While ignorance may be bliss in some arenas, ignorance about holistic medicine could mean you are missing out on the significant health benefits that it offers.

I have to admit being one of those who’ve harbored misconceptions about the practice of holistic or alternative medicine and therapies. Luckily for me, I happened to come across a DVD-based education program offered by The Center for Healing Arts, which offers a unique way to learn more about this mysterious practice in the comfort and privacy of your own home. These DVDs helped me not only to explore for myself the truth behind many of the most common misconceptions but also opened my eyes to the wisdom of holistic health philosophies that have been in existence for centuries.

To all of you who still believe that holistic therapies are a crazy fad practiced only by desperate people and weird people; this article looks at the truth behind some of the myths surrounding holistic care. For those of you who want the ‘Whole Truth and nothing but the Truth’ beyond the 4 myths examined in this article, learn from the carefully selected expert healing arts practitioners offered on The Center for Healing Arts film sessions by simply becoming a member of their DVD series. Over time you’ll have the information and guidance to go in-depth, find your own way and find what’s right for you.

Myth #1- People who use holistic therapies are either ignorant or desperate

Nothing could not be further from the truth! A 2005 study by the Institute of Medicine at the National Academy of Sciences estimated that 15 million adults take herbal remedies and/or vitamins in conjunction with their prescriptions. Moreover, at least one-third of American adults reported having used at least one type of complementary or alternative medicine in their lifetime. These adults were neither ignorant nor desperate; they just strongly believed in the power of alternative medicine.

Myth #2- Holistic health care is steeped in evil. It is the stuff of witch doctors and the occult.

This misconception is typical of a society that has been taught to rebuke and fear native and indigenous cultures where the original medicines of the earth originated. While many holistic practices were founded by those of the Buddhist, Hindu or other belief systems, it is important to remember that in ancient cultures the native shamans and spiritual leaders were often the most well educated members of society. Further, these holistic methods are founded on the concept of creating harmony of the mind, body and spirit. This makes the fact that they were tied to their culture’s spiritual belief system much more easy to understand.

Myth #3- Holistic medicine is just a fad that will eventually just fade away.

Firstly, "holistic medicine" is an umbrella term that is typically used in the west to encompass a large number of methods that share the common bond of working to harmonize the mind, body and spirit into one health and whole being. It is important to note that as many as 90% of the people in the world are using holistic and other "alternative" methods for their health care. The majority of these methods are derived from centuries-old healing practices around the globe. The western idea that these methods are a fad is based on the fact that these methods are new to us. Make no mistake about it– holistic medicine is neither new, nor a fad.

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