- In ancient Greece, Hippocratic healing methods involved natural foods, exercise, herbs, meditation, fasting and enemas.
- In China, the Traditional Chinese Medicine therapists employed
herbs, massage, needles, special exercises and diet. It should be noted
that the Chinese were the first to study and systematize the correlation
between the body, the energy (called Qi) and the mind.
- In India, the Ayurveda’s system of health comprised herbs, exercises, massage and nutrition.
- In America, native Indians had similar therapeutic techniques as well as indigenous populations of Africa.
What is most intriguing with regard to the above-mentioned different
therapeutic systems is that they all shared certain core elements:
- they all used natural means to heal
- they all aimed at the detoxification of the body so as to facilitate self-healing
- they all addressed all parts of the individual, not just the
physical aspect of a person where manifested illnesses were most
apparent.
Over the years, the scientific evolution has brought to light new
information about the human body and its systems. The development of
medicine has been linked to the achievements in the realms of physics,
chemistry, biology and mathematics. The advent of the microscope, as
well as that of computers and a host of other sophisticated machines
with multiple applications, has revolutionized science.
Diseases, previously perceived as fatal, have been successfully
treated by means of chemical-drugs, radiation, surgery i.e. the arsenal
of modern medicine. The average life expectancy has grown. Yet,
unfortunately, new powerful diseases have made their appearance,
perpetuating human suffering. For the last few centuries, the
predominant project in modern medicine has been to break matter down
into ever smaller bits, in the pursuit of understanding, and this works
only to some extent. As a result, we have completely lost touch with the
main principle of traditional medicine:
"The man is body-energy-mind and soul, and when one part of them suffers, they all suffer to some degree".
The 21th century, therefore, finds us facing a multitude of complex
and multi-faceted medical problems reflecting the complex and
multi-faceted composition of human nature, which, desperate from
isolation, is trying to impose itself in a pernicious way. It’s high
time we put things back together through a more integrated and holistic
approach in order to redress the balance.
The term
holistic, coined by Jan Christian Smuts-1926 declares that:
"Living beings are larger and different entities from the sum of their parts"
Thus, Holistic Therapy focuses on the whole person, not just the
malady itself. The holistic healer takes into consideration all of a
person’s circumstances in giving treatment as she believes that illness
is not the symptom, but the reason that lies behind it. Bearing in mind
the complex interaction among the physical, mental and energy profile of
a person, she strives for balance of the physical healing, the mental
health and the emotional wellness her clients, addressing all three
aspects of their existence. Perceiving the patient as a person rather
than a disease, she strongly believes that all people have innate
healing powers, sometimes very well hidden.
Hence, in the quest for her clients’ optimal health and wellness, she tries to:
- facilitate their self-healing mechanism not just by alleviating the
symptoms but by fixing the course of the condition through all
theways-techniques at her disposal
- train her clients to regain the control of their own body and health.
Above all, a holistic therapist, through good intention and an open
mind, endeavours to perceive the individuality of every human being, so
that she may use her knowledge in the best interest of her clients,
enabling the latter to fulfill their potential; she seeks to accommodate
their venturing on an ongoing journey of self-discovery so that they,
ultimately, live better, are healthier and strive for wholeness.