How your body heals.
So I ended up having this conversation with a few of my patients yesterday, and I figured it was worth re-iterating here. How do we heal? If our bodies are able to re-establish a balance on their own, why don’t they do it more often? Why are some people stuck with chronic illness? Well, we’re about to dive into that. Naturopathy takes a part of it’s roots from “Nature Cure” which is summarized in the aptly named book “Nature Cure” by Henry Lindlahr, published in the early 1900’s. Lindlahr claims you need to do 3 things to cure.
1 – Give the Body what it needs.
This means clearing up deficiencies of all sorts. Sometimes it’s a B-vitamin, sometime’s it’s a fat-soluble vitamin, or sometimes it’s something like water, or love. Think of Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs and you’re on a good track.
2 – Remove obstacles to cure.
This can be almost anything – whether it’s a daily binge of Hawkin’s Cheesies (my guilty pleasure) or negative relationships in your life. This one can go pretty deep, but for the most part, if you’re living in a home fill of black mold, or absolutely hate the job you’re in, there’s a good chance your health is going to suffer.
3 – Stimulate Vitality.
This is the fun one. You know that feeling when you’re dancing, or laughing with friends, or you jump into an icy lake? Well that’s vitality. It’s that “Oompha” of alertness and presence you get from doing something you love, or that’s exciting. This state is important for many reasons: you’re giving you body an opportunity to re-balance itself by shaking the system; you’re enjoying the moment–enjoying life ; you’re not thinking about tomorrows bills, or last years disaster, you’re just being – and that’s how the body heals best.
No Surprise.
Some people call our medicine quackery, but it’s really just good common sense paired with an educated understanding of the body. These 3 aspects are simple in concept but can be complicated in execution, just as every person is different and complex. Regardless if you have a sniffly nose or chronic pain – keep these things in mind, they may make a very big difference in the long run.
If you need extra help, you know where to find me!
