healing arts
Alternative healing philosophies and practices, once deemed eccentric and a bunch of hooey, have gained increasing mainstream popularity and acceptance in recent years, and for good reason. Medical professionals and patients alike have discovered that allopathic medicine is limited in scope and does not treat a person holistically. People have come to realize that we are not simply a list of symptoms (to subdue or eradicate with medications) but a complex being that requires healing on multiple levels.

While there are many alternative modalities, I mention only the ones that I have experienced personally. My descriptions barely scratch the surface, so I encourage you to research them further.

Yoga
Yoga is actually a multi-faceted philosophy; however, most people today practice only one of the facets -- asanas (or physical postures). These postures are "designed to purify the body and provide the physical strength and stamina required for long periods of meditation" [from Yoga Journal's website].

I have to admit that I was hesitant to try yoga. I had (unfounded) preconceived notions of yoga and didn't think I had the patience for such little movement. While I'm not a daily practitioner, I found yoga to be both necessary and luxurious during pregnancy. My body just yearned for quiet strength, flexibility and inward focus.

Yoga effectively heals acute ailments (like headaches and stuffy noses) as well as more chronic problems (like back pain). During pregnancy, a woman connects more deeply with her baby; maintains physical strength and stamina; learns to adapt to her changing body in a healthy way; prepares her body for birth and connects with other pregnant women.

One particular yoga experience stands apart from the others. I reclined into a meditative pose and an image flashed before my mind's eye -- the face of a sleeping infant. Days later we discovered that I was pregnant. I had not experienced a visualization before this instance and haven't since.

Chinese Herbs
Chinese medicine is largely based on the concept of chi (or life energy). Imbalances in your body's chi ultimately present themselves as ailments. One way of resolving your body's imbalances is through the prescription and consumption of herbs in varying combinations and potencies.

Whenever I came down with a bug as a young child, my paternal grandmother would take me to Chinatown to see a doctor of Traditional Chinese Medicine. He placed his fingers on my radial artery (i.e. on my wrist) and quietly "listened" to my pulse.

After a few moments, he asked questions for clarification and then scribbled Chinese characters on a plain sheet of paper. With the prescription in hand, we gave it to one of the skilled apothecaries at the front of the store, where he or she carefully weighed each ingredient and placed it in separate piles (to fill multiple doses of this prescription).

Once at home, this concoction of herbs steeped in hot water and resembled (as one of my cousin's affectionately calls it) swamp tea. Its taste is always medicinally bitter and potent.

Acupressure and Acupuncture
As with Chinese Herbs, acupressure and acupuncture are also based on life energy called chi. Your chi flows through meridians and pathways throughout your body, and there may be disruptions or blockages of energy that cause illness and/or pain.

To restore healthy flow of chi, needles (during acupuncture treatment) or hands and other non-invasive objects (during acupressure treatment) are placed in or on, respectively, specific points along these energetic pathways.

During pregnancy, it is important to avoid applying pressure to specific points on the body because doing so may stimulate the baby's early delivery. However, once a woman reaches 38 weeks gestation, it is safe to once again stimulate these areas.

Beginning at the 38th week of my pregnancy, I enjoyed my regular prenatal massages and also welcomed acupressure (I'll call them) nudges to encourage Taylor's arrival. My healthcare provider estimated that I would deliver between January 9th and 13th. Taylor was born on the 6th.

Acupressure was essential to my postpartum healing. Immediately after Taylor's birth, an enormous amount of energy coursed through my body. I liken it to a powerful back-up generator that flicked on and sounded, "Woom, woom, woom..." as I tried to take a nap and rest.

My massage therapist made a house-call (by coming to the hospital) and massaged my exhausted yet inexplicably, super-energized body. As she massaged each limb it convulsed (for lack of a better term) until the pent up energy was "drained" out of it. After the hour-long massage, my back-up generator was shut off and I was finally able to rest.

Regarding acupuncture, I was actually scheduled for (my very first) appointment on the evening of January 6th but didn't need it because Taylor was born that morning.

Massage
There are many types of massage therapy, but I'll focus here on massage as it relates to pregnancy. "Prenatal massage addresses the common discomforts of pregnancy, prepares the woman's body for labor, soothes her nervous system by increasing the secretion of endorphins and serotonin (these cross the placenta and help calm the fetus) and improves her self-image. Massage during labor relieves pain and can shorten labor. Postpartum massage encourages a speedier more effective recovery by promoting the initial cleansing process and, later, by balancing her muscles to their pre-pregnant tone and strength" [Mothering Magazine's website].

Be sure to choose a massage therapist that is certified and truly qualified to give prenatal and postpartum massages.

While pregnant, I received massages at two trendy spas in the city. While the atmosphere was great, I could tell that the therapists might have had some training in pregnancy massage, but they did not have a very confident or knowledgeable touch. After receiving many massages from therapists who specialize in healing, I could just feel the difference physically and intuitively.

Homeopathy
Homeopathy is the healing art that I find most difficult to understand and explain. Whether or not I understand the science completely or not, I do know that it is an effective way of treating acute and chronic ailments. I'll try my best to offer a high-level explanation.

Homeopathy is based on the law of simliars, where "like cures like". For example, a person experiencing watery eyes due to allergies or a cold, would be advised to take pulsatilla (or homeopathic onion). A substance known to cause tears (in a non-teary-eyed person) is also the remedy to cure a person experiencing watery eyes.

Unique to homeopathy is minimum dosage. The original mother tincture is diluted with water and alcohol and shaken. A portion of that mixture is put in a different container; water and alcohol are added; and the mixture is shaken. The process can repeated up to 30 times, and, although counter-intuitive, the remedy becomes more potent as it is diluted and shaken more times.

The best part of homeopathy is that, instead of masking symptoms like conventional medicines, it works with your body to heal itself. Also, homeopathic treatments do not have side effects and no do not interact negatively with other medications (conventional or otherwise).

Homeopathy is safe to take on your own (without the help of a medical professional) for acute illnesses, like colds and headaches. Consult one of many books on the topic or even computer software designed for this purpose. For chronic conditions, consult a certified homeopath, as he or she will need to ask detailed and extensive questions about your physical and mental health.

Remember not to eat, drink or expose yourself strong flavors or odors 20 minutes before or after taking a homeopathic remedy, as this may alter its efficacy.

Homeopathy is very inexpensive and has proven to be more effective than costly, conventional counterparts. I once paid almost $100 a month for seasonal allergy medication, and it lost its efficacy over time. I pay just under $10 for one box of my homeopathic remedy, and I don't even need to take it everyday, just when I feel like my immune system needs a boost.

I am also in the process of constitutional treatment with a homeopath (who's also a medical doctor), and we are refining remedies and dosages for my chronic ailments.

updated 7.29.07