Body Mind Connection in Alternative Medicine
Alternative medicine practices such as Traditional Chinese Medicine and Traditional Tibetan Medicine, embrace the connection between the mind and the functions of the body. These ancient practices seek to cure illnesses by treating the body as a whole instead of as a collection of symptoms.
As more is learned about the effect of emotional stress on the body, the connection between the mind and body is becoming increasingly clear. Lifestyle changes are an important part of alternative medicine. Feeding the body with nourishing foods and healing herbs can have a dramatic effect on stress and health.
Meditation and yoga have tremendous medicinal value because of their effect on stress levels. Several studies have proven the health benefits of meditation including immune system strengthening. The British Journal of Sports Medicine proved that meditation helps to strengthen the immune system in athletes during times of exercise.
In Traditional Chinese Medicine, different emotions are linked to physical aspects of the body. For instance, sadness, grief and depression are linked to lung function and worry is linked to the spleen and the proper digestion of foods. The diagnosis from the practitioner depends on the particular symptoms that the patient is experiencing. This will also impact the treatment that is prescribed to treat the condition. Acupuncture and other alternative medicine practices are currently studied to demonstrate the link between the mind and the health of the body.
Tibetan Medicine teaches that any illness must be viewed as a physical, psychological, environmental and spiritual illness. All of these different aspects must be used to together to treat the body of the illness. Diet and lifestyle changes are just as important to healing as treating the symptoms of the condition.
Alternative medicine is a way of life and not merely a method of healthcare. The stress that people face every day factors into the health and wellness of our bodies.
