy these blocks, allowing the energy to flow freely again, so as to restore the body’s natural balance, and hence good health. The focus is to re-educate, re-pattern and re-condition nerve instruction via the reflex, neural/electrical system of the body, thus persuading the body to biologically self-correct. The body is highly intelligent and does have a remarkable, reliable, built-in, self-correcting system, which supports reflexology as a health field which is grounded in scientific principles.
Reflexology stimulates a flow of energy (Chi—life force energy) and nerve impulses in the autonomic (involuntary) nervous system through the use of various pressure, massage, and relaxation techniques involving the thumbs, fingers, knuckles, and other parts of the hands which provide steady, or alternating movements. In other words a wave of force is transmitted along nerves that have been stimulated to move heat and energy to an associated area of the body.
This causes organs and glands to contract and relax, which in turn moves congested blood, body fluids, nutrients, hormones, and oxygen so as to restore normal circulation, leading to more efficient elimination of toxins. This then establishes equilibrium, and promotes beneficial energy flow. A balanced and well circulated organism will ensure a healthy immune system and facilitate prevention of dis-ease.
As an example, applying pressure in the webs between the toes encourages an opening and clearing of neural pathways which lead to 100’s of lymph nodes in the body. Generally the lymph nodes clean infectious particles and prevent them from passing into the bloodstream. When the lymph reflex areas are stimulated by acupressure the lymph nodes are assisted in cleaning themselves more efficiently and fighting infections.
A Reflexologist will not make any medical diagnosis, and reflexology does not replace medical opinions and tests. Once a dis-ease or illness is recognized by oneself or a doctor then reflexology can be a very useful adjunct to maintaining one’s health.
THE MYTH OF MENTAL ILLNESS
Edward Kaler © 1999
This article is a review and comment about the book and concept of “THE MYTH OF MENTAL ILLNESS” by Thomas Szasz who as a professor of Psychiatry in Syracuse, New York wrote the definitive book on the subject. This subject is definitely compatible with Holistic Health since it takes into consideration a humanistic and compassionate approach rather than judging someone who has environmental and/or organic emotional distresses of life.
The myth of mental illness is simple but also complex. The word mind is abstract for the thinking processes of the real organic brain. Since mind is abstract it cannot be ill just as anything abstract cannot be ill. There is too much emphasis on illness as something that needs to be cured as a bodily illness needs to be cured. So people who are labeled “mentally ill” give themselves into the hands of the other to be cured rather than taking responsibility for helping themselves, and discovering and facing the issues they are encountering. Of course there is such a thing as the brain and/or body being ill and causing emotional upsets for the person for which Holistic Medicine can be most useful. For those who are experiencing mental and/or emotional distress whether caused by a lack of nutrition, genetics, or personal environmental impact then one form or another or a combination of psychological therapy, spiritual counseling, Naturopathic medicine, etc. can be effective methodologies for helping people to learn how to care for themselves, rather than focusing on how to cure an “illness”.
Many so-called “mental illnesses” are the result of how cultures behave and how those double binds and messages are given to us all to "behave" in certain ways. If the intent of any therapeutic process is to guide the person through the morass of social control out the other side to realizing one's true nature and how to live it then that can be very life-affirming indeed. However most of the time psychological and/or medical therapy is about teaching people how to "fit" in and accept the cultural leanings and messages and double binds of society.
