THE GENTLE GIANT
One of the most gentle and sympathetic forms of healing, the practice of Homeopathy, has been growing rapidly all over the world, particularly during the last decades. It has caught the imagination of many people who want to look at disease and healing in a different way.
Homeopathy is a thoughtful practice that respects the fact that every person is unique and individual. Homeopathic healing acts deeply on the organism, making lasting cures at all levels: physical, emotional and mental. It is (w)holistic, that is it treats the whole person, not just the disease.
Many doctors are not trained to look at the patient as a whole; they tend to treat each ailment separately and consequently the root cause is seldom found. The symptoms may disappear, but the disease is often merely suppressed, and recurs or surfaces as another ailment, seemingly unconnected.
Conventional medicine eases the discomfort of ailments with its painkillers, anti-inflammatory drugs and anti-depressants, but side effects can be a major problem and a complete cure often remains out of reach. This style of medicine, the dominant medicine in the West today, is known by Homoeopaths as the Way of Contraries, or healing through opposites.
Disease is looked upon as an enemy, to be confronted and vanquished. The methods tend to be aggressive; our bodies are the battlegrounds, with much talk of fighting; anti-biotics and other drugs are employed as “magic bullets”. Dangerous drugs and radioactive materials are used, along with a sophisticated array of knives and steel.
The word “Homoeopathy” is coined from ancient Greek (homoios meaning “of the same kind” & pathos meaning “suffering”); translated to “similar suffering” – that like cures like. Homeopathy utilises the natural Law of Similars; the principle that whatever can harm can also cure.
Minute, safe doses are prescribed when some one exhibits the same symptoms, as a larger dose of the same substance would have produced. Coffea is one example of this. Taken from coffee – a substance that stimulates the nervous system and causes sleeplessness if taken last thing at night – Coffea taken in tiny quantities does exactly the opposite. It has soothing effect on the nerves and can help promote sleep.