What is Health?

We often come across a disposition to ask ourselves the idea of a healthy lifestyle. There is a notion of health that we think we understand, but there are so many different opinions which circulate around us, that it sometimes becomes very perplexing. The internet and the seemingly obvious but complicated opinions regarding a “healthy lifestyle” change and differ significantly. So, let us ask ourselves today, and start with a simple question. What is Health?

A state of “Health” is when we feel balanced, mentally satisfied and physically healthy. There are multiple layers of achieving balance. An individual might be without pain physically, but in order to be truly in health, the mind must also be in balance. According to theories of homeopathy, health is achieved by treating disease and addressing the constitution in a manner which does not suppress symptoms but treats the cause of the illness. In acupuncture, health is attained by having a balanced lifestyle, which is adjusted accordingly to nature. Nature is a word which is often used in conjunction with balance, but it is rarely applied to improve health. Let us consider the possibility of healing through nature by observing the experiences of various homeopaths and acupuncturists.

The human body consists of multiple layers of knowledge, which can be unraveled by careful observation. First, to understand the mechanism of health, we must observe the pathways of disease. A homeopath known as Constantine Herring discovered what is known as “The Law of Cure.” This law is essential to understand disease and health. I observe it in practice every day, like it has been observed by thousands of practitioners. “Healing occurs from the most to less important locations, from within outwards, from above downwards and in reverse order as the symptoms have been suppressed” Constantine Herring. The suppression of disease was unheard of in practice before the observation was made by certain practitioners in the 19th century. This law of cure has a counterpart, “Disease travels from the least to the most important locations, from below upwards, and from surface inwards. Herring in practice observed that certain symptoms returned when a state of healing was achieved. This is known as the reverse order of healing. These symptoms can be joint pains, headaches, a cold or a fever which was suppressed, or a skin eruption which was driven away using local applications. The most important location is the mind or the brain in the hierarchy of health. The mind is the source of all health, and it must be addressed in order achieve balance. From within outwards occurs, when skin eruptions which are suppressed reappear after use of homeopathic remedies. Since the mind is the most important location, disease travels to this location, if it is blocked externally at the skin, joints or other locations. The result can be depression, anxiety or other disease of the nervous system. To treat as nature intended, we must follow this inherent design of health. According to homeopathy, by promoting the body’s own mechanism through homeopathic remedies, we can improve health.

The theories of Acupuncture have its own view of health and disease. The Acupuncture needle creates a flow in the body’s own mechanism of healing to achieve balance. A person is considered out of balance if he or she is disturbing their health through unhealthy practices, negative thinking and external factors. Negative thinking is created through out of balance emotions, such as grief, anger, fear or sorrow. Examples of unhealthy lifestyle can be, not getting enough sleep, eating too much or eating unhealthy and drinking excess alcohol. External diseases are mostly related to climate factors, which are related to bacterial and viral diseases. Emotions affect the state of mental health, which in turn can affect the health of the entire body. The blockages in different Acupuncture channels can be due to certain emotions, which can cause obstructions leading to painful conditions, such as fibromyalgia, headaches etc. Living an unhealthy lifestyle can also lead to obstructions, which can be treated through Acupuncture and Chinese Herbal Medicine. External conditions are treated by expelling the pathogen which relieve symptoms of the disease and restore balance.

Each of these schools have their observations and opinions on how we can achieve health. We can learn something from both schools and apply it in our lives and practice.