(PRLEAP.COM) The Major Therapies of Holistic Healing
By Kristin Gassner
The Book of THoTH

In a world of rising health care costs and expensive prescription drugs, many are turning to alternative healing to cure their ailments. Combine this with a quickly growing interest in new age spirituality, and the number of holistic therapies available, the choices are often staggering. And where staggering is involved, a lot of confusion for
the newcomer is often right around the corner.

What is Holistic Healing anyway? How do you decide whether acupuncture or Reiki Healing is best for you? Are you still unsure of the difference?

Before we can talk about something, we need to define it as a matter of course. Most commonly, Holistic Healing is defined as the healing of a person, treating every aspect of that person. So not only are the physical symptoms addressed, but the mind, body, spirit, and emotions of a person are all healed. Each treatment must be tailored to not only the symptoms being treated, but also the person the treatment is for.

Now that we know what we’re talking about lets take a look at some of the major therapies of alternative healing and see if we can’t clear the waters about those a bit.

Acupuncture, which is one of the most widely, used forms of alternative healing, originated over 2000 years ago in China. During the session an acupuncturist will place thin metallic needles into the skin at specific point on the body, in order to help the body achieve a balanced state through the flow of qi (vital energy). Acupuncture can be used for relief in many areas, including lower back pain, carpel tunnel syndrome, even addiction. Speak with a trained and licensed acupuncturist to see if acupuncture can help in your specific case.

Relatively recent is the use of a technique called Biofeedback. During Biofeedback, electrodes are placed on the body in order to measure functions such as skin temperature, heart rate, brain wave activity, and muscle tension. The patient will then use visualization or meditation to bring about specific responses in the body, such as lowering heart rate, or decreasing muscle tensions. Biofeedback is particularly useful in stress related illnesses, because it teaches the patient to consciously change body functions, which are usually unconscious.

Reiki Healing consists of energy flowing through the healer, who is considered a conduit for the Universal Life Energy, to the recipient. The energy flows through the palms of the healer through the body of the recipient to specific areas in order to create balance in the
recipient. The healer does not need to focus on a specific part of the body, because Reiki is "smart energy" it naturally flows to the part of the body with an imbalance, if the healer does have a focal point, healing can be enhanced. Even more so with the use of Reiki symbols. Reiki can be beneficial to those with a willingness to accept change.

Chakras are energy centers, which allow life energy to flow in and out of our auras. There are seven major charkas, which are responsible for developing our self-awareness, self-consciousness, as well as guiding our physical, emotional, and mental interactions. Each of the seven major chakras relate to a specific part of the body, as well as aspects of our personalities. Chakra balancing is used to open or close specific chakras in order to maintain a balance, which leads to improved health. Balancing can be done with meditation, crystals, and sounds.

In addition to helping to balancing chakras, crystals can be used for healing in their own right. Crystals can be worn, carried, or energized for various symptoms, based on the properties of the specific crystal, as well as the person using it. Crystals can be used
for most any purpose from increasing mental clarity (topaz) to teaching acceptance (jade).

Remember when choosing a healer, that holistic healing involves mind, body, soul and emotions, so find someone you are comfortable with.

So we have covered some of the major alternative therapies available. There are many more out there to be discovered. There are also plenty of resources on the web, as well as your local bookstore.

Here are some recommendations:

Acupuncture:
http://www.acupuncture.com/
The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Acupuncture and Acupressure by David W Sollars

Biofeedback
http://www.biofeedback.net/
Biofeedback, Third Edition: A Practitioner’s Guide — by Mark S. Schwartz

Reiki Healing
http://www.reiki-for-holistic-health.com/
The Original Reiki Handbook by Dr. Mikao Usui

Chakras
http://www.sacredcenters.com/chakras.html
The 7 Healing Chakras: Unlocking Your Body’s Energy Centers by Brenda Davies

Crystal Healing
http://mysticalsoup.com/crystals.html
http://book-of-thoth.com/encyclopedia-list-4.html
Healing Crystals and Gemstones: From Amethyst to Zircon by Flora Peschek-Bohmer

Holistic Healing
http://www.holisticmed.com/
The American Holistic Medical Association Guide to Holistic Health:
Healing Therapies for Optimal Wellness by Larry Tr


Many more articles like the one above can be read at http://www.book-of-thoth.com