Holistic health

Westernized modern medicine doesn’t give much credence to holistic approaches to treatment. Here in the U.S., we are much more concerned with treating symptoms in a reactionary manner, usually with narcotics. In contrast, holistic medicine advocates treating the body as interconnected parts of a whole, and attempts to find the root causes of ailments. If you’re looking for new ways to manage your stress and explore holistic health, consider the following options:
1. Yoga
Those of us who don’t practice yoga might find it hard to think about as a medicinal thing per say, but dedicated yogis would beg to differ. Yoga is a 5,000 year old art form that has exploded onto the scene of mainstream American culture — and with good reason. The activity provides people with a sense of overall wellness, peace, and calm. One study even attributed significant drops in blood pressure to just three weeks worth of yoga practice. Apart from this, yoga can do wonders in improving posture and flexibility as well as your cardiovascular system.
2. Acupuncture
Acupuncture is another ancient medicinal go-to that is especially beneficial if you’re suffering from chronic pain of some kind. Some people even report that acupuncture helped them lose weight, reduced instances of insomnia, and leveled out their hormones during menopause.
3. Meditation
And in speaking of insomnia, if this is your main problem, you should seriously consider taking up meditation. Out of a pool of polled insomniacs, over three quarters of them were able to fall asleep less than half an hour after lights out after they started meditating daily. Meditation has also been proven to reduce episodes of anxiety and high blood pressure for habitual practitioners.
4. Reflexology
This is a medicinal form of massage that, much like acupuncture, focuses on pressure points. Reflexologists pay particular attention to the head, hands, and feet, as there is evidence to suggest that these areas of the body effect the rest of the body greatly.
5. Herbal Remedies
We are a particular fan of herbal teas in place of things like over-the-counter sleep aids. The next time you feel like dosing yourself with Nyquil or ibuprofen, try valerian root or melatonin instead. These natural supplements have been reported to work just as well if not better and, unlike a lot of sleep aids, are not habit-forming.
We hope this article gave you a better understanding of what people mean when they say “holistic health.” And please, if we’ve left out a tried and true favorite holistic practice of yours, share your wisdom in the comments.