Advertisement feature - Holistic healing.

More and more people are using holistic therapies in conjunction with conventional medicine to get the best of both worlds when it comes to their health.

Holistic therapies can be split into two areas ( holistic medicine, such as Chinese herbal medicine and complementary therapies such as homeopathy, accupressure, aromatherapy, reflexoloy, reiki and acupuncture, to name but a few.

According to the Federation of Holistic Therapists, homeopathy has two underlying principles. The first is to "treat like with like", the idea being that a substance which can create certain symptoms in a healthy person can "cure" the same symptoms in a sick person.

So for instance, someone who has a streaming cold might be given a homeopathic remedy containing onion extracts, which would typically make a healthy person's nose and eyes run.

The second principle is that the more you dilute the substance being used (which can be from any number of natural sources, including snake venom and common salt), the better the remedy works, provided this is done in a precise way.

Healing through human touch is the oldest, simplest and most natural of all the therapies available to us. The act of laying on of hands to comfort, heal and relieve pain conveys warmth, caring and affection. This is the basic instinct a mother has when her child is unwell or hurt, it comes from deep within. In the same way, an animal's mother's first instinct is to lick or nuzzle her young in distress.

Sadly, in the Western world, our healing skills have been temporarily neglected or forgotten; thus we have been giving up the power to heal ourselves. One of the oldest and simplest forms of healing is reiki. "Rei" means universal wisdom and "ki" means life energy, therefore reiki means universal life energy. Ki energy is the vital flowing life force contained in all life, which is known also as chi or prana.

Good health is a question of being in balance, in body, mind and spirit. If our natural equilibrium is upset, then ki, or energy, cannot flow and we may become ill.

During a treatment, the practitioner channels healing energy into the body by lightly and non-intrusively placing the hands in a sequence of positions on or just above the body. Clients are treated fully clothed and are usually lying comfortably on a massage couch (if this is not possible the treatment can be given while the patient is seated).

Reiki heals on many levels: mental, emotional, physical and spiritual. The beauty of reiki lies in the fact that it heals on a very deep level, and emotional blocks and suppressed feelings which are often the cause of physical illness are released, allowing for deep personal healing to take place.

In cases of terminal illness reiki enhances the quality of life, allowing for peace and serenity during the time remaining.

During a treatment the client may experience many different sensations, which vary due to the effects of the higher energy vibration being different from person to person. There may be feelings of heat, cold, or tingling sensations as the energy is absorbed and adapts to the needs of the receiver.

Reiki combines well with other complementary therapies, but works especially well with reflexology, Aromatherapy and all forms of massage.

A competent therapist should conduct a 15-20 minute consultation, be insured and be a member of a body such as the Federation of Holistic Therapists.

Healing through human touch is the oldest, simplest and most natural of all the therapies that are available to us