Holistic therapies: what are they, and who can benefit from them?
Holistic therapies aim to treat the whole person: body, mind, and spirit. They can include both traditional and alternative treatments to help the individual.
But what does “holistic therapy” mean, and is it effective? Here’s what the experts say.
Holistic therapies: what are they?
Holistic therapies work on the mind, body and spirit to support holistic health.
These therapies often include complementary and alternative practices, such as meditation, yoga, acupuncture, etc. In this way, emotional and mental health is combined with physical aspects.
For example, imagine a person suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder. He or she might experience both physical pain and feelings of insecurity or low self-confidence. In these cases, holistic therapies help to address this wide range of symptoms.
Where does the concept of “holistic therapy” come from?
While holistic therapies are widely practiced today, especially in mental health, the concept of holistic health and therapy has been around for a long time.
Hippocrates laid the foundations of holistic therapy. Ayurveda and traditional Chinese medicine have been used for centuries.
Turning to the current scenario, the COVID-19 pandemic has played an important role in raising awareness of the importance of global health care, which has increased people’s interest in seeking alternative therapies to care for their well-being. In general, people are now more aware that when we talk about health, it is not just about physical or mental health in isolation but that an integration of the concept of health is needed.
We recommend books that examine the scientific evidence, such as “The Body Keeps the Score: Brain, Mind, and Body in Overcoming Trauma.” Works such as Dr. Bessel van der Kolk support the importance of integrative and holistic health.
Benefits of holistic therapies.
What does the emerging research say? We can find several studies that highlight the credibility and effectiveness of holistic therapies in mental health. They are recommended in the following cases:
- Depression, anxiety or stress: therapies such as yoga, practising relaxation techniques or making various lifestyle changes can contribute very positively to the treatment of these conditions.
- Cognitive function: In these cases, it is recommended that we take preventive measures to ensure a good supply of silicon in our diet. This essential trace element, organic silica, is a chelator of heavy metals that are harmful to our health, so it will help prevent them from accumulating and causing cognitive impairment. A silicon supplement with biotin, such as G7 Neuro Health, can help ensure proper nervous system functioning and psychological functions.
- Family communication.
- Addiction.
- Trauma.
- Chronic pain: a chondroprotective joint complex such as Orgono Articomplex helps optimise the effect of holistic therapies for treating chronic pain. Thanks to its highly concentrated formula with patented organic silicon powder, magnesium, zinc, vitamin C and MSM, it protects and cares for joints, bones and cartilage, improves muscle function, helps reduce tiredness and fatigue and boosts the immune system.
H2 Types of holistic therapies
Holistic therapies seek to improve the ‘mind-body-spirit‘ connection to improve well-being, helping to reduce the negative response to trauma and helping to reduce anxiety and stress.
These are the most common complementary therapies:
- Conscious breathing.
- Meditation.
- Mindfulness.
- Practising gratitude.
- Nature walks.
- Stress management.
- General therapy.
- Somatic experience.
- Hypnosis.
- Cognitive behavioural therapy.
- Yoga.
- Acupuncture.[1]
- Therapeutic massage.
- Tai Chi.
- Sacrocranial therapy.
- Reiki.
- Biofeedback.
What does science say about holistic therapies?
- “Impact of holistic stress management programme on academic stress and well-being of Indian adolescent girls”: conducted with 230 adolescent girls in India suggests that those who underwent a holistic-based stress management programme for 1 month were less stressed, anxious and depressed than the control group.
- “A randomised controlled trial of a positive holistic family health intervention for parolees in Hong Kong”: suggests that people who underwent a holistic family health intervention involving simple physical activity had better family communication.
- “The effect of diaphragmatic breathing on attention, negative affect and stress in healthy adults”: this study in 40 healthy adults indicates that diaphragmatic breathing, a common tool in holistic therapy, may improve cognitive function and reduce stress responses.
- “Yoga for Substance Use Disorder in Women”: indicates that various types of yoga, in particular Hatha Yoga, may help in the treatment of nicotine, alcohol or drug addiction in women.
- “Mindfulness meditation for chronic pain’: this systematic review and meta-analysis suggests that meditation may have a positive effect on chronic pain and improve symptoms of depression.
Holistic therapies: body, mind, and spirit [a path to holistic health].
Holistic therapies seek the effective integration of mind, body and ‘soul’ in disease prevention and holistic health maintenance.
It is true that there is a growing body of research on how holistic therapy can help to alleviate symptoms caused by trauma or states of anxiety and depression, as well as greatly improve social relationships and people’s well-being and quality of life.
Holistic therapy incorporates movement-based modalities through physical exercise, meditation, yoga, massage therapy, or acupuncture. In addition, using certain supplements containing key ingredients such as organic silicon or other micronutrients, on a case-by-case basis, can help optimise the results of holistic therapies and achieve a state of health and well-being in individuals.
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