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Hippocrates, considered to be the father of western medicine, described the natural healing force that
heals the body as the "vis medicatrix naturae". He taught how to support that healing force in doing it's
job.
Nearly every culture and tradition in the world gives some kind of name to this healing force. The
Chinese call it chi, or qi. In India it is referred to as Prana and the Japanese call it Ki. This energetic
force is present when we are born, remains with us while we are alive, and is gone when we die. This
marvelous animating force exists in every living being, and plant and anima on the planet.
How surprising it is that three thousand years after Hippocrates, western medicine seems to have few
insights, and even fewer instructions, as to how to harness this healing force. I wonder if there is any
well-informed adult in our culture who has read or heard of a breakthrough in how to use this life energy
to cure disease or to maintain health.
It is ironic that this natural healing force is commonly and easily recognized in nature. When I cut the
side of my hand with a kitchen knife, the attending physician in the emergency room told me it had not
cut any tendons (thankfully) and would not require stitches. I was instructed to keep it clean and dry and
it would "heal by itself" - which it did. When cleanup of the large sections of the Hudson River was
needed, it was accomplished not by adding cleansing agents, but by stopping or greatly limiting any
toxic substance added into the ecosystem, and the natural environment is healing itself.
Rachel Carson, when she was a young scientest, noted a gradual though profound degradation of the
various life forms found in the nearby tide pools. She noted the effect of the land on the sea and vice
versa, and on the life forms in and around both - animals, birds, and humans. Her careful attention to
detail and her strong desire to find answers to troubling questions led her to write the book "Silent
Spring", and her efforts resulted in the banning of DDT for agricultural use in the USA in 1074.
The most common approaches to treating illness and promoting health in our western civilization are to
intervene and apply often drastic measures to counter the situation. The array of medicines used
typically begin with 'anti', such as antibiotics, anti-inflammatories, anti-cholesterol, even anti-acid. It is
true that sometimes these medicines are life-saving, and yet too often the end result is that only the
symptoms are treated, leaving the cause untouched.
As with the Hudson River cleanup project, cleaning up our own personal human 'ecosystem' by ceasing
to ingest foods, drink, and in some cases tobacco would go a long way to creating an internal
environment that could then better heal itself.
As far as eliminating environmental toxins, we've come a long way since Rachel Carson testified before
the US Congress on DDT, but we have a long way to go. We now have ample evidence of adverse
health effects on humans of a multitude of persistent environmental pollutants. However, the ability of
both mainstream and alternative medicine to properly recognize and treat these kinds of health
problems has not kept pace with the scientific research documenting those problems.
If environmental toxins are the cause of any certain health problem, then we must find ways to properly
diagnose and treat the situation accurately for the patient to regain their health.
Creating ecosystems, internal and external, that support that natural healing force would then seem to
be the key to the vibrant health that is our birthright as human beings. Being aware and personally
responsible are the first steps.
heals the body as the "vis medicatrix naturae". He taught how to support that healing force in doing it's
job.
Nearly every culture and tradition in the world gives some kind of name to this healing force. The
Chinese call it chi, or qi. In India it is referred to as Prana and the Japanese call it Ki. This energetic
force is present when we are born, remains with us while we are alive, and is gone when we die. This
marvelous animating force exists in every living being, and plant and anima on the planet.
How surprising it is that three thousand years after Hippocrates, western medicine seems to have few
insights, and even fewer instructions, as to how to harness this healing force. I wonder if there is any
well-informed adult in our culture who has read or heard of a breakthrough in how to use this life energy
to cure disease or to maintain health.
It is ironic that this natural healing force is commonly and easily recognized in nature. When I cut the
side of my hand with a kitchen knife, the attending physician in the emergency room told me it had not
cut any tendons (thankfully) and would not require stitches. I was instructed to keep it clean and dry and
it would "heal by itself" - which it did. When cleanup of the large sections of the Hudson River was
needed, it was accomplished not by adding cleansing agents, but by stopping or greatly limiting any
toxic substance added into the ecosystem, and the natural environment is healing itself.
Rachel Carson, when she was a young scientest, noted a gradual though profound degradation of the
various life forms found in the nearby tide pools. She noted the effect of the land on the sea and vice
versa, and on the life forms in and around both - animals, birds, and humans. Her careful attention to
detail and her strong desire to find answers to troubling questions led her to write the book "Silent
Spring", and her efforts resulted in the banning of DDT for agricultural use in the USA in 1074.
The most common approaches to treating illness and promoting health in our western civilization are to
intervene and apply often drastic measures to counter the situation. The array of medicines used
typically begin with 'anti', such as antibiotics, anti-inflammatories, anti-cholesterol, even anti-acid. It is
true that sometimes these medicines are life-saving, and yet too often the end result is that only the
symptoms are treated, leaving the cause untouched.
As with the Hudson River cleanup project, cleaning up our own personal human 'ecosystem' by ceasing
to ingest foods, drink, and in some cases tobacco would go a long way to creating an internal
environment that could then better heal itself.
As far as eliminating environmental toxins, we've come a long way since Rachel Carson testified before
the US Congress on DDT, but we have a long way to go. We now have ample evidence of adverse
health effects on humans of a multitude of persistent environmental pollutants. However, the ability of
both mainstream and alternative medicine to properly recognize and treat these kinds of health
problems has not kept pace with the scientific research documenting those problems.
If environmental toxins are the cause of any certain health problem, then we must find ways to properly
diagnose and treat the situation accurately for the patient to regain their health.
Creating ecosystems, internal and external, that support that natural healing force would then seem to
be the key to the vibrant health that is our birthright as human beings. Being aware and personally
responsible are the first steps.
Creating Ecosystems for Naturally Vibrant Health