Mixing healing modalities

[koru]

I find that I can't commit to just one healing modality & mix 'n match to suit my fancy....and it's driving me crazy!? I wish I could swear by my chiro or homeopath or acupuncturist or truly believe that herbs are the only way to go. I want to embrace nutrition as the ultimate goal but am torn between eating traditionally (WAP style) and going vegan. When I get sick (as I am now with a my first terrible cold of the season) I take vitamin D, drink herbal tea, grab the homeopathic remedies out of the cabinet, gulp elderberry syrup, rub my feet (hoping to hit some good reflexology points), use the neti pot, etc, etc. I feel like a non-commital, unsure, grabbing-for-straws space cadet. I have one friend who's studying to be an herbalist & another who is passionate about homeopathy & leads a study group & swears by it, up & down. I'm jealous.

Anyone else out there like me? And what are your thoughts on this hodge podge way of living? Is it even healthy or worthwhile to mix 'n match all the time?

I should say, too, that because of my inability to commit to one modality, I often do nothing except eat healthy, take vit D & drink lots of water.

[tanyalynn]

I love the mix and match! I'm not anywhere near being an expert in any one area, but I think that by picking up the ideas that seems to work from whichever modality I read about, I've got a decent toolbox to use on us without the significant time investment in finding all the answers I need in just one area.

I think some people can be so knowledgeable about whatever field they are passionate about that they can solve most of the normal stuff they're going to encounter, and probably quite a bit of unusual stuff too, just with that one approach. But my biggest goal is to keep us healthy and live my life, and fitting in a serious course of study in any one, specific area would be difficult right now (anytime soon).

Eclectic is great! Over time, maybe in a decade, I'll learn enough about one area (which I think may be Traditional Chinese Medicine--I'm drawn but not knowledgeable enough to use it a whole lot) and slowly drift that way, but even that would only be if I saw TCM being the most effective tool for the problems I encounter. So for now, if it's effective, that's plenty good enough for me.

[Panserbjorne]

nope, I'll even go a step further and say it's NECESSARY to mix and match! We use bodywork, homeopathy, herbs, nutrition, home remedies and several other eclectic things as the spirit moves. Sometimes certain things just respond better to a variety of methods, and sometimes you need a multi-faceted approach. I rarely use just one thing, and honestly...if I do it's because it worked so well that nothing else was needed.

I just opened a new clinic with several other practitioners because this is what we've all found to be the case. So, we all now work together bringing what we can to the table and knowing that none of us has all the answers, but that together we vastly increase our odds.

I've had times where a remedy works great on it's own, and others where some bodywork was required to let it work. I've had times when someone needed a biomedical approach alongside homeopathic medicine. I've had families where one or two respond beautifully to remedies and others to herbs. Best to keep your options open and remain flexible. That's when I get the best results, anyway.

[Panserbjorne]

Originally Posted by koru

I have one friend who's studying to be an herbalist & another who is passionate about homeopathy & leads a study group & swears by it, up & down. I'm jealous.

I'm a registered classical homeopath and I adore homeopathy. I can swear by it up and down, but it's not the end all be all. Everything about it is elegant and I love that. However, if you told me I could know everything there is to know about homeopathy or have a mix of skills I'd take the latter every time with a long list of reasons as to why. I think it's awesome to have an affinity to a particular modality and I totally respect those that do. It's not how my brain works because I enjoy the overlap and don't enjoy putting all my eggs in one basket.

I like seeing how using hypericum as an herb, a remedy, a flower essence, a drainage remedy etc. is different and why. I like knowing that 6 different modalities can treat a condition in very different ways and understand what's happening in the body as they do. I also like being able to work with a vast array of people and know that if they don't really have an interest in homeopathic medicine that I have other tools.

Sooo, long story short, I wouldn't be jealous. I'd look at it as you have another gift. I'd guess that all three of you have things to offer each other.

[koru]

Ok....I feel a bit better about "my ways." I've always, always said that I'm a "Jane of all trades, master of none" in so many areas of life. I dabble. I read a lot. I discuss. I experiment. BUT...I don't intensely study. I'm a nurse by profession but could never fully devote my energies to allopathic medicine so my journey has taken me, well, all over the place and I love reading about health & nutrition!

So from this day forward, I won't shake my head at myself as I'm infusing tea tree oil in a pot of boiling water, drinking ginger tea, scrambling through a book to find what cell salt to take & making sure I take SA every few hours.

Thanks!