Alternative Health is Getting Mainstream Attention

Recently several articles have come out beginning to point out and draw attention to the benefits of alternative medicine. As the Obama Administration begins to tentatively approach the topic of reforming our healthcare system, keep on eye on these discussions as they will become more heated and vocal.

Personally I believe any healthcare reform MUST include advocacy and inclusion of alternative, complementary, herbal, “asian-healing”, and other forms of health treatment that fall under the general heading of “alternative.” This medical approach to healing must include the human, touch, emotional, mind-body, and patient history for treatments to become relevant, effective, and ultimately worthwhile. I trust we’re moving slowly in that direction.

Here are several articles that I’ve reviewed recently that I think are worth checking out:

The horrors of modern medicine, insurance, and costs of doing business:
Health System from Hell, by Kate Michelman.

Fantastic article by Deepak Chopra giving an overview of the situation:
Mainstream Medicine & the Oprah Factor, on Intent.com.

Recent Associated Press article on Alternative Medicine and its impact on hospitals:
Alternative Medicine Goes Mainstream.

Here are some other links that will bring you some awareness of other education centers, non-profits, and more doing work in this arena:

University of Minnesota, Center for Spirituality & Healing: One of a kind, educational center working with its medical and nursing programs to better understand the interplay of healing and spirituality!

Guaranteed Healthcare.org: Grass-roots organization advocating universal healthcare coverage.

North Hawaii Community Hospital: Hospital utilizing complementary and holistic healing approaches.

Are you thinking about Change?

The healing experience will no doubt be the subject for multiple blog entries (for years to come), but what I know truly is that change only lasts once it has arrived and been “ingrained” in the physical body (literally has become a part of our cells). I believe health is a “top down” access. This follows a step down of integration that starts with a our spiritual health, progresses to the mental map that orients our experience of the egoic self, passes through our emotional expression, and finally ends up as the building blocks of the specific body we develop (and yes we continue to physically develop from “in utero” to the point of death).

I will leave the “spirit” conversation for now as that may not afford you the tangible reality that the healing process is a true representation of. For most Americans, healing starts first in the mind.

The desire to change can be motivated for a variety of reasons. Perhaps the pain is too much, the body ache is overwhelming, the tiredness is simply not motivating, or the experience of who you are in the world is not a true representation of who you want to be or how you want to be known. These mismatches in our mental understanding of self point to the need for change. The trouble is actually a motivating force for action; and a “negative” emotion, actually is “energy-in-motion” causing us to feel the real impact of our incomplete self. This is not a bad thing … otherwise, how will anything change?

After a time, most everyone comes to realize that the communications they are receiving, whether from their body (strongest motivating force: pain), from their mind (strongest motivating force: frustration or displeasure with how life is, the thought, that something is not right here), from their relationships (I don’t have the love, trust, or friendships that I want), from their work (unfulfilled, angry, disconnected from who they are and what they do), from … well, pick your situation. The motivating force for change is different for each individual and must be personally addressed, realized, and (if warranted) translated into action.

Some people are more action oriented than others. Some recognize the value in needing to do something about their situation, others just don’t know that they can do something about it. Perhaps blame is placed on another, on work, on money, on life, on God, what have you… In my opinion any comparison to another (look at John, he’s so much more motivated than I am) or judgment of self/other (I’m not good enough) is simply a waste of time and energy.

Although I must add, even though I know this through and through in my being, it doesn’t change the fact that at times these simple judgments and comparisons happen to me too. Just because your mind wants a “pity-party” doesn’t mean you are a bad person. It’s best to find someone willing to listen to your thoughts and not feed them. The sooner you find a compassionate and loving listener who can see through the B.S. to the light in you, the better!

To support any change, no matter how difficult, the first and most empowering stance to take, regardless of the situation, is to look to see how am I responsible for its presence in my life? (See Ho’oponopono blog post for a Hawaiian healing practice that works with this basic premise.) Most people understand the old adage: that the definition of crazy is doing the same things over and over again and expecting different results. Ideally, you will understand (when the time is right or you are simply sick of the results) that it is time to get into action.

Our mind is the most powerful motivating force on the planet (and on the flipside, it can also be the most powerful delaying, procrastinating, arguing, and discounting force) … so be aware of what you think and pay special attention to what is motivating your change in perspective. Where do your thoughts go? What do you feel as they arrive? Which ones repeat, argue with you, or wake you up at night?

Here is where that compassionate and loving individual can support you in overcoming the seemingly insurmountable hurdle of our own ingrained mental habits and attitudes. Be it a family member, friend, or most empowering a holistic health coach (therapist, mentor, teacher, spiritual guru), i.e. a loving individual that sees all you are and holds powerfully your capability of changing whatever you want … simply because it is your life!

Bottom line, if you are thinking about change, don’t keep it to yourself. Seek out support. Get a listening ear and share what you want. Take action by translating thoughts into words and you will feel what the best next step is for you. And if it isn’t clear, a proper support system will help to offer suggestions and guidance that empowers forward momentum so you can have all that you desire.

Healing Is Not Fast Food!

Recently, I discovered a lovely blog article from Lynne McTaggart. Her words warmed my heart. In my personal experience healing takes time and deep level of commitment. There is no quick fix and it is an Americanized misrepresentation that health can be achieved with a prescription for pharmaceuticals. We need to remember that healing is not an isolated event. It is not a simple, “pill-popping equals result” process. It takes time, intention, and true conscious evaluation of who I am and where I’m coming from. Frankly the evaluation is the hardest part and takes guts, willingness, and lots of energy. True healing is NOT easy, quick, or solved by the fast-food, American way of approaching life.

Once again the native American model for living provides lovely insights into the metaphor and meaning of illness and health. Thank you Lynne!

Check out the blog entry from Lynne McTaggart, “Living the Field” Community entitled: “Healing Like A Native”

Here is a quote to encourage you to read the whole article:

“To Westerners, illness is an individual, isolated event. It is something that entirely and solely belongs to him. The native American view of illness and healing, as with everything else in their world, rests upon the notion of relationship. They view their lives, as well as their states of health, as subjective and participatory, as part of other processes – past, present and future. A physical symptom is simply a metaphor for a spiritual illness – a manifestation of imbalance. An individual who is ill is fundamentally out of balance with the natural universal order.”