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For those of us who have started seeing a world beyond big pharma and purely medical science, the world of holistic wellness and healthcare has become a fascinating place, and just for the record; science is starting to take note and corroborate now much of what those of us who’ve been used to alternative medicine and healthcare have known for some time: the science of nature, is proving to be a highly effective healer.
From physical healthcare and occupational therapy to mental health and anxiety issues and depression, the alternatives to chemical treatments are all around us. Even though the natural healthcare industry is relatively in its infancy, there is no reason you can’t discuss a regimen of both natural and pharmacological care (where it’s appropriate) for you. Remember that before there were pills, there were plants, so let’s start looking at a few of those advances in the context of holistic wellness and modern healthcare.
Holistic Wellness
Gary Hopkins is an author and a passionate believer in self-healing and finding alternative cures to western medicine. He became interested in self-healing in his 20s after suffering a lifelong battle with intense anxiety, wildly similar but more extreme than ADHD, and a chronic wart problem on his hands. After searching and trying to obtain relief through the usual sources of medicine around his 30s, he started pursuing self-healing fervently.
Eventually, through various processes and alternative medicine like meditation, tai-chi, yoga, and diet, he cured himself of all of his childhood issues.
He has since gone on to publish various books on subjects as diverse as Axiatonal Integration and meditation. He has subsequently built up a successful private practice helping others find their own healing.
The point of all of this is that what was once viewed with suspicion and written off as “hippy medicine” is finally finding traction in the scientific community; not so long ago, we all thought that acupuncture was a fad, and now it’s been proven to aid healing and provide comfort for many different ailments in holistic wellness.
THE RISING AGE OF THE HUMBLE MUSHROOM
You have to know your stuff when it comes to fungi. There is a saying, “all mushrooms are edible, but some are only edible once,” and it’s very accurate. But we’re discovering remarkable ways that these humble, tiny forest floor fungi can do way more for us than just make our pizzas taste better.
Mushrooms for mental health
Researchers are finding wonderful ways that the active ingredient in magic mushrooms, psilocybin, can have genuinely revolutionary impacts on mental health conditions, specifically in the fields of post-traumatic stress, trauma, and depression. See this article by Healthline.
Cordyceps mushrooms for well-being
You’ve probably never heard of these mushrooms before, much less even seen one, but “Cordyceps mushrooms are adaptogens. If you aren’t familiar with adaptogens, they are plants or, in this case, mushrooms that help to normalize the body, especially during times of stress.* They support your body so that it can better cope with whatever stress you’re experiencing.” According to the website gaiaherbs.com. We ordered a kit from Etsy and grew our own!
This is just the tip of the iceberg for the exceptional qualities of mushrooms, and we encourage you to take some time to research what these little miracle workers can do. To truly delve into the fascinating world of mushrooms, check out this documentary on Netflix.
WHOLE PERSON HEALTHCARE + Holistic Wellness
There is an absolutely fascinating article published by well-known online commentator and social media MD Kevin MD, and you can read the whole article here. But natural person healthcare implies precisely what the concept suggests, healing the authentic self, not just the symptom but understanding the root cause of the problem in its entirety.
And it’s not all humming and chanting that is involved here (although there is some of that), but rather it is using various procedures and techniques to get to the underlying cause of illness or disease. It’s about understanding that disease is precisely that a DIS-ease.
There are six elements to whole-person healthcare, and they are:
Occupational:
This dimension recognizes that personal satisfaction and enrichment in your life through your work is an integral part of the human condition and one’s lived experience and the quality of that lived experience. This element means to guide you towards your true path professionally or in an occupation or calling that will be your center, not just as a means to secure a financial future.
Physical:
The physical dimension acknowledges the need for physical activity. Meaningful physical activity that inspires the body and mind and promotes healing through hormonal release in the brain discourages tobacco, drugs, and excessive alcohol consumption.
Social:
The social dimension guides you towards contributing to your environment and community. It places importance on the interdependence between all of us and nature. While you navigate your wellness path, you’ll become increasingly aware of the importance of society and the impact you have on multiple environments, and how to mold that impact into the best possible outcome. An outcome that means to leave these environments better off than how you found them and, in so doing, yourself too.
Intellectual:
To increase the human experience and increase our own positive impact on all around us, the intellectual dimension recognizes that creative, stimulating mental activities are integral to the whole person. It encourages us to use our intellectual gifts constructively and acknowledge our contributions without ego but with confidence in the knowledge that they’ve been gifted unto us, not for selfish gain for the betterment of all around us.
Spiritual:
Of all the dimensions of self, the spiritual realm probably has one of the most significant impacts as it involves placing faith in a power that exists far beyond our physical realms. For many, this makes it the hardest of all to embrace. Irrespective of your spiritual belief system, be it Christianity, Paganism, Islam, Judaism, or any other, understanding that we are not in control of everything in our lives no matter how much we want to believe we are, requires faith and an existential action that in and of itself can bring about healing through the release of tension, stress, and anxiety.
Emotional:
The emotional dimension understands that human intelligence isn’t only limited to I.Q or what our university qualifications are, but that our life experiences and what we’ve survived and equally not survived have all contributed to the emotional currency we’re able to spend in our daily lives and our interactions with those around us.
These are the empathetic and compassionate parts of our humanity that must work in sync with all other elements for our lived experiences to be as complete and holistic as possible.
We can see that this field is broadening rapidly, and our understanding of all of these elements is exciting in their development because they represent a way to healing that doesn’t require expensive, chemical-based care.
Remember that there is a space for all types of healing with holistic wellness. You must always make informed decisions with your doctors and healthcare providers and always remember that a good adventure somewhere exotic and exciting can be just as inspiring.
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