Holistic Spa Treatments and Holistic Therapies

Holistic spa treatments treat more than just the body; holistic therapies affect the body, the mind, and the spirit to help heal the person as a whole. The word "holistic" means to see an organism as a whole, rather than focusing on individual parts.

Holistic massage therapy (such as Ayurvedic remedies) and acupuncture are examples of holistic treatments; many of these health spa treatments are founded in Eastern medical tradition.

In traditional Western medicine, the focus is on the physical body and its ailments. Western medical doctors are trained to heal the body, treat the symptoms of disease, and leave the mind and spirit to psychologists and the clergy.

Traditional Eastern medicine has recognized the links between the mind, body, and spirit for thousands of years. Many Eastern medical treatments (such as acupuncture) use the "energy" within the body to focus and direct the treatment of a physical ailment. If the mind and spirit are not healthy, that ill health will also be apparent in the body, by way of pain, stomach upset, or any number of other physical symptoms.

A health spa treatment such as massage and acupuncture, while certainly not medical treatments, do aid in both healing and maintaining the health of the whole person. Massage therapy, for example, helps to relieve pain - which in turn reduces stress, promotes a feeling of well-being, and helps free the mind to focus on things other than the pain. As a holistic therapy, massage treats the body, the spirit, and the mind all at once.

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