| Since the very beginning of the human race | | | | Religious Freedom Act was passed in 1978, |
| there have been healers. Throughout the | | | | people were threatened with incarceration if |
| centuries every culture around the world has | | | | they were to even be caught in attendance at |
| formulated its own form of medicine and | | | | a healing ceremony. The example of the |
| practices to cure the ills of its people. | | | | Native Americans is not the only such |
| Traditional Chinese Medicine for example, | | | | instance of a society turning its back on its |
| focuses not on specific physical body parts, | | | | very roots. The Chinese acted in a similar |
| but instead on the purpose and function of | | | | fashion, banning the use of Classical Chinese |
| those parts. Many people hold to the belief | | | | Medicine for well over thirty years until the |
| that these time-honored and indigenous | | | | 1960s. |
| practices have no place in a modern society | | | | |
| with its technological advancements and | | | | Old v/s New |
| scientific breakthroughs. The simple fact | | | | |
| remains though, that a large percentage of | | | | While modern science has indeed made great |
| people around the world have no access to | | | | strides in many ways toward repairing and |
| modern medicine. They rely solely on ancient | | | | healing the human body and has even embraced |
| healing techniques to keep themselves and | | | | a great many schools of thought when it comes |
| their families healthy. Is it possible that | | | | to issues of the human mind, it has yet to |
| our modern society has become so advanced | | | | fully accept that there is indeed a real |
| that we have lost touch with some of the most | | | | connection between the two. Mind and body |
| basic and simple healing practices in favor | | | | are treated as separate entities instead of |
| of over-medicating our bodies into | | | | parts of the whole. The common bond shared |
| submission? | | | | among centuries old wisdom around the globe |
| | | | has been put aside and scientific fact has |
| Going Back to our Roots | | | | been put in its place. |
| | | | |
| Like the Chinese, the Native Americans have | | | | Today, the practice of such things as |
| long held to the belief that the spirit is an | | | | meditation, yoga, traditional native healing, |
| absolutely essential part of the whole of the | | | | Sufi Healing and Chinese medicine have found |
| human being and is therefore a necessary | | | | sanctuary under the broad-spectrum umbrella |
| ingredient in its overall health and well | | | | of Holistic Medicine. The healing methods of |
| being. Spirituality has been a key part of | | | | the Buddhists, Shamans and others are finding |
| the healing process throughout most of | | | | their way back into a society who hungers for |
| history; it is only in these "modern" times | | | | answers they are not receiving from modern |
| that society has pushed it aside as secondary | | | | scientific research. Still, finding |
| and unnecessary. In fact, Native American | | | | reputable and well trained practitioners can |
| spiritual practices were banned in the United | | | | be a challenge in today's civilized cultures. |
| States and until the American Indian | | | | |