Everyday Naturopathy
What’s Naturopathy?
With its origins in Nature Cure, Naturopathy is underpinned by the principle of the healing power of nature, vis medicatrix naturae. The principle was first outlined by the Greek philosopher Hippocrates in about 400 BC. Hippocrates taught that the whole person should be looked at and the laws of nature should be followed when looking for a cure for disease.
Naturopathy today takes its principles from this school of thought.
- The healing power of nature – nature has the innate ability to heal.
- Identify and treat the cause – there is always an underlying cause, be it physical, emotional or spiritual.
- Do no harm- a naturopath should never do anything to worsen a situation or cause another condition.
- Treat the whole person – when creating a treatment plan, all aspects of the person should be taken into consideration.
- The naturopath helps the person take responsibility for their own health and well-being.
- Prevention is better than cure – obstacles to healing should be removed.
Naturopaths believe that the body has the ability to heal itself, given the right conditions. And as we all live in relationship with our environment we can take steps to ensure that we are in harmony with that environment, as part of nature and the universe.
In today’s world possibly that harmony is harder to find than it was in Hippocrates time. We face challenges from pollution by chemicals in our clothes, furnishings, air and water; radio-frequency magnetic fields from mobile phones; as well as many types of electrical energy, all of which can influence our well-being.
Add to that stress from everyday life, sub optimal food, lack of sleep, lack of exercise and it’s no wonder we can feel less healthy and energetic than we could.
