Embracing the Power of Holistic Health for Mind, Body, and Spirit for Balanced Life

We all seek balance—between our work and personal lives, financial pursuits and value systems, and in our relationships. But the question that puzzles us is how one attains this balance. The answer lies in a holistic approach to the wellness of body, mind, and spirit, encompassing every aspect of our existence.

In this article, we will take you through the holistic medicine treatment practices that can help establish the mind-body-spirit balance.

Holistic health or wellness, as the name suggests, focuses on the entire being instead of just a single aspect of your existence (i.e., physical, emotional, or spiritual). It aims to address the underlying conditions of a given illness instead of merely improving the symptoms. The basic tenet of holistic wellness is the interdependence of the body, mind, and spirit. In order to attain balance in your life, you need to establish harmony between these three.

Holistic medicine practices may help you enjoy good physical health, impart clarity of the mind, and aid in your spiritual growth, thus improving the overall quality of life. Holistic wellness motivates integrative health practices that combine conventional medical techniques with complementary methods.

Having gained an overview of holistic wellness, let us now proceed to the different practices that aim at achieving mind-body-spirit balance.

Here are some holistic wellness disciplines and practices based on different traditions but directed at a common pursuit of overall wellness.

The ancient Indian system of medicine, Ayurveda, is a complete holistic wellness discipline in itself. It includes herbal medicine, dietary approaches, physical exercises, and a healthy routine as methods for attaining holistic wellness. According to Ayurveda, the human body has three doshas, or constituents—kapha, pitta, and vata—a balance between which is essential for a healthy body and mind. When the dosha balance is disturbed, physical and emotional ailments arise.

A key feature of Ayurveda is that it doesn’t recommend a one-size-fits-all kind of treatment for everyone. Rather, people are believed to have different personalities depending on their dominant dosha, and specific treatment is prescribed keeping that in mind.

Though yoga’s popularity rests heavily on physical exercises, its essence extends much beyond that. Yoga is one of the six ancient schools of Indian philosophy, with its ultimate goal being that of attaining salvation. Through it, you can improve your physical strength, posture, and flexibility and achieve a sense of inner calmness. There are different schools of yoga varying in forms and ease of practicing, such as Hatha yoga, Sivananda yoga, Iyengar yoga, and Ashtanga yoga.

Through meditation, you train your mind to get fixed on a thought, an object, or an activity. It helps raise your awareness of yourself and the world and brings you inner peace and contentment. Different religious and spiritual traditions have developed their own forms of meditation. These include the mantra and contemplative meditation in Jainism, mindfulness and breathing meditation in Buddhism, and modern secular techniques like transcendental meditation.

Tai chi, also known as movement meditation, is a Chinese technique in which the practitioner fluidly shifts between various postures while paying close attention to their bodies' sensations and taking deep breaths. Tai chi is a gentle, low-impact form of exercise, making it suitable for even those who are not in their best physical shape, e.g., people recovering after surgery or bound to a wheelchair.

Another Chinese holistic medicine technique, acupuncture, is an invasive method in which tiny needles are inserted into the skin at specific locations in the body. These points are believed to connect the energy pathways, or meridians, through which life energy flows in the body. Acupuncture is mainly used for the purpose of pain relief but also finds application in terms of holistic wellness, with its uses extending to the treatment of insomnia, respiratory problems, addiction control, and asthma.

Through biofeedback therapy, you can control your body’s functions, such as breathing, heart rate, and muscular tension, with the help of electrical pads connected to a biofeedback machine, your computer, or even a wearable device. Interactive biofeedback systems may help you with a variety of conditions, such as stress, anxiety, chronic pain, and urinary incontinence, to name a few.

Although, when just starting out, you will need a biofeedback practitioner’s help along with the required machines or sensors, you may be eventually able to train your mind and body to practice biofeedback on your own and without a machine.

It is a Japanese holistic wellness technique in which universal healing energy is channeled into your body to clear any energy blockages or imbalances. The reiki method is based on the belief that our bodies are capable of healing themselves. Reiki promotes the mind-body-spirit balance and can be used for inducing relaxation, improving the symptoms of anxiety, insomnia, and depression, and enhancing the overall quality of life. Some special features of reiki are its distant and self-practiced forms.

In the case of the former, a reiki practitioner may send you healing energy from hundreds of miles away or even from your past or future! Under the latter, you may be able to use your healing powers and attunement to universal energy.

Sound healing is based on the therapeutic effects of auditory vibrations on our physical and emotional health. Sound therapy may utilize different instruments such as tuning forks, Himalayan singing bowls, gongs, chimes or vocals, or even the sound of your breath. The benefits of sound healing include a sense of relaxation, relief from anxiety, depression, and chronic pain, and a feeling of overall well-being.

The concept of holistic wellness is gaining popularity as people seek gentle, pocket-friendly, and effective ways of ensuring their overall well-being. You can use holistic medicinal treatments in addition to conventional medical methods after consulting your health care provider.

You can also visit your local integrative health practice center and seek guidance about which holistic wellness practice will suit you the best.