Options for holistic living
Holistic treatments come from natural substances, and they tend to focus on the body’s ability to heal itself. Holistic care is commonly a tradition that spans hundreds or thousands of years. It contains a deep wisdom born of the culture that develops it. Ayurveda of India is an example.
Western medicine is a miracle of science. The research and technology that’ve grown and developed through it are amazing; however, there are side effects to all this progress. Inflammation and other severe reactions to drugs and immunizations trigger other health problems. Outbreaks of more virile infections happen, because microbes develop resistance to medication. Overpopulation is putting a terrible strain on the world’s resources.
There are also environmental concerns. Medicine finds its way into our water sources. Hospital waste washes up on beaches. The cost for treatment can be as debilitating as the disease. There are alternatives to pills and scalpels, and they do work.
Massage & Acupuncture
Massage uses pressure and friction to induce healing and relaxation. There are different styles, and each is appropriate to a different situation. Swedish massage uses a comparatively light touch. Its texture and rhythms are appropriate for melting stress. Sports massage utilizes a deeper touch, so it’s therapeutic after intense exercise.
Massage causes knots to loosen, because the applied pressure forces internal muscle fibers to release their Velcro-like grip on each other. This leads to less activity-related soreness. It allows faster recovery and growth. Some patients perceive deep tissue as painful during the treatment; however, the recipient is generally greatly relaxed and refreshed afterward. This is especially true once particularly stubborn knots exhaust themselves and release.
Reflexology and meridian therapy focus on massaging particular points in the hands and feet. Nerve bundles connect these points to other parts of the body. Here’s an interesting experiment for people who suffer from recurring headaches. Using the right thumb and first finger, squeeze the muscle between the left thumb and first finger. Dig into the belly of this muscle. If it hurts, consider massaging this point in your hand to relieve shoulder, neck, and head pain.
Acupuncturists insert needles into the skin across various places on the body. Acupuncture also uses the holistic theories of meridians common to reflexology. Rather than simply massaging these pressure points, needles actually penetrate them and encourage them to relax at a very deep level. I had the opportunity to speak with Phoenix Moon Acupuncture in a podcast interview, which was very informative.
Chiropractics
Chiropractors don’t just snap necks and pop bones. Chiropractors are doctors. Ethical doctors diagnose misalignment, and then prepare the body for the appropriate adjustments. There are many styles, and not all of them include cracking joints. Chiropractors might use massage and electro-therapy before, or in place of, joint manipulation. The holistic relief chiropractors provide corrects pinched nerves, misaligned vertebrae, herniated discs, and muscle soreness. Chiropractors can often quickly, if not immediately, restore range of motion in simpler situations. Complicated injuries require multiple sessions across a longer time.
Aromatherapy
Scent is powerful. You remember this when you walk past a bakery, hug your partner close, or get a whiff of road kill. Smell is one of our underdeveloped senses, but it’s still an important one. We receive only about three percent of our information about the world from our noses. But that feedback is critical to us.
If there’s smoke in an office building, we often smell it before we see it. Before we feel the heat or hear the roaring, we already know something’s burning. Smell is powerful. So it makes sense that aromatherapy is a holistic way to alleviate depression, fatigue, and moodiness. It releaves anger, fear, anxiety, and a host of other “negative” feelings. Several oils, such as Tea Tree Oil, are antimicrobial. Only about 400 plants are useful for aromatherapy purposes. Of those, only about 40 yield oil or resin for use on the skin (in diluted form).
Note: If you want to experiment with aromatherapy, use only natural essential oils. Avoid bio-equivalent aromas. These are synthetic, and they lack most of the properties that make essential oils effective.
Color & light therapy
Sight is far more important to us than smell. We receive nearly 90 percent of the information about the world from our eyes. Color is a significant part of that. It affects mood easily, and it’s true that if you’re already feeling “blue,” you should avoid wearing it, looking at it, or spending time in places colored primarily by it. On the other hand, if you’re feeling a touch of manic energy, blue can help calm your nerves.
How we perceive color is a result of the available light. Sunlight and full spectrum light bulbs are powerful. They are strong enough to almost instantly knock away emotional cobwebs. This is almost a literal statement, because natural light breaks down the hormones that cause drowsiness, fatigue, and sadness.
Meditation
Stress takes many forms. No matter their sources or causes, they generally contribute to negative physical symptoms. It’s important to calm the mind, in order to care for the body. Meditation, when you practice it at home, is a free modality of treatment that you can enjoy whenever you choose to make time for it. If you prefer commitment or structure, consider joining a class.
Caffeine: 14 better options to ease SAD
Nearly a year ago to the dot, I wrote an article about Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD), but there I focused on the importance of getting access to a full range spectrum of light. Here I’d like to focus on caffeine and sleep’s effect on SAD. I’ll also offer suggestions for what to do to help you feel better on the dark days.
Avoid fish oil supplements
I don’t generally promote supplements. Most of them play to specific, isolated points of medical research to serve as a magic pill. One remarkable example of this is fish oil.
Covert Narcissist?! How do I know if I am one?
After a fight with two friends, one of them accused me of being a covert narcissist. That offended me to my core, but then I took a moment to consider whether or not it might be true. What if I am??