10 Alternative Health Practices that I’ve Tried

Posted on November 28, 2018

I’ve tried a fair few “alternative” health practices in my time; which I’m only labeling as such as it’s the common parlance in Western medicine and I don’t necessarily agree with the term “alternative health” (or even “complementary therapy”). The only thing that makes a holistic yoga practice or an acupuncture session “alternative” is that it’s not Western in origin.

But for want of a better term, I’ll use alternative health practices for today’s post (but if you’re a practitioner of one of the below, please let me know your preferred term!)

I love opening my mind up and exploring new (to me) possibilities for health and centeredness. The more grounded I feel, the better able I am to cope with stress and anxiety.

10 Alternative Health Practices that I’ve Tried

>>>Yoga

The beginnings of yoga can be seen in Northern India over 5000 years ago. Yoga is considered a complementary health practice as the mind-body intentions can be helpful in reducing generalised stress and keeping the body meridians and prana flowing. I know that after a yoga session, I always feel calmer and more ready to cope with daily stresses and I sleep better at night too. It can be life changing.

>>>Meditation

The origin of meditation is somewhat murky as it has been traditionally practised in different forms by a huge variety of cultures. However, the earliest written records of meditation that I’m aware of come from the Hindu tradition of Vedantism from around 1500 BCE. I will fully admit that I am a meditation beginner. It’s something that I’ve tried many a time and continue to struggle with. Quieting my mind and just letting thoughts float is a huge hurdle for me, which is quite telling about my personality. But once I’ve gotten myself into somewhat of a meditation “groove” (particularly when I focus on my breathing) I do notice a decrease in anxiety and when I glance at my fitbit afterwards my heartbeat is always very low. I recommend the app Headspace if you are looking for some guidance on starting your own meditation practice.

>>>Crystals

I’ve recently blogged about how I use crystals in my home and my life, but for me, they are basically a focus of energy and in some ways a meditation tool. I do love to take a bath with one, some epsom salts and some essential oils. Bliss. (Though always check beforehand if your crystal is water soluble.)

>>>Acupuncture

Acupuncture originated in China several hundred years before the beginning of the Common Era. However, there is evidence of acupuncture treatment having occurred in China from 6000 BCE. Traditional acupuncture is based on the belief that energy (qi) flows through the body in meridian channels. If the qi isn’t flowing freely then the results can be ill health, and pain. I’ve undergone courses of acupuncture for constant back pain and stress. Whilst I’m still being treated for stress, I can say that the course that I went through for back pain was almost immediately beneficial. I felt the muscles loosen after one session and the most severe pain (in my trapezius) greatly decreased. Acupuncture is sometimes available on the NHS so it might be worth chatting to your GP about it. Otherwise private session can be slightly pricy. I’m very fortunate that the Northern College of Acupuncture is located in York and several practitioners run “community” sessions on a sliding pay-scale based on income so that it is more affordable to a wider variety of people.

Going to my acupuncture sessions has been one of my greatest joys this year. I notice a huge difference in my mental state before and after. I find it as relaxingly beneficial as a good massage.

>>>Chakra Balancing

The chakra system originated from India somewhere between 1500-500 BCE. Chakra balancing is the process of restoring a harmonious flow of energy across the chakra system. The effect of well balanced chakras often translates into a feeling of well-being, relaxation, centeredness, increased vitality and embodiment of oneself. During a balancing session practitioners usually focus on the 7 main chakras: root (base), sacral, solar plexus, heart, throat, third eye and crown. I went through a session of touch therapy coupled with aromatherapy, guided visualisations and breathing techniques to help correct my alignment. My practitioner identified my base chakra as being sluggish and honestly, a lot of the things that correspond with a sluggish base chakra are exactly the issues that I have.

I think anyone who went to drama school or has studied some Alexander technique has a vague familiarity with the chakras as you are often yelled at to focus energy and release into your solar plexus when doing voice work. (Voice work is all about projecting safely on stage and having the vocal capacity to support your words etc.)

>>>Reiki

Reiki is a Japanese technique for stress reduction and relaxation that also promotes healing. Usually, reiki healing follows the basic premise that the practitioner tunes into the reiki energy, channels it and then directs it to the client in need. This is normally done by resting their hands on the client and allowing the energy to flow from the palms to the client.

I’ve only had one session of reiki work in my life so I’m not comfortable deciding how effective I found it for me personally.

>>>Reflexology

I find reflexology hard to write about as I’m extremely biased. I hate touching other people’s feet, but I absolutely adore having mine manipulated and rubbed. For me, focusing on my feet is the easiest way to de-stress and relax from the day and a firm pressured foot rub can send me immediately to sleep. Reflexology is the practice of focusing on pressure points in the hands and feet to produce effects elsewhere in the body; usually to help offer pain relief and lower anxiety. I’m not entirely convinced by the physical health benefit to reflexology, but I find it so relaxing that it undoubtedly lowers my stress levels.

>>>Tarot

Whilst tarot is not a classic “alternative” health practice, I find that it can be a very healing tool. They can be used to help raise our thoughts and feels from our subconscious that might have otherwise gone unexamined. Or even help you identify areas of life that you are stressed about by helping you pinpoint your triggers based on the things that immediately pop into mind when you look at your cards.

If you want to learn more about the tarot cards and their various meanings, I really recommend the (free) app Labyrinthos Academy.

>>>Aromatherapy

I used to work for a nursery where the head was a trained aromatherapist and she used and created blends that helped different areas be calming places to play, learn and grow. I absolutely love aromatherapy and it’s something that I’d love to take a whole course in. Smell plays such an intrinsic part in memory and life in general. For those American readers, I know a lot of us were told to chew a minty gum or have a peppermint during the SATs because peppermint has been found to increase alertness and decrease stress.

I have an essential oil diffuser and make my own blends. Using various Neal’s Yard essential oils. My go-tos include: lavender, geranium, neroli, ravintsara, marjoram sweet, bergamot and clary sage.

I love essential oils (obviously) but I have a few words of warning: 1) do research about which oils are appropriate to use in your home if you have pets. Cats and dogs, but particularly cats, can be hugely affected by the smell of some oils and there are some that are toxic to your pet.

My second word of warning is to never buy an essential oil from a website or shop where every oil is priced the same. They shouldn’t have identical prices! Some oils are a lot more difficult to extract and are priced accordingly.

>>>And last but not least: massage.

Massage is considered an alternative and complementary therapy by many health experts. And it’s probably the most well-known, or at least the most commonly practised option by my readers on this list. The aim of a good massage is to get oxygen and blood flowing to the areas that are being worked on by manipulating the muscles and soft tissues.

Communicating thoroughly with your massage therapist is the best way to make the most out of any massage. A massage is the ultimate “treat” to myself as it makes me feel so great.

One practice that I definitely would love to learn more about is ayruvedic medicine.

Are there any of these topics that you’d want me to elaborate on in a longer post?