Homeopathy, Another Constitutional Holistic Approach to Health

Homeopathy is another constitutional, holistic approach to health that we especially recommend for infants and young children, as they may have a hard time taking Ayurvedic herbs. An Ayurvedic regime and diet would be advised even when under homeopthic care, as homeopathy does not really deal with that aspect, which Ayurveda considers the foundation to good health.

What is Homeopathy?

Homeopathy vs. Vaccination

What is Homeopathy?

The word homeopathy is derived from the Greek words "homoeos" (similar) and "pathos" (suffering). It is a holistic system of health care that uses infinitesimal doses of natural substances that, when properly potentized, stimulate the body’s own dynamic healing power. Homeopathic principles date back to Hippocrates (460? - 377? BC) and have remained unchanged since the German physician Samuel Hahnemann (1755-1843) formulated them in the early 1800’s.

In 1783, Dr. Samuel C. Hahnemann was so dissatisfied with the practices of the medical profession (bloodletting, hunger treatments, purgatives, leeches, mercury and emetics), that he gave up practicing medicine altogether. Instead, he turned to translating medical literature for a living. He came across a book written by the Scottish physician William Cullen that described a poisoning of Peruvian bark also known as Cinchona —the substance from which quinine is derived. The symptoms produced by Peruvian bark poisoning were similar to those of malaria, which in Hahnemann’s day, was cured by Peruvian bark. It was believed the cure was due to the bark’s bitterness.

In 1790, Hahnemann decided to perform an experiment on him and took four drams of Cinchona twice a day to observe the results. The substance produced, in him, paroxysms of chill and fever, the same symptoms of malaria. He concluded, Peruvian bark cures paroxysms of chill and fever because Peruvian bark produces paroxysms of chill and fever. Thus, the science of homeopathy was born.

Hahnemann formulated that when the organism falls ill it is the vital force (the life principle that animates the body/mind complex) which first becomes dynamically imbalanced and manifests this mistunement through symptoms. In this sense, his view of the vital force is that of an invisible, dynamic force, which can keep all parts of the organism in harmony when in health, and which can express its mistunement through all sort of symptoms when in illness. Homeopathy is therefore concerned with restoring balance by stimulating the vital force. When that equilibrium is attained again all the symptoms will disappear on their own.

Homeopathy’s fundamental principle is Similia Similibus Curentur or the Law of Similars (to put it simple, "like cures like"). This means that a substance that produces symptoms in a healthy person cures similar symptoms in a sick person. Hahnemann found that a remedy properly potentized (through dilution and succussion) had far more healing properties and was safer and gentler than strong material doses of the same medicinal substance. In other words, the curative force of a homeopathic remedy lies on the energy that is released by potentization, and not on the material atoms of the substance it was created from.

Homeopathic treatment is highly individualized. The role of the homeopath is to find the remedy that better matches the totality of symptoms of a client. The homeopath needs to take into account every aspect of the patient —physical, mental, emotional, spiritual, and social (including the family medical history)— in order to find the remedy that fits the person’s whole picture. In this sense, homeopathy is three-dimensional: the remedy, the symptoms, and the individual should match.

It is the lifting of all the symptoms —and not the suppression of single ones like allopathic medicine does— which shows that the disease has been cured inside and out. This is a true holistic approach, similar to Ayurveda in that sense. According to homeopathy, a disease can only be cured permanently with a remedy that can produce a totality of symptoms (in a healthy person) that are similar. Therefore, the totality of symptoms and circumstances in each individual case is the sole indicator of the remedy that is needed to restore health in an individual.

Classical Homeopathy follows the principles established by Hahnemann in his Organon of the Medical Art and uses a single remedy at a time. The truly homeopathic approach, just like the Ayurvedic approach, is highly individualized and centered on the person's constitution, and not just on the disease. Summed up, it is expressed by the equation mentioned earlier:

Remedy = Symptoms = Individual

For classical homeopathy, the use of combinations of remedies is simply using homeopathic remedies in an allopathic way (that is, according to modern Western medicine). They are certainly safer than allopathic drugs, but of questionable efficacy, since they are not truly homeopathic. Homeopathic remedies are dynamic and therefore dosage and repetition of the remedy will depend on many individualized factors that include the sensitivity of the person, the level of vitality, the intensity of the symptoms, the remedy chosen, and the individualized response to the remedy.

Even though homeopathic remedies are much safer than other drugs they are certainly not just sugar pills! The supervision of a homeopath is indispensable when following a homeopathic treatment because only s/he can assess the situation and provide advice accordingly. Furthermore, the healing process might become like the peeling of an onion and different remedies may be needed at different times

Simple acute conditions like colds, indigestion, headaches, and such can be treated with the help of a good homeopathic book, but more serious or chronic conditions require supervised treatment. Furthermore, homeopathic treatment is greatly recommended for pediatric care, since it is gentle and deep in its approach, and very easy for children to take (they love those sugar pellets!).

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Homeopathy vs. Vaccination

Many people seem to think that homeopathy works like vaccination, but this is not true. Vaccination can be seen as a crude form of homeopathy in the sense that the theory behind it is based on the principle of similars. But vaccination is not homeopathic because it is not holistic and it is not individualized.

First of all, homeopathy works by stimulating the vital force and not by dealing with the immune system alone. This is because no system can function in isolation. It is the vital force that keeps all systems functioning as a whole organism. In this sense, homeopathy strengthens the whole organism by stimulating the vital force.

Furthermore, from a homeopathic and holistic perspective, vaccination can be a shock to the organism, especially in babies whose immune system is not even fully developed. According to homeopathy, vaccines are like "frozen diseases" that can prevent the system from actually learning to resolve symptoms on its own, while polluting the organism with toxic substances. Vaccination is a personal choice and a serious issue of our time.

Whether you choose to vaccinate or not, please do the necessary research to make an educated choice. For more information, go to:

What are vaccinations?

Are vaccines really mandatory?

Vaccine information: Support organizations

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