HOLISTIC HEALTHCARE

by PETER ROSE FSI

What is really interconnected ? In all parts of Natural (alternative, complementary, folk) health care; there is much emphasis on a holistic approach. (Whole-istic but probably due to global Americanization we write this as Holistic)  What do we mean by holistic. The usual reply is mind body and spirit. The implication is that these 3 embrace every aspect of human existence, but there is a trend towards claiming holistic treatment, service or remedy, that does not embrace every aspect of human existence. So it is time therapists and practitioners re-examined what is actually meant by holistic and how it is used in health care. Holistic health care and holistic views of life should embrace all aspects of existence. It is common, in order to make more precise evaluations, to split this total into material and ethereal (non material) Some practitioners assign these divisions to Yin and Yang but the concepts of yin and yang are more complex and would take half a book to try and fully understand. Over many years of study and experience, I have leant to sub divide this total existence into Spirit, Body, Mind and Emotions.   With body and mind firmly in the material and spirit in the ethereal, the emotional well being of a person can be the link between the two.  Since the emotions link the physical and the non physical they are vital to our total wellbeing.

MY OWN VIEW
We can also look at these things from the other way round. Because the whole is holistic, if we work on the physical body and do not try to interfere with the belief system, we will still improve the emotional health.  The improved self esteem that comes from improved physical well being enables and empowers people to restructure, or reinforce, their own chosen lifestyle. The big question is can we call this holistic treatment?  My own personal view is that if the form of treatment involves both the physical body and the subtle energy flowing around the body, then the combination is working on sufficient of that interconnected whole, to influence every part and so can be holistic.

PETER ROSE FSI

Back To ARTICLE INDEX

  
©Peter Rose 2007