Once the lockdown eases, I get the feeling that alternative therapists are going to be busier than ever.
Complementary medicine is a matter of personal choice. I for one will be back in my acupuncturist’s room lying still and letting the chi rebalance from within. I’m also looking forward to some reflexology which leaves me feeling tired and thirsty as it triggers my body’s detoxing process for a day or two.
Having tried quite a few therapies over the years including, hypnosis, sound healing and reiki among others, I recommend that if you’ve ever wondered about trying a therapy you should give it a go and see how it physically makes you feel, experience it with an open mind and just let go a bit.
I love feeling so relaxed that I can barely walk after a full body massage or feeling seven feet tall after having had my spine stretched like chewing gum using the Alexander technique. What’s not to like? How lovely to feel so cared for by experts who have studied anatomy and been practising their discipline for years. It is true that many alternative therapies have not been medically proven. Despite the lack of scientific proof that it works, over nine million people in the UK opt for alternative therapies and the numbers are growing. Why? It’s not rocket science, many of us have simply discovered that it actually has positive effects on the way we feel!
How can I quantify my calm state in graphs and figures after a yoga class? How can you explain why you might get a feeling of ‘letting go’ and shed a tear or two after a reflexology session? By now you may have gathered that I am a fan of alternative therapies either used alone or as an adjunct to conventional treatments. All we can go on is our own experience and have a little faith in centuries old philosophies. It’s not always about science.
In last weekend’s papers I read about Rudolph Steiner clinics being criticised for the use of yarrow tea and ginger-soaked chest compresses, and homeopathic treatments to assist with Covid patients.
Okay I agree that some of the ‘more unusual’ treatments and approaches may not be particularly effective against Covid-19 (although they may help with milder cases). However, if you search the history books you can discover that these sorts of treatments have been used for years to assist in the treatment of conditions like fevers and viruses.
Rudolph Steiner, founder of anthroposophy, was an Austrian spiritualist philosopher and social reformer from the mid-19th Century. Influenced by his involvement with the theosophical society, anthroposophy takes a holistic approach to the sciences, the arts and to our spiritual strivings. There are now over one thousand schools worldwide (almost thirty in the UK,) over 2,000 nurseries and many institutions which follow Steiner’s philosophies.
Anthroposophic medicine is accepted in German law as ‘a special therapeutic form’ within Steiner clinics and hospitals. Such natural remedies may be complementary to synthetic ones thereby boosting the immune system, promote relaxation and encourage a human capacity for self-healing. Steiner maintained that “…a real medicine can only exist when it penetrates into a knowledge which embraces the human being in respect to body, soul and spirit” and that “Matter is never without Spirit. Spirit is never without matter.”
Connecting illnesses with spiritual imbalances is not a new point of view. Hinduism, Buddhism, Ayurveda and many other spiritual disciplines have been stating this for centuries. Not to mention the ancient Greeks, such as Hippocrates - “Natural forces within us are the true healers of disease,” and Plato, - “The part can never be well unless the whole is well.”
More recently, Deepak Chopra who has also been combining a model of conventional and alternative. The Chopra Centre for Well-being claiming that we can take our wellbeing into our own hands by educating ourselves. “…we blend well-being practices with Ayurveda – a centuries old system of health and healing – to offer a whole self-approach. By focusing on physical, mental and spiritual health, we empower people to create self-care routines as unique as they are, unlocking their body’s natural healing abilities.”
Even the NHS have finally accepted the power of a more holistic approach and embrace acupuncture, reflexology and various other treatments alongside conventional treatments. It’s not a competition as it is often portrayed in the media. Ultimately, many feel that there is nothing wrong with complementary medicine being used alongside, and not instead of, conventional medicine.
Surely, it’s high time that we realised, now that we’re in the 21st Century, that one is not opposed to the other but that they can build upon each other. The alternative and the conventional can work together harmoniously. In the words of Deepak Chopra, shouldn’t we “revisit the idea that science is a methodology and not an ontology.”
Marisa Laycock moved to St Albans in 2000. She enjoys sharing her experiences of living in the city. These columns are also available as podcasts from 92.6FM Radio Verulam at www.radioverulam.com/smallcitylife
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