What is Holistic Medicine
If we could give every individual the right amount of nourishment and exercise, not too little and not too much, we would have found the safest way to health. Natural forces within us are the true healers of disease.
Hippocrates 300 B.C.
Holistic Medicine involves integration of all aspects of a healthy lifestyle with Ancient knowledge and Modern science. It relies on the innate ability of living beings to heal themselves. It is not a substitute for mainstream allopathic medicine. It is the quintessential goal of One Health and is necessary if life is to continue on Earth as we know it. Continuation of common current ways of being will doom the entire planet.
A balanced lifestyle (diet, exercise, connectedness to nature, and spiritual and mindfulness practices) is the primary basis for healthful living. Without a firm foundation rooted in access to clean air and water and nutritious foods, health is compromised. Connectedness to Nature and Spiritual practice allow one to keep the proper perspective on their place in the Universe and to stay on The Good Red Road. Mindfulness practices allow one to maintain proper focus and know oneself in order to resolve cognitive dissonance and act Rightly with Honesty and Integrity.
Improper diet and lack of exercise often results in unhealthy weight gain, among other things. Lack of adequate exercise results in loss of muscle mass, strength, vitality, and endurance. Losing one’s connection to Nature results in loss of Respect for Self and Others and deprives one of a deep appreciation of Beauty in The World. Lack of Spiritual practice often leads to feelings of emptiness, depression, and separation or isolation. Without Mindfulness practice, one might be easily swayed by false paradigms and beliefs.
All of this means that individuals bear primary responsibility for their own health and the consequences of their own action (or lack thereof). The medical establishment bears primary responsibility to impart proper knowledge for maintenance of and restoration of good Health. The First Tenet of Medicine is “First do no harm”.“The Earth does not belong to man; Man belongs to the Earth. This we know. All things are connected like the blood which unites one family. Whatever befalls the Earth befalls the sons of the Earth. Man did not weave the web of life, he is merely a strand in it. Whatever he does to the web, he does to himself.”
“Water is the softest thing, yet it can penetrate mountains and earth. This shows clearly the principles of softness overcoming hardness.”
“The art of medicine has its roots in the heart.”