Fear is seductive and sometimes difficult to resist. Fear is the opposite of trust. Fear is a false imitation of truth and life. Yet, in our society these illusions are proliferated en masse. Covertly and overtly, we have been unlearned of our inborn need to live by truth. Instead, we are taught to submit to fear tactics as directed by dogmatic, bureaucratic, and consumerist influences in our society. We are encouraged to exchange our personal power and our inner guide for hollow promises of security from outside of ourselves. Rather than trusting the guidance within, we learn to look outside of ourselves for answers regarding our dearest domain: our bodies. We become proficient in self-doubt and out of sync with life as it is intended. We forget that optimal health is a natural state of being. We disconnect from the truth that superior health is, in equal measure, comprised of the spirit, the mental realm, and the physical body. If separated from this truth, we then become susceptible to fear, stress, and illness.
As a sufficiently disempowered people, we have been instructed to consume. Our ability to think critically is weakened by this and so our consumerism takes many forms. We adopt unsuitable beliefs and buy into instant gratification measures in an attempt to regain control of our lives. We tend to look outside of ourselves for fulfillment and resolution of problems. Living by external forces of control, we inadvertently perpetuate a cycle of disempowerment based on perpetuating consumerism.
Take, for example, allopathic medicine. Allopathy contends that external agents are the culprits of illness. Illness and symptoms are treated as one and “cures” result when the deviant agent is silenced. Oftentimes, the uncomfortable symptom has merely been suppressed, tricking us into thinking that the problem has disappeared. Most allopathic processes circumvent the foundation of dis-ease by tracking pain and symptoms. Many conventional treatments work by deadening us to our pain and problems. However well intended, allopathic remedies are designed to relieve symptoms, which usually equates to a cycle of pain avoidance and consumerism. When symptoms resurface or side effects appear, the cycle starts all over again.
As a modernized society, we’ve been taught that the more we consume, the better adept at pain avoidance we can become. This behavior is truly counterintuitive, for it is the pain and problems in life that cause us to grow, to develop texture and strength.
Conversely, much like the traditions of yoga, holistic health care asserts that our symptoms and discomfort are the beacons of intelligence showing us when something inside is amiss. The mission of holistic health care is to teach rather than to prescribe. While symptom suppression may make us temporarily feel better, it actually does little to eradicate dis-ease. Therefore, holistic health care practitioners first look for the origin of problems and then work outwards. Examining the source puts us in touch with our inner wisdom, which grants us the ability to discern, to negotiate our circumstances, and to make choices based upon the highest good of all life.
Holistic practices are founded upon the understanding that our inner world reflects the outer. The adage, “as within, so without,” bears direct meaning to society today whether we are discussing personal health or even world peace. One of the most important tenets of all holistic modalities regards the unimpeded expression of individual truth. Living in a state of integrity increases the potential for healing both one and all. As we break from the western model of problem-solving, we are free to return to timeless intelligence and reclaim responsibility for ourselves.
There are many different types of holistic therapies that can assist us in accessing that incredible reservoir of inner strength. An exploration into such modalities as chiropractic, craniosacral therapy, acupuncture, reflexology, naturopathy, Zero Balancing, or Ayurveda for example, is a move towards self-empowerment and regained control of health. Holistic health care practices do not promise an easy road, but do promise greater self-empowerment, personal fortitude against dis-ease, and, ultimately, a more palpable resolve when it comes to dealing with problems and pain. As with yoga, these modalities help to open up the gateways of awareness. They guide us within and take us to our core where the pulsation of life is most vibrant. As we stand transformed by our healing and rediscovery of truth, fear loses its grip. It is at this moment that we are able to surmount life’s problems and pain.
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