Many practitioners of alternative and complementary medicine speak about achieving balance in order to heal. The concept of balance has some general meanings: balancing work against other priorities, or reducing stress by setting aside time to enjoy yourself, for example. In practices such as meditation, qigong and guided imagery, balance has a deeper meaning, and can refer to the experience of being centered, grounded and at ease in your body and mind. Balance can help you create conditions that facilitate healing. But remember, alternative medical practices are not a replacement for conventional medical treatments.
Theories
Western medical science has acknowledged for some years that the mind and body are connected. According to the University of Maryland Medical Center's online article about Mind-Body Medicine, psychiatrist George Solomon first began to study the connection between depression and rheumatoid arthitis in 1964. More recent research shows that physical or emotional stress releases hormones in the body that disrupt healthy functioning. Over time, stress hormones can contribute to disease. Eastern modalities have long acknowledged that there is no separation between mind and body. Both function optimally when in a state of calm awareness.
Causes
There are many issues that can cause you to become unbalanced. Eastern models focus on subtle stressors that, over time, can lead to disease. Giovanni Maciocia, practitioner of acupuncture since 1974 and author of "The Practice of Chinese Medicine," notes that conditions such as insomnia are commonly caused by excess mental activity. According to Chinese medical theory, worry, overwork, and excess anger can all result in flaring of your internal energy upward. This upward moving energy can create lightheaded sensations and erratic emotions, as well as sleeplessness.
Key Concepts
To resolve unbalanced energy due to stress, it helps to think about the concept of balance in terms of your center of gravity. The same habits that draw your energy upward will tend to draw your center of gravity up higher, also. To lower your center of gravity, relax everything down through your feet. Tina Chunna Zhang, Chinese women's sparring champion and tai chi and ba gua martial arts practitioner, writes in her book, "Earth Qi Gong for Women," that breathing long, deep, and even breaths while relaxing the diaphragm lowers your center of gravity. Besides helping martial artists to keep on their feet, rooting prevents falls and connects you energetically to the earth, allowing you to draw energy more abundantly and restoring vitality.
Try This
Any form of meditation will help you to relax inside and reconnect with the earth to enhance your emotional and physical balance. Francine Milford, holistic practitioner and reiki teacher, recommends a grounding meditation that uses tree imagery in her book, "Reiki: A Mother's Journey to Health and Healing." Begin with your feet flat on the floor. Imagine roots descending from the bottoms of your feet down into the center of the earth, where they wrap around the earth's core. Milford recommends doing this exercise while standing, but you could also do it seated.
Cautions
The University of Maryland Medical Center's web page on Mind-Body Medicine warns that working on your illness through meditation, relaxation techniques, or any other modality should not involve taking on blame for your condition. Taking responsibility for your own health is not the same as blaming yourself. If you decide to pursue self-healing, do so with the attitude that you are participating in easing the burden of illness on your body.
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