Holistic Health

Holistic healing means taking an holistic approach when seeking treatment for imbalances and choosing to live a more balanced lifestyle. What primarily distinguishes holistic healing apart from alternative medicine, complementary medicine, and integrative medicine is that physical health is not necessarily the main focus. Even so, it is often the experience of physical discomfort that will first prompt a person's pursuit of holistic healing.

It is true that our pains and other physical discomforts demand our attention. This is where the saying "sticking out like a sore thumb'" originated from. It is difficult to ignore the obvious when we are physically hurting. Common sense tells us that we should seek help to alleviate our discomforts. Holistic healing is not an "alternative" to conventional medical care. Sometimes going to a medical professional is the best solution to addressing a disease. 

Physical illnesses are the symptoms of a greater imbalance that may or may not have a root cause in the physical.

Holistic or "wholistic" healing addresses all parts of the individual, not just the physical aspect of a person where manifested illnesses are most apparent. Holistic healing is not intended to serve as a band-aid or a one time fix. It is an ongoing journey of discovery in search of more answers and ultimately; living better, being healthier, and striving for wholeness.

Holistic healing is really a lifestyle approach. The holistic approach goes far beyond the Mind-Body connection of finding and maintaining wellness. Overall wellness AND "wholeness" is highly valued. All parts of a person's life (physical healing, mental health and wellness, emotional well-being, and spiritual beliefs and values) are considered. Taking a holistic approach involves seeking the tools that will help us attract our desires and find personal power.

A person who embraces the desire to find wholeness within his own being soon learns the importance of tending to relationships, caring for the planet and our environments, having compassion for humankind in general, and accepting and tolerating differences among a diverse population of people.

The holistic healer recognizes that our discomforts or pains are merely symptoms of an imbalance. The imbalance could be a physical issue, the result of abusing the physical body through an unhealthy diet, lack of exercise, or too little sleep. Or, the imbalance may be the result of mental, emotional, or spiritual needs not being met. No aspect (mind, body, spirit, or emotions) of a person is overlooked when an holistic treatment is sought.

The holistic healer looks at the "whole person" in order to make his or her complete evaluation and uses all information gathered before suggested treatments to the client are offered. Keep in mind, not all holistic healers are equal, each has his or her own specialty or expertise to offer. It will benefit you to shop around for a good fit. Choosing to go to a holistic healer is no different from choosing a medical professional. You decide.

Holistic or wholistic?

So, what is the difference between 'wholistic' and 'holistic'?

There seems to be a lot of confusion between these two different, yet very similarly defined words. It really is a very simple and clear difference.

Holistic = Wholistic (kind of!)

Wholistic refers to a whole or whole body; taking into consideration the whole body or person. Wholistic means considering the mind, body and spirit.

Holistic in the dictionary means, of or relating to Holism. Emphasizing the importance of the whole and the interdependence of its parts.  Concerned with wholes rather than analysis or separation into parts. Dictionary.com explains holistic as identifying with principles of holism in a "system of therapeutics,especially one considered outside the mainstream of scientific medicine, as[homeopathy], naturopathy or chiropractic, and usually involving nutritional measures."

The word holistic is derived from Holism. Holism is inclusive of wholistic, but also with the notion that reality is an interconnected whole. The term holism was coined in 1926 by Jan Smuts. His definition of holism echoed the concept "the whole is different from the sum of its parts."

Wholistic and holistic do in fact have two different meanings, but over the years the popularity of Holism muddled the definitions and in North America today holistic is wholistic!