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Holistic MedicineExploring The Nature Of Medicine (1)The word holistic medicine is used daily with reference to herbs, herbal products, alternative medicine and various other systems of healing. What does the word holistic mean? How can we be confident that any system or any product is holistic in nature? The root of this word ‘holistic’ is ‘holo’. It has two meanings in English language. First one is with relation to Philosophy – it says that 'the whole or the complete' of something is regarded to be greater than their individual parts. Second meaning relates to Medicine – Holistic Medicine means that we should treat the whole person and not the symptoms alone. Both are true and easy to grasp in practical sense. Suppose you build a house for your family. You know - the bricks, sand, stone, cement, iron and all other material that is used to erect a house and later you paint it and do the interior decor. These individual materials are essential to build a house but you can certainly feel the wholeness of the house that after proper use of these materials give it the sense of ‘house’. That feeling or essence of wholeness gives it another existence in physical, emotional and spiritual sense.
And when we
construe our feelings around that house with our family! Then a whole new,
‘seeming to be abstract yet living and
The above concept of holistic nature is described in a very deep, spiritual and integral manner in Ayurveda and Yoga literature by the ancient and modern saints – the persons of spiritual realization. So we can consider this literature as the earliest literature of Holistic Medicine. This description of Holistic Medicine is not theoretical. It relates in a practical sense to our complete life - to our lifestyle, our attitude, the clinical practice, the causative factors of diseases, the process of development of disease or pathogenesis and also the remedial measures as well. This yogic knowledge is 'realization born' – realized in deep states of trance when ancient sages realized the oneness of everything in Divine Spirit. This is also coming into light in the modern scientific world after the discoveries of Quantum Physics. This knowledge of Holistic Medicine can be verified directly by anyone who can enter that deep trance state. As one doesn’t require knowing the deep intricacies of how the DVD player does work, yet anyone can enjoy the songs, music and movies just by inserting the DVD and playing it. In the same manner we can work with and feel the working of this holistic nature of our own bodies and of this world. This is subtle and experiential i.e. self-evident in nature. Ayurveda is the realized knowledge of life, the earliest Holistic Medicine. Life is the combination of body, mind, intellect and soul. This life is divided into four types of lifestyle based on the purpose, motive and our living. First is Beneficial and righteous way of living. Second is non-righteous and harmful way of living. Third is happiness and sense pleasure centered living. Fourth way of living is centered around unhappiness and lack of sense pleasures. Our life is always a mix of these four living styles. The ideal way is to do the beneficial and righteous activities in pleasurable ways. And to do the 'happiness and sense pleasure yielding' activities in beneficial and righteous ways. The proper and dynamic balance of beneficial and righteous lifestyle with happy and pleasurable way of lifestyle is the ideal way to live. See How Ayurveda uses the holistic approach in medicine - The Holistic Medicine? It will help to maintain and strengthen the holistic nature of life in us. A little example will make it clear. Everybody knows that exercise is useful for health. And there are many ways to do this beneficial act in a pleasurable way – some will do yogic postures, some will go for a morning walk, some will go to gym, some will opt for other outdoor games – literally there are so many ways to accomplish the beneficial activities in pleasant manner in Holistic Medicine. Another example, for Diabetics, sugar is harmful, and they love sweet taste – the better way is to take sweetening pills, to chew the bread properly while eating, to strengthen the mind, to eat wholesome fruits as apple, pears, and sometimes to take a little of so called sweet items to get the mind free from limiting consciousness, or ideally, eat a little of a bitter taste herbs (e.g., a pinch of neem on the tongue), removing the sugar craving.
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