What does it mean, Holistic?

When the word “holistic” is used, many automatically think of mystical or fantastical. Holistic healing as voodoo, spells, and witchery. Holistic healing as taboo, a scam, a fraud. But holistic is not something magical, nor something fake. Taken directly from the Oxford dictionary, holistic is defined as “characterized by the belief that the parts of something are interconnected and can be explained only by reference to the whole”. The word “holistic” or “wholistic” may have origins in the Greek word ‘holos’ meaning ‘whole’. Its origins seem to be linked to the use of “holism”, a philosophical term in the 1920’s book, Holism and Evolution, by Jan Christian Smuts, defined as “[the] tendency in nature to form wholes that are greater than the sum of the parts through creative evolution”. Holistic, then, is not something “fake” or “voodoo” but simply meaning “as a whole”.

Holistic healing works to heal not just a particular part, not just a particular problem, but the whole, all of the body. Mind and body. All components, everything.

To make it a bit easier to understand, take, for example, discussing a problem about wildlife. What if a species were to become endangered? The problem does not just lie in the species themselves, but their environment, the other animals, plants, water, and landmasses in their area. It takes the analysis of all components to fully be able to develop a solution or at least, a remedy, to protect them from being endangered. Holistic healing works similarly. It takes the analysis of all components of one’s health and heals the body as a whole. It differs from the western modern medicines where there is one cause and one effect and thus the cure may be to either fix the cause or prevent the cause.

Holistic, to us then, is about treating our patient’s entire body. Mentally, physically, and spiritually. We treat every part of the body and offer more than 100 services to target our patient’s problems as a whole. We also work with our patients to create an extensive diet plan for their needs. We provide organic seasoning, meal plans, turmeric juice, and more. Our top priority is to ensure our patients' overall health and wellness for them to have the best quality of life. 

Resources:

https://www.google.com/search?rlz=1C1VDKB_enUS982US982&sxsrf=APwXEdcffFG5y-PrJa8Kd0Pz1cZ8pIubYA:1684537972255&q=holistic&si=AMnBZoFvNU0WynupgJGHQVzk85f5T8QpA2dE8loNx7rclbo0vGPNg13KgLAJnN5xkUrSw7DXDRXjrcvCrsuCmmuIe4yEbRUNeqaDGesUMJZRdZD8NlHTLdk%3D&expnd=1&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwjjl8n7wIL_AhV-l2oFHSVWBNkQ2v4IegQIDxAT&biw=1536&bih=714&dpr=1.25#ip=1

https://www.merriam-webster.com/words-at-play/wholistic-word-origin-and-use#:~:text=Holistic%20was%20coined%20by%20South,regarding%20the%20organization%20of%20nature.