It happens, quite often, to hear about psycho-somatic health or, conversely, about psycho-somatic illness.
Yes, now even doctors must admit , and admit, that the well-being depends on a complex condition, concerning the interaction of psyche and soma, ie internal states and physicality.
So, inevitably, the disease (which is nothing more than not staying well and dis-ease caused and depending by various factors) is a condition resulting in some problems that occurred at interior level together with that of physicality. We are not done by fragments!
Other studies call disease to be somato-psychic, that is, studies that want to emphasize that the condition causing problems is the body first and then inevitably the interior conditions is influenced. Ever since ancient time it was said " mens sana in corpore sano" (from latin “healthy mind in a healthy body”), to indicate that it is all right in mental states if the body had been kept healthy.
Dr. Hammer, for example, always says that blaming the repression of a trauma or of a psychological disturbing situation is the sole cause of tumors and in general of all diseases; solved the repressive state, health comes back naturally.
From my point of view, I don't like to be so "strict" in the affirmation of seeing the causing situation only from one side.
The concept that would seem more appropriate suggests that often things happen in parallel, one part and the other part together.
A few very simple examples?
I'm not satisfied (psychic harm) of my work and then I full fill myself of junk food ( physical harm) as gratification.
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Or the person that I love has abandoned me and so I feel dejected (psychic harm), and then I start to drink alcohol (physical harm) .
Or I feel that I never digest well (physical harm) and I begin to depress ( psychic harm) because I cannot eat what I like.
Simple examples that only want to express a concept ; often personal realities, however, are much more complex and hidden by what was said in the above examples ....
We could say that generally a problems starts from one side, but then the downward spiral involves both simultaneously ...
What to do?
Take medicines? Go to the psychologist? Help with homeopathy or Bach flowers? Get some acupuncture treatment? Or whatever ...
It is pretty common to think that one of these therapies may be the solution of the disorder, but really .... have we took into account what was said above, that any disorder or disease all of them, without any exception, is based on both two factors?
Does we really want to feel good or does we just want the symptoms to disappear?
Does we want a radical cure or we have enough contentment to be not so bad?
Or it is enough for us that the problem is not present at the time, although, maybe later recur or change conditions?
Does we understand and realize really that more than one adjustment has to be done, although we would like an immediate and simple solution?
Then it would be good to keep clearly in mind the holistic concept, the concept that underlines the concept of whole, that means the inseparability of body and interior states.
To feel really good you need to take care of our entire being, there is no other way ... we are not torn to pieces sectioned from each other.
But then, someone will say: so I have to do a lot of things and engage in many different ways... only so can I really live well?
What to answer?
My answer is: it depends on the degree of how much you love yourself, that is what you are interested to give to yourself, to benefit yourself.... the real one, not some vain ones.
Could be fatuous when you are looking for small or large rewards (which are, underneath all, to search to fill the holes of dissatisfaction)
or amusements (which are, underneath all, to search to fill boredom or discontentment)
or of avocations (which are, underneath all, to search digressing from the fact that probably there is no feeling of reward),
or other means to plug inside holes ....
I would like to let you think a little nit about what is written .... so I wait for you back in a few days, at the next Post, to identify and assess together some ideas on "Holistic Wellbeing: the 6 pillars even if you wish to feel-good"
The practice to reach the Yoga state and the methods related to Yoga Therapy are two really different things.
*** Yoga, from Sanskrit word meaning "to unite" or "subdue" use practices that aim to increase the state of consciousness and awareness, in order to improve physical and psychic harmony, in parallel to acquire self-management ability, to use mind at high levels, to achieve energy potentials that favor states of equilibrium and harmony, to develop self-centering and intuition, till to arrive to enlightenment and realizations, not commonly available, and to reach special capacities of understanding finer and thinner levels of our being.
*** Yoga Therapy, however, recopy from Yoga practices mainly the physical exercises, useful to produce wellness and health; to put in the right allignment the body, to activate circulation in specific points, to stimulate the organs to work properly, to purify the glands, to clean up cells and tissues, to remove muscle contractions and energy blockages, to breathe properly, to feed themselves adequately, etc. .
The main differences are:
--- the purposes: the first one aims to evolutionary states, the second one aims to promote the best health conditions;
--- the manners; the first one requires particular uses of the mind and of consciousness, in addition to the maintenance of long and deep concentration; the second one is done in ways that may resemble gymnastics, although with times and systems quite exclusive .
Yoga Therapy collects methods that can solve a large number of diseases and disorders, both chronic and acute.
The curative programs suggested have no contraindications, though, of course, applied as taught by an expert.
So this is not an intoxicating system as do the pharmacological drugs, do not lead to side effects, do not create problems if diagnosis was not correctly done. Naturally requires that the tips are applied as long time is required to form the benefit. This timing depends by a proportional relation; it means that requests an equal period of time as in which the problem is rooted, because in all this period the problem had the opportunity to go deeper and deeper.
Yoga Therapy is a magic wand? Certainly not enough to think that healing takes place without need of personal commitment ...... requires a certain continuity and refinement of the method .... and then brings similar effects to a magic wand!
Health always requires our willing power. If we eat differently from what Nature has set, if we do not do proper physical activity, if we upload to internal problems, if we do not follow the natural rhythms, if we abuse of our energies ... then health goes away. Yoga Therapy can then set in to help us, but not as a doctor prescribing pills, but requires time to devote to set us one more time in our balance.
Health given by chemical medicines is ephemeral, while delete for some time superficial symptoms or move the problem to another part of the body;
health by Yoga Therapy is deeply working because depends by the fact that is done what necessary till to the root and the cause of the disorder.
The body becomes one more time balanced and purified; so the self-curing power of the body can become again high and restore the natural, original, normal health.
I'll wait you for the next post for some guidance on "Holistic Wellness and relations between psychological states and health".
The first historical references on Acupuncture in China date back to the Shang Dynasty in the distant 1600 b. C. There are references before, maybe in the Stone Age, allied care made with some sharp wood sticks.
It is said, then, that in battles where soldiers where fighting using arrows, someone survived when pierced by this weapon, even if was hit in the exact points suited to him, was strangely cured of certain illnesses he had. How so?
In the second century BC Acupuncture was beginning to be better known in whole China; first written record of this method was found in the Huangdi Neijing or Canon of Internal Medicine of the Emperor, dated about 300 BC.
What is Acupuncture ?
Over the centuries, was studied and experienced that placing a metal needle under the skin at specific points allowed to heal Qi blockages (the vital energy in China is called "Qi ") that are created on the energy meridians. These blockages effect the physical organs; these become imbalanced and form what is commonly called disease.
The energy blockage can be caused by various factors such as psychological stress, negative mental states, physical problems, etc. ..
The block of energy on the meridian creates something very similar to a dam on a river; the dam, on one hand creates a " full" situation, on the other hand creates an "empty" situation.
The energy system is similar to a river basin, that is a set of branches that connect most streams and rivers, to the points where could all flow to the sea. All meridians are sequentially connected to each other and each of the 12 main meridians is specifically linked to the basic physical functions of the most important organs, responsible for overall health.
These blocks create so a power surplus in the previous organs and a lack of energy in the following ones. Could be similar to a light bulb receiving too much electrical charge and another one receiving a real small quantity; the first one will collapse very soon , the second will not be able to be useful ....
Coming back to Acupuncture, the needle has to break the energy blocks. How ? The metal needle has no other function than to be an antenna that communicates with the vital energy that surrounds us and channeling it at the point in which it was put.
Consequently, I suggest you be wary of the acupuncturist that:
*** puts many needles .... is a person who is not able to understand where you have the block; so the only way for him is searching by several attempts
*** puts you only the common stainless steel needles ... instead there are three types of needles using different materials: steel , silver and gold. Everyone should be used depending on the patient's needs, everyone is helpful to solve different problems. To use only stainless steel needles is an issue of low cost and ease of use ... but couldn't give the real quality of Acupuncture
*** puts the needle just knocking, without rotating or to the left or to the right side; This choice depends on if you have to load or unload a part of the energy, in order to open the barrier that has been created
*** puts the needles in connection with electricity; he really doesn't not know what acupuncture is. It is not matter of electric stimulation but it is a channeling of Qi (vital energy) in certain meridian points
*** has no care in assessing how deep is inserting the needle; the network of energy channels for Acupuncture is different from that of Acupressure (where you do not get a needle, but you only press with a sharp instrument) and is also different from that of Shiatsu massage ( pressures done with the tips of fingers) . Each network of meridians is different depending even if is searched to operate in a shallow or in a deeper part. Therefore, if a needle is too deep or shallow, even few millimeters, may be ineffective, because the network is different and the point that is searched is not there
*** puts the needle having no care of the timetable related to the specific problem which the person is suffering. In fact, the 24-hour day is divided into 12 parts of 2 hours each, in which was proved that each Meridian is at the maximum of the potential (but 12 hours later it is in the minimum of the potential). This is explained by the fact that the energy charge that surrounds us could have a Yang (centripetal ie concentrating ) property or Yin (centrifugal ie dispersive) property; at the same time means also positive or negative or more heating and more cooling (during the day with the sun is Yang and during the night with darkness is Yin). Therefore any problem by Acupuncture, should be treated depending on where the block is located, ie which organs are too "loaded " and those too " drained "; so to put the needle in the proper point suitable for channeling the external energy in relation to what is needed. The timetable of the maximum activity (you can calculate the time on the opposite corresponding to the minimum activity, that is, when the organ becomes susceptible to energetic crisis):
3-5 lungs
5-7 large intestine
7-9 stomach
9-11 spleen - pancreas
11-13 heart
13-15 small intestine
15-17 bladder
17-19 kidneys
19-21 master of the heart
21-23 triple hearth
23-1 gallbladder
1-3 liver
It is uncomfortable for the acupuncturist to put the needle at decided moments; so usually he shut up, and doesn't follow the original effective methods; these things upset all his appointments and really doesn't want to get up at night as a needle has to be put .... But all this has certainly detrimental effects on the problem that the patient would want taken care of ... but the fee is paid anyway!
I wait for you at the next Post, writing about “What is Yoga Therapy?”
