General Holistic Health Tips

Improve your posture. It is important to keep your spine as straight as possible, so that your muscles do not strain and contract unnecessarily. Also, in order to keep energy circulating throughout your body, it is important to keep your spine straight and nerves unhindered.

Consider “trigger point massage” for pain relief. If you are plagued by continuous pain and conventional pain medicines are not working to help eliminate it, consider this special type of massage. It will help to not only ease the pain – but to eliminate its source as well.

Try Reiki healing. Reiki is a healing art that uses the body’s energy to begin and further the healing process. It is performed by using one’s hands to follow a specific pattern of massage, in order to stimulate energy movement throughout the body. There are many Reiki healers who are specially trained to perform the healing massage, or you can read about it or take a class to become a proficient Reiki healer yourself.

Consider a complete body cleansing. There are many different products on the market today that can help you to eliminate toxins from the body and increase the efficiency and overall health of your body. A complete cleanse will remove toxins and other harmful matter from your kidneys, liver and intestines. Generally how they work is you follow a strict dietary regimen for a few weeks while the cleansing process occurs. Most people who try this agree that it makes them feel healthier and they often report a fair amount of weight loss after the process is complete.

Try to avoid television. Believe it or not, television actually induces negative feelings in most viewers as a result of the commonplace violence and gossip. Television viewing is not nearly as relaxing as some people claim. Try giving up your television shows for a week, replacing them with other activities. You will most likely find that you are better rested, happier and less stressed at the end of that week.

Don’t forget to relax. No human being is equipped to function in constant stress mode. It is unhealthy to have a life filled with all work and no play. Some of the most common health problems that result when a person doesn’t relax enough include high blood pressure, stomach ulcers and other digestive disorders. Be sure to take some time out for yourself at least once a week, preferably once a day. This can help to prevent, and in some cases eliminate, these chronic health problems.

Consider biofeedback therapy. If you are experiencing health problems and cannot seem to find the source, a biofeedback therapist will monitor your body and how it reacts to daily activities in order to find out where it is not performing optimally. In this treatment, you would wear a monitor that actually records how your body is reacting while it is turned on. If you are an athlete suffering from muscle problems, you might want to consider this treatment to determine whether you are properly resting your muscles between activities.

Improve your sleeping habits. One of the best things that everyone can do to improve their well-being is to moderate their sleeping patterns. Unfortunately, poor sleep is a habit learned by nearly everyone during the teenage years. It is critical to allow your body the time it needs to wind down and relax so that you can be rejuvenated. If you feel tired during the day, when you awaken in the morning or exhausted before bedtime it is a sign that you are not getting the right amount of sleep. This could be too much, or too little. Try setting aside eight hours for sleep each night, getting into bed no less than half an hour prior to the time that you want to be asleep. If you do this for a few weeks, you will find positive improvements in your overall health and productivity.

Breathe mindfully. The process of mindful breathing is a form of meditation; however it is also a great way to get more oxygen into your blood and tissues. If you start right now and pay attention to how you are breathing, it is more than likely that you will find yourself breathing quite shallowly. This is not a healthy breathing pattern. You can start out by just inhaling completely and then slowly exhaling completely. If you take one minute to just do this focused breathing each day, you will find that you feel better during that minute. And, you will catch yourself paying attention to your breathing several times throughout the day. If you are stressed or tired, take a minute out of your day to breathe mindfully.

Try reflexology. Reflexology is a technique of applying pressure to and stretching the hands and feet in order to send nerve messages to other parts of the body. Through the careful application of reflexology, practitioners can affect the health of various organs and parts of the body. There are many resources available if you would like to learn more about the practice of reflexology.

Meditate for better well being. The basic definition of meditation is to concentrate on some object or thought in order to quiet the mind. There are many different types and styles of meditation; however the one thing that is consistent is that not every technique will work for every person. Every one can benefit from some type of meditation, take some time to read about different techniques or talk to a holistic healer for more information about what might work for you.

Accept that there is no clear and easy path. Many people spend so much time looking for the easy route that they forget to enjoy the joys of the road. Changing your perspective will take time, but try to begin thinking of obstacles as stepping-stones along the path of your life.

Be nicer. Positive energy is contagious. If you do something nice for someone today, chances are that before the end of the day that person will do something nice for someone else. Holding the door for someone costs you nothing more than a few seconds out of your day, however if that person is having a bad day it might just be the little pick up needed to put them in a better mood. Little things mean a lot, and if you are doing nice things for people, you will begin to feel better about yourself.

Avoid clutter. Clutter is an energy buster. If your bedroom is cluttered, the energy will not flow as freely as it should and your sleep will be affected in a negative way. Not only that, but clutter is frustrating, because it often keeps you from finding something that you need in a few seconds. Take the time to eliminate clutter, but start small with one area at a time. Otherwise, you risk overwhelming yourself with a lot of work.

Be gracious. Gratitude is extremely powerful, and remembering to say thank you for even the littlest things can be a powerful positive change. Expressing gratitude is much more pleasant than expressing frustration, and it will eventually begin to replace the negative habit of complaining that we all get into some times.

Be mindful instead of bored. If you feel bored, or feel as though you are stretching every minute to its fullest extent in order to get things done, you are probably a good candidate for the practice of mindfulness. Through mindfulness, you are going to get to the root of what is causing you to feel stressed or bored. Often there is something deeper that is causing you anxiety, and through this technique you are likely to discover what that something is. The premise is to let go of pain and to allow thoughts to flow freely. By trying to suppress feelings and control thoughts, you are actually doing your body more harm than good.

Pay attention to your dreams. Dreams can tell you a lot of information that you might not otherwise realize. Therapists believe that through our dreams, we become aware of personal struggles, fears and internal conflicts. Consider keeping a dream journal, where you record at least the major themes of what you are dreaming. Do this as soon as you can after waking, so that you make sure to get the essence of your dreams. Pay attention to patterns, serial dreams and symbols that seem to reappear often. Find out what these things represent to you by meditating on the symbol or theme, or look them up in a dream dictionary for the generally accepted explanation. While this may not represent the meaning for you, it will give you a place to start.

Learn about your constitutional type. Indian medicine focuses treatment for patients upon their constitution – based upon the elements of water, fire, earth, space and air. According to this centuries old practice, it is believed that diet, activities and healthcare can be specifically targeted to the individual. There are a number of factors that help determine your constitutional type according to Auyervedic typing. You can work with a practicing Auyervedic doctor, or you can find information about type determination online.

Pay attention to your colors. Although you may have stopped paying attention to color as a young child, there is definitely some benefit to examining what colors you tend to use, enjoy and prefer. Color is directly associated with body energy and emotions. Sometimes, you may feel out of balance and not realize that it is the colors surrounding you that are impacting your mind-body balance. For example, if you tend to wear a lot of red or to surround yourself with red, you may be over-stimulating your emotions. However, if you frequently feel tired or listless you might want to add more red to your wardrobe.

Consider color therapy. Try changing the colors in your wardrobe to better suit your emotional needs during any particular time in your life. For example, if you feel that you are in need of a personal change, or that you need to build your self-esteem, consider wearing more purple, as this color is known for its connection with self-healing. If you are stressed, try wearing light blue. Green is a great color to add when you feel like you have recently made a personal accomplishment, since it is a color known for renewing effects.

Try bioenergenic therapy when you are feeling depressed or tired. Bioenergetics is an alternative therapy that includes a combination of different techniques used together to help your body fight off illnesses, depression and other conditions. Practitioners observe the patient and form a treatment plan that works to correct things like breathing patterns and stress levels in order to begin identifying and alleviating problems that the patient is experiencing. This therapy combines biofeedback with talk and touch therapy, acupuncture and nutritional counseling in a specific way determined by each individual patient.

Play an active role. If you have decided to see a holistic practitioner, one of the things that you need to realize when you get started is that this is not the passive medicine that you may have experienced in the past. The practitioners are there to guide you as the patient, however you will need to make a significant effort and work with your practitioner to determine the best treatments for you and to increase the effectiveness of the treatments. Many patients find that taking an active role in treatment makes the effects more immediate and tangible.

Consider a whole body detoxification program. The environment, stress and even the foods that we eat can affect every cell in the human body negatively. Sometimes, the body just needs a break so that it can effectively remove harmful chemicals and byproducts that reduce the body’s ability to fight disease and to function at its peak. A whole body cleanse will give you the ability to remove toxins from your intestine, organs and even your skin. Consider working with a holistic physician to see if a detoxification program could help you.

Try chiropractic for more than just your back. Even if you are experiencing an illness or injury somewhere other than in your back, there is a chance that a Chiropractor will be able to alleviate some of your symptoms. In general, holistic chiropractors believe that most illnesses are a result of nerve impingement somewhere in the body. By carefully manipulating the spine, these nerves can be released and symptoms or even the illness itself will fade. Consider scheduling a consultation with a chiropractor today. The visit will generally include an examination, discussion of your symptoms and possibly an adjustment to see if you experience immediate relief.

Try hypnosis. There are many different schools of hypnotherapy, however all center around the idea of using altered states of consciousness to help you find and resolve issues within yourself. The primary goal of hypnosis is to be a short-term therapeutic process that can help the patient to find a deep issue that they have been unable to realize in their conscious mind so that they can begin to find a solution to the problems that they are facing.

Lose weight or stop smoking with hypnosis. There are many programs available that offer assistance to people who want to lose weight or stop smoking, but who have been unable to remove psychological obstacles that are standing in their way. Generally, in only a few sessions, the patient will become receptive to the hypnosis and will begin to see results quickly. It is important to find a reputable program and hypnotherapist who can demonstrate proven results from their techniques.

Listen to more music. Sound therapy is becoming commonplace in homes with newborn infants and older adults. There are many benefits of sound therapy including calming and increasing the patients sense over overall well being. Find a soft music that you enjoy, and try playing it at the lowest possible volume in a quiet room. You will find that before too long, if you are quiet and relaxed, that you hear the music as though it were at full volume.

Become familiar with aromatherapy. Aromatherapy is a simple way to change your daily life. Through the use of essential oils, it is possible to get access to wonderful therapeutic results. Aromatherapy has been a popular holistic health topic for thousands of years, and many people will tell you that the promised benefits are completely accurate. For example, consider placing a few drops of Rosemary oil on a cotton ball and dabbing it on your forehead during a headache. Or, consider placing a drop of lavender oil on the light bulbs in your bedroom for enhanced relaxation during sleep. Consult a pharmacist, holistic specialist or a book on essential oils to determine if one or more could help you to improve your well-being.

Visit an aromatherapist. If you are interested in working with a holistic therapist who deals with aromatherapy on a daily basis, consider an aroma massage with an aromatherapist. The therapist will create a custom oil blend for your visit, according to how you are feeling and your emotional state at the time of the visit. Then, they will use a soft massage technique to apply the oils to your body. You should begin to see the benefits immediately, and you should discuss what you should do for the next day or two in order to enhance the effects of the massage and oils even more.

Perform an act of love. Many holistic healers claim that there is no more powerful medicine than love and that simply giving or receiving affection such as a hug can raise the spirits and begin to heal the body. If you are suffering from grief of some sort, love may be all that you need to start healing.

Nourish your soul. Just like the mind and body, the soul also needs nourishment to continue to grow and develop. Your soul is what provides you with energy and vitality. Every one has different soul food, however most find that their soul is nourished by a walk outdoors or spending time with friends and family.

Ask your soul what it needs. If you take the time to listen to your inner voice, your soul will tell you what it needs. It is important to take the time to listen; otherwise you can lose your soul and not be able to find out what it is that you are missing. Just a few moments of quiet each day, and you are bound to learn something that can change your life.

Make your bedroom only for sleep. In today’s busy world, there is a tendency to turn the bedroom into a home office and multipurpose room. This is not recommended, as the bedroom should be instilling a sense of relaxation and restfulness.

Get better sleep. Do your best to avoid stress and exertion within an hour of your bedtime. Consider having a cup of chamomile tea before bed, or using lavender infused oil in order to help induce a sense of relaxation. Try to get at least 8 hours of uninterrupted sleep, to maintain healthy sleep habits.