Making a choice to use alternative health care, eat whole foods, and receive bodywork to heal our ailments and keep ourselves well means we are "woo-woo" to some people.
The definition of woo-woo as found in the dictionary refers to "ideas considered irrational or based on extremely flimsy evidence or appeal to mysterious occult forces or powers."
In a way I understand their perception that this approach to life and wellness is a bit woo-woo.
Think about it:
--We stick needles (acupuncture) in the body where there is already pain
--We take a sugar pellet that holds the energy of the poison that made us sick in the first place (homeopathic remedy)
--We take our clothes off and let someone we don't know rub oil all over our body
--We eat the leaves, and the stems, and the roots of veggies and it's okay if we eat the dirt too (homeostatic soil organisms)
--We cleanse our colon to clean our skin and get rid of our allergies
--We rub essential oils on our feet to balance our digestive system
--We question our doctors
These things don't make any sense in the current model of health care. Does this mean they are wrong, or "woo-woo"?
No. They are not wrong. These things work. We are not "woo-woo".
What this means is that a new model of health care is emerging. There is a paradigm shift taking place and much of what is required here is a new way of thinking in order to understand how these things work. Then we can embrace them, and build on them.
Here is how we can do this based on the above examples:
--"Sticking needles (acupuncture) in the body where there is already pain"
New understanding: These needles are placed in the energy (non-physical) body which has a direct influence on the physical body and which is known (research based) to reduce pain.
--"Taking a sugar pellet that holds the energy of the poison that made us sick in the first place (homeopathic remedy)"
New understanding: Homeopathy is based on the Law of Similars where the treatment cancels out the problem with the causative substance. Homeopathy was a primary approach to health care in the 1800's and early 1900's. Hahnemann Hospital in Philadelphia was a homeopathic hospital.
--"We take our clothes off and let someone we don't know rub oil all over our body"
New understanding: Massage, and other forms of bodywork and energy work, are the best therapies to balance the body so that self healing can take place. All healing takes place from within.
--"We eat the leaves, and the stems, and the roots of veggies and its okay if we eat the dirt too (homeostatic soil organisms)"
New understanding: Hippocrates, the Father of Medicine said "let food be thy medicine". Of course he meant the food in its whole state - the way nature meant it to be -not loaded with artificial ingredients and preservatives. And with the over-usage of antibiotics that kill all of the good bacteria in the body - eating dirt that has wonderful soil organisms can help re-populate our systems with good bacteria.
--"We cleanse our colon to clean our skin and get rid of our allergies"
New understanding: Our colon is an important system in our body to eliminate toxins. When it is not doing its job,toxins can build in the body. A secondary eliminatory organ, the skin, then kicks in and takes over. It might break out in rashes and pimples to try to get rid of things the colon can't. Also, the body might develop what may be incorrectly thought of as allergies (runny noses, rashes, coughing) whereas it is just trying to get rid of the toxins.
--"We rub essential oils on our feet to balance our digestive system"
New understanding: The plant kingdom has all of the cures for the body. We can use essential oils - the liquid vitality of the plant - to take care of many imbalances in the body. The feet have the largest pores in the body, reflex points related to other areas in the body, and are great places to rub therapeutic essential oils - to balance all body systems.
--"We question our doctors"
New understanding: We, as health care consumers, "hire" our physicians and other members of our health care team to use their expertise to help us help ourselves heal. Health care professionals are not our authority. When we hire someone for their expertise the process of questioning them is normal.
Making a paradigm shift is a slow process. And we who are considered "woo-woo" are blazing the trails for the much needed new paradigm to emerge.
Some of you have embraced this as your life's purpose and are helping to fuel the shift - for that we thank you! You have had to put up with being considered "woo-woo" for a long time.
So wear your "woo-woo" label proudly - you are doing big work - you are a big part of ushering in a new era in health care!
