For years we have been conditioned to trust our doctors implicitly, even if at times our instinct tells us otherwise. With malpractice law suits at an all time high and health care insurance coverage at an all time low in the west, more and more people are beginning to take control of their own health and well being. The more they learn, the more they are beginning to doubt what they have been taught all their lives in favor of considering alternatives to traditional western medicine. If you are reading this, chances are you have at least a passing interest in learning more about alternatives to modern health care. The Center for Healing Arts was founded to be a one-stop repository for people like you and me who want to increase their experiential knowledge of holistic health care methods in a non-threatening environment. Holistic medicine is enjoying a tremendous surge in followers around the world who are seeking a return to a time when mind, body and spirit worked in perfect harmony and Center subscribers are finding the answers they seek with a new full-length DVD every two months on a variety of holistic methods. The Crisis of Modern Health Care In the United States, health care coverage has become a luxury that many cannot afford. According to a 2007 estimate, there are over 301 million people in the U.S., and the birth rate is nearly double that of the death rate. Of that number, an estimated 47 million Americans are left without any health care insurance coverage at all. Though a smaller percentage of the population is not covered by choice, the majority of those people do not have adequate health care insurance because they simply cannot afford the ever-increasing premiums. This crisis of inaccessibility has caused many to rethink their approach to health care entirely and increasing numbers of people are finding other ways to take care of themselves and their families. Many people are looking for a more holistic health approach to meet their health care needs these days, but don't quite understand what it means or how it will benefit them. More and more consumers are becoming aware that our current health care system is failing us in more ways than one and some kind of action is required, but get frightened or diverted by other's negative perceptions and skepticism of natural health which is really based on misinformation and lack of understanding. Most skepticism of alternative health modalities is fueled by the unfortunate fact that modern medicine tries to discredit alternative means of healing because it is much more profitable for them to use surgery and pharmaceuticals, not on any real grounds for concern. The topic of alternative health always brings out the doubting Thomas's who scream quackery and voodoo. You may hear that they tried a holistic method without any success or that they had some weird side effect or even felt worse. Here's a couple important points to keep in mind. Their experience may be true but that does not mean it is true for everyone and there could be other reasons that contributed to their experience. We can very easily find another group of people who had great success and no side effects with the exact same treatment method they used. This is because not everyone's body responds to a particular treatment or healing approach in the exact same way. Even though you may share the same health condition with someone else, each of you has a unique body chemistry and genetics and the same disease can have a different process or impact from person to person. Each of these factors influences the results that will be achieved. In addition to that, someone with a liver, lymph system, endocrine system or other organ or system that doesn't function optimally may have a very different response than someone who has healthier organs and systems. Just because one treatment approach is ineffective for one person, does not meant it will be ineffective for you or others and that doesn't mean that "all" holistic health care is ineffective. Results can be completely different from individual to individual. A lot of times it requires some trial and error to find what works best with your biochemistry and specific circumstances. Additionally, this is true whether we are talking about a holistic health method or traditional pharmaceuticals. Regardless of whether we're talking about natural remedies or prescription drugs, what is effective for one may not work at all for another, but overall holistic health is much more effective and a lot safer. We can find hundreds of thousands of people who have severe side effects, get worse, develop more serious health conditions or even die from prescription drugs. On the other hand, these events are rare within the field of natural health. Holistic health or alternative health has actually been around longer than prescription medication or so called "modern" medicine. Plants and herbs have been used successfully to heal by many civilizations for centuries and most pharmaceutical drugs have their roots in herbal medicine. For example, the common and popular aspirin originated from an herb called white willow bark. Holistic stress relief methods heal the root cause of tension and worry. By eliminating the stressor as opposed to the stress-related symptoms, permanent healing is achieved. Holistic healing delves into all aspects of a person to find stressors. Lifestyle, nutrition, emotions, thoughts and belief systems and spiritual life are taken into consideration. Holistic stress relief methods correct physical, mental, emotional and spiritual imbalances. Even if the imbalance is unknown, healing can still take place. Here is how holistic stress relief methods can work in your life. · Physically - Through nutrition and exercise, physical stressors can be relieved. Poor eating habits and a sedentary lifestyle prevent us from living our best life. Proper nutrition and regular activity can also prevent serious conditions and illnesses. Also, taking care of yourself physically will increase your resiliency from stress. · Mentally - Negative thoughts and belief systems cause stress and negative behavior. By transforming negative thinking, your whole life can turn around. Anxious thinking can be tamed which will greatly relieve mental fatigue. After all, your life is a product of your thinking. · Emotionally - Fear, anger, worry and all negative emotions can cause physical conditions and illnesses. Healing emotions is a powerful way to improve well-being. Holistic practitioners use the energy system or chakras to heal negative emotions. These feelings can build up from childhood and never be released. Healing negative emotions gets rid of the baggage that brings you down. · Spiritually - Many holistic healers believe illness is a result of spiritual detachment. Being incongruent with one's Essence can cause physical, mental and emotional turmoil. Ignoring your passions, enjoyment and intuition keeps you from being your true self. Developing your spiritual nature allows you to live a more purposeful and stress-free life.