Heal Yourself, Holistically

Give pills and prescription drugs a toss for your everyday health concerns. Here are four alternative therapies for you to explore beyond the conventional modes of treatment.

- Charishma Thankappan

In an ever changing world with new kinds of diseases being discovered every season, there is a growing need for more effective and efficient methods of healing. With illnesses mutating to more harmful forms and becoming less resistant to medications, patients are reaching out to other types of cures. It also reflects the increasing slant towards adopting natural kinds of aid rather than resorting entirely to chemical formulations.

FWD Life explores four types of alternate remedies.

Aromatherapy

Aromatherapy is the art of using essential oils to treat the mind, body and spirit. It is a complementary therapy which works extremely well alongside conventional medicine. It stimulates the body's natural powers to heal itself.

Essential oils are used in aromatherapy treatments in a number of ways. They can be used for inhalation, body baths, footbaths and hand baths, compresses, gargles and mouthwashes, and massages.

The strong active ingredients in the essential oils are taken directly from medicinal plants or herbs through a process known as distillation. The oils are in a very concentrated formula and are usually combined with a carrier oil, such as almond, coconut oil or jojoba before being used.