In the world of alternative medicine therapies, many practitioners talk about helping clients achieve "balance." Balance refers to allowing the body to follow natural cycles and respond to everyday events without overreacting or going into overdrive. Natural balance therapies remove blocks created by stress, poor diet, habits and trauma in order to allow the body to heal itself. Natural therapies are not a replacement for conventional medical treatment.
Types
Natural balance therapies include both passive and active forms of treatment. In medical qigong, reiki energy healing, chiropractic, craniosacral therapy, acupuncture and acupressure, as well as many forms of massage, the practitioner uses qi or vital life energy to get your own energy flowing more smoothly and abundantly. Tai chi, qigong, yoga and other forms of healing movement like Nia, teach you to achieve balance by engaging your focused attention and releasing tension through exercise.
Theory
At the heart of natural balance therapies is the idea of homeostasis: the body's ability to maintain a certain set of conditions no matter what is going on around it. Homeostasis is the reason that your core body temperature doesn't plummet below 98 degrees, even when you're outside in winter. Your nervous system, hormonal or endocrine system and immune system work together in a complex and coordinated manner to maintain your well-being, according to Shinji Kasahara and Edwin L. Cooper of the UCLA school of medicine, writing in "Complementary and Alternative Approaches to Biomedicine." Natural balance therapies seek to understand and relieve stress that might prevent your body from achieving homeostasis.
Key Concepts
Many natural balance therapies view qi as the factor that underlies and supports homeostasis. Under normal circumstances, qi flows abundantly. Overwhelming experiences, especially strong emotions or difficult situations, can drain your reserves of qi and tax homeostasis, according to Ka-Kit Hui, professor of medicine at UCLA, and Edward K. Hui, doctor of geriatric medicine in Santa Monica, writing in "Complementary Therapies for Pain Management." A natural balance therapist works with you to identify and correct negative response patterns in your mind-body system and restores the flow of qi.
Distinctions
When you enter the world of holistic or natural healing, you might expect a cure for whatever condition is foremost in your mind. However, natural balance therapies are more likely to offer you a healing experience. Rather than working to eradicate a single illness or set of symptoms, healing offers you the possibility of becoming whole, or being in a "right relationship" with yourself and your environment, according to Kathleen Wheeler, professor of nursing at Fairfield University in Connecticut. While a cure may not be possible, healing --- moving toward a more complete, whole, integrated mind-body --- always is.
Caution
Exercise caution in pursuing natural therapies. Because many modalities are unregulated, it's vitally important to check out a practitioner before you work with her, according to the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine. A good natural therapist will agree to answer any questions you might have about her experience, training and abilities before you go for a treatment or a class. Word of mouth is one of the best ways to find a practitioner or teacher.
References
- "Complementary and Alternative Approaches to Biomedicine"; Nobuo Yamaguchi; 2004
- "Complementary Therapies for Pain Management: An Evidence-Based Approach"; Edzard Ernst; 2007
- "Psychotherapy for the Advanced Practice Psychiatric Nurse"; Kathleen Wheeler; 2007
- NCCAM: What Is Complementary and Alternative Medicine?
