If we go back in time and look at ancient medicine, we find this holistic aspect. Indeed, the spiritual dimension of the human being plays an essential role. And the relationship with a God or divinities is essential to healing.

In ancient times, the first medical practices were related to the priestly sphere. Religious and even magical rituals formed the core of therapeutic aspects in the most ancient societies.

Of course, the use of medicinal plants can be found in all traditional cultures. Written sources and iconographic representations evoke healers who are often priests, shamans and doctors all rolled into one. They are multi-faceted figures.

Many traditional medicines have endured through the ages. They all have this holistic dimension in common.

These include:

• Chinese medicine,
• Ayurvedic medicine (India),
• African medicine,
• Native American medicine,
• Traditional European medicine (phytotherapy),
• Tibetan medicine,
• Traditional Japanese medicine (Kampo),
• Aboriginal medicine.

These medicines continue to be widely practised around the world, some as a complement to conventional medicine, others as the main system of care. They are based on ancestral knowledge handed down from generation to generation.

Without going into the specifics of each of these medicines, there are some common notions:

• Harmony between man, nature and spiritual forces,
• The use of medicinal plants,
• The importance of overall energy balance.

In Europe, naturopathy was developed in the 19th century on the basis of these ancestral medicines.

“Instead of focusing on the symptoms of disease, holistic therapy treats the human being on six levels: physical, emotional, mental, socio-cultural, environmental and spiritual,” explains Daniel Kieffer, founder of the Collège Européen de Naturopathie Traditionnelle Holistique (CENATHO).

Holistic medicine naturally includes prevention. Indeed, although it can “repair”, it is first and foremost there to enable the patient to regain balance and remain in good health.

Illness is seen as the result of disharmony. Yet the body’s capacity for self-healing is akin to the natural search for balance. This is a key factor in holistic medicine. And that’s why it focuses on the individual, not the disease itself.

This means that the holistic doctor also plays an advisory role. In this way, he or she guides the patient towards a more appropriate lifestyle (diet, exercise, even emotional management…).

Finally, in a holistic conception of health, the patients do not delegate responsibility for his or her own health to the doctor. On the contrary, they are invited and encouraged to take charge of their own health, and become the main players in it.

A holistic approach focuses on an individual’s overall well-being. That’s why therapists listen sensitively to their patients, so as to hear them beyond the ailments they verbalize.

This quality of listening presupposes an attentive and benevolent attitude. It requires taking the necessary time. In this way, the holistic therapist creates a relationship of trust that is conducive to healing.

Holistic medicine also recognizes that each patient is unique. While two patients may often present similar symptoms, the root cause may be entirely different for each.

Today, more and more people are turning to these holistic medicines. They’re in with the times.

Indeed, there is a growing interest in organic and local food, permaculture and other eco-responsible farming methods. More and more people are taking charge of their own health through practices such as yoga, sport, meditation, fasting and the use of essential oils. Many are returning to the countryside, and working towards energy and food self-sufficiency.

However, holistic medicine is naturally rooted in a tradition in which Nature is central. Man is part of an ecosystem on which he is interdependent (climate, food, air and water quality, etc.). These holistic medicines are therefore naturally ecological, since they aim to achieve a better balance between man and his natural environment, a source of good health.