The link between body, mind, and spirit is fast being accepted by many who would just in recent years have thought this to be a luxury at best and a scam at worst. In Roaring Fork Valley, they’re ahead of the curve in realizing that this is the only way that true healing can ever really happen.
You don’t want to just go to the doctor’s and be handed a quick diagnosis that involves some serious medication with unknown side effects or some major surgery. Nor do you want to be automatically subjected to a battry of tests that the medical community deems necessary mostly to save itself from any possible lawsuits that might arise from a test not ordered.
It seems as if even the most conservative people nowadays are familiar with things like yoga classes, tai chi practices, and acupuncture. They’re even offered in local gyms and health centers. So a naturalistic doctor may order the tests if they seem necessary, but he or she will also prescribe things like one of the above practices or a vitamin or herbal supplement regime.
That’s the difference. Instead of calling it alternative medicine, it might more correctly be called complementary medicine. Eastern and western medicine are best used together. After all, the medicine we call mainstream and traditional is really only mainstream and traditional here in the western hemisphere. There are many other places in the world where eastern and other practices would just as likely be the norm.
Sure, there can be abuses and charlatans as some claim. But there are many who offer valid methodologies and don’t overcharge for providing them. They let you make your own decisions after they provide you with information.
That’s the kind of complimentary medicine you want to take part in. Energy healing that’s done with acupuncture, reiki, or therapeutic touch may seem very esoteric and strange, but really a lot of the world understands the body to be an energy system that can be affected by touch or hands held above that part of the body where the energy flow is blocked.
This can be a great addition to any kind of medicine or surgery you might have to have because it fosters healing. Even the most conservative members of the medical community realize that a positive outlook affects the ability to heal.
So in that respect, there’s an awareness that complementary practices such as relaxation techniques and deep breathing as well as positive imagery and self-talk is a great way to assist in fostering health and well being. So don’t pick just one or the other. Let these two systems of medicine work together in your life, either to maintain your health or to heal from a serious problem you may be having.
