Holistic Approach: The Healing Power of Thought
09/07/2009 | 12:00 AM
"Health is a state of complete physical, mental, and social well being, and not merely an absence of disease or infirmity" —The World Health Organization
For many, the term holistic health conjures visions of expensive spas, magic crystals and a kind of 70’s era Norman Vincent Peale-style faith in the power of positive thinking. But the holistic approach to wellness springs from the simple idea your mindset, diet, lifestyle and environment all contribute to your overall well-being. In other words, it’s based on common sense, not new-age “theory”: Your mind and body are intimately connected, inseparable parts of the whole person. You can’t effectively treat one without treating the other.
Intuitively, we all know this. We know that stress can cause migraines. We know that a good workout can lift your mood. We know that a cluttered office makes it hard to focus. But when it comes to seeking help from the medical profession, we often default to thinking of the body as a machine, with an isolated part that isn’t functioning properly. A mechanistic approach somehow seems more sound, more “scientific.”
The scientific research of the past few decades, however, has shown that the mind-body connection is not only real but also an integral part of the prevention of illness and the maintenance of wellness. Negative beliefs can and do make us sick. There are documented cases, for example, in which people have become ill because they believe a hex has been put on them, or patients’ conditions have worsened because of their doctors’ negative attitudes.
This is often referred to as the “nocebo” effect. Its opposite is the much better-known placebo effect. In trial after clinical trial, since the placebo effect was given a name in 1969, patients have shown the same improvement with medications as with dummy pills—so long as their minds believed they were taking real pills.
Should this make you lose confidence in the power of your current prescriptions? Of course not. But we hope it rekindles your faith in all the ways that you can truly control your own health, just by making some changes in your lifestyle, your habits—and your mind.
Take note: Holistic health advocates don’t consider the mind to be merely the reasoning, rational self. The mind is also emotional and spiritual, whether you are religious or atheist, Christian or Jewish, Hindu, Buddhist or Muslim. There is a reason that almost every religion prescribes some form of prayer that is repetitive, calming, soothing and disciplined—in short, meditative. Meditation, be it Vipassana contemplation, Zen practice, or Yoga, is a cornerstone of well-being, a combined discipline of body and mind.
Meditation helps you relax and focus. It also teaches awareness. The world interacts with us through our senses—vision, hearing, smell, sight and touch— but without the awareness that comes with a meditative practice, we do not always pay attention to what we allow through. Through meditation comes the realization each sense is like a portal through which we can invite health or illness into our lives, We seek out beauty and harmony for the eyes, pleasant, soothing sounds for the ears, healthy, simple food for the taste buds, aromatherapy for the nose, and healing touch and movement for the body,
Can meditation prevent cancer? Can cutting out fast-food cure depression? Will repainting your kitchen end your headaches? Of course not, certainly not by themselves. But if you supplement your regular visits to the doctor with a healthy, holistic approach to the world around you and the world inside you, you may discover some amazing changes in your overall wellbeing. We invite you to begin taking care of the whole you—starting with your mind.
For many, the term holistic health conjures visions of expensive spas, magic crystals and a kind of 70’s era Norman Vincent Peale-style faith in the power of positive thinking. But the holistic approach to wellness springs from the simple idea your mindset, diet, lifestyle and environment all contribute to your overall well-being. In other words, it’s based on common sense, not new-age “theory”: Your mind and body are intimately connected, inseparable parts of the whole person. You can’t effectively treat one without treating the other.
Intuitively, we all know this. We know that stress can cause migraines. We know that a good workout can lift your mood. We know that a cluttered office makes it hard to focus. But when it comes to seeking help from the medical profession, we often default to thinking of the body as a machine, with an isolated part that isn’t functioning properly. A mechanistic approach somehow seems more sound, more “scientific.”
The scientific research of the past few decades, however, has shown that the mind-body connection is not only real but also an integral part of the prevention of illness and the maintenance of wellness. Negative beliefs can and do make us sick. There are documented cases, for example, in which people have become ill because they believe a hex has been put on them, or patients’ conditions have worsened because of their doctors’ negative attitudes.
This is often referred to as the “nocebo” effect. Its opposite is the much better-known placebo effect. In trial after clinical trial, since the placebo effect was given a name in 1969, patients have shown the same improvement with medications as with dummy pills—so long as their minds believed they were taking real pills.
Should this make you lose confidence in the power of your current prescriptions? Of course not. But we hope it rekindles your faith in all the ways that you can truly control your own health, just by making some changes in your lifestyle, your habits—and your mind.
Take note: Holistic health advocates don’t consider the mind to be merely the reasoning, rational self. The mind is also emotional and spiritual, whether you are religious or atheist, Christian or Jewish, Hindu, Buddhist or Muslim. There is a reason that almost every religion prescribes some form of prayer that is repetitive, calming, soothing and disciplined—in short, meditative. Meditation, be it Vipassana contemplation, Zen practice, or Yoga, is a cornerstone of well-being, a combined discipline of body and mind.
Meditation helps you relax and focus. It also teaches awareness. The world interacts with us through our senses—vision, hearing, smell, sight and touch— but without the awareness that comes with a meditative practice, we do not always pay attention to what we allow through. Through meditation comes the realization each sense is like a portal through which we can invite health or illness into our lives, We seek out beauty and harmony for the eyes, pleasant, soothing sounds for the ears, healthy, simple food for the taste buds, aromatherapy for the nose, and healing touch and movement for the body,
Can meditation prevent cancer? Can cutting out fast-food cure depression? Will repainting your kitchen end your headaches? Of course not, certainly not by themselves. But if you supplement your regular visits to the doctor with a healthy, holistic approach to the world around you and the world inside you, you may discover some amazing changes in your overall wellbeing. We invite you to begin taking care of the whole you—starting with your mind.
