Holistic Health And Alternative Healthcare

Biofeedback involves learning to increase one's ability to control their biological responses. These can include blood pressure, muscle tension and heart rate. Traditional methods of indication are used to measure these responses and to make the needed changes apparent to the patient. While surgery and prescription drugs are generally avoided, patients interested in holistic health are encouraged to practice self-healing techniques. These techniques include strict eating and drinking regiments and regulations (ex. organic foods and mega vitamins), as well as addressing habits that affect one's health, such as a poor diet, smoking, alcohol intake and stress. Guided imagery is the use of the mind/body connection. Thinking or imagining positive images and conditions helps to bring about positive and desired changes. Homeopathy is the use of hypnosis to affect positive changes in a person's behavior and well-being. Applied Kinesiology is the study of muscle movement and the use of muscles as a feedback instrument to indicate the internal state of the body's energy system. Pressure or stimulation is applied to known energy points on the body to help balance energy flow and bring the body itself into better balance.

The idea of holistic health also utilizes some more traditional techniques. Faith healing, meditation and yoga are all spiritual disciplines that are commonly used in this alternative lifestyle. Chiropractors can correct misalignments of the spinal vertebrae, as they can interfere with the nervous systems ability to send signals throughout the body. The use of massage therapy combined with aromatherapy has a calming effect, while at the same time, stimulates the body's production of chemicals necessary to its healing abilities. Pressure points on the hands and feet are utilized to stimulate circulation, aid in relaxation and provide a sense of everything being alright. This technique is called reflexology.

This list is not all-inclusive. It should be noted this is not occasional intervention, as is most conventional medicine. Holistic health is a natural lifestyle that focuses on sustained maintenance. The emphasis, for those practicing the holistic approach, is one of preventative healing, not curing. This approach to healthcare is not recommended for infectious diseases, trauma, structural damage, organ failure or acute conditions. It is best relied on for degenerative, chronic stress and lifestyle disorders, toxemia, glandular weakness, systemic imbalances and immunity.

Traditional Healing in Modern Medicine

You've heard that it's takes a village to raise a child, but Dr. Mehl-Madrona believes that it often takes a community to heal someone who is ill. The indigenous ways have much to teach us. In his books and this interview he tells us stories that he's told to his patients to help in their healing process. These stories give us universal wisdom and strength.

• Discover how to use the community to help your friends and family heal
• See how to integrate contemporary medicine with traditional healing
• Learn the traditional meaning of the Four Directions
• See how you can use stories to enhance the healing process
• Discover the hidden meaning of the Native American Medicine Wheel
• Be Inspired to live in harmony with the seasons and nature
• Learn about the real meaning of “success” in healing
• Explore how to use our ancestors’ spirits in healing and story
• Find out what the benefits of ceremony can be in your life
• Learn to create your own ceremonies for daily living
• See how the Ravens Beak story relates to modern health issues

Lewis Mehl-Madrona holds an M.D. from Stanford University and has been a practicing doctor for over 20 years. An experienced healer who has led many Native American healing ceremonies, Dr. Mehl-Madrona has also headed traditional medical clinics, helping AIDS and cancer patients as well as researching the benefits of relaxation techniques to aid in the natural correction of breech positioned babies. He is currently an Associate Professor of Family Practice at the University Of Hawaii School Of Medicine. He has been studying and working in the field of Native American and indigenous healing for many years.