Holistic health

Holistic health is a philosophy of medical care that views physical and mental aspects of life as closely interconnected and equally important approaches to treatment. While frequently associated with alternative medicine, it is also increasingly used in mainstream medical practice as part of a broad view of patient care.

Holism as a health concept has long existed outside of academic circles, but only relatively recently has the modern medical establishment begun to integrate it into the mainstream health care system. In the United States, the first National Conference on Holistic Health was conducted by the Health Optimizing Institute and The Mandala Society with the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine in June 1975. This continued there for ten years with about three thousand health professionals participating each year. After the second year it was not under the Medical School.

The recording of these Conferences that was the emerging of Holistic Health in American is in the nine volumes of The Journal Of Holistic Health provided by the Mandala Society. Over 150 authorities in aspects of Holistic Health participated and are recorded in the Journals.

The Mandala Society Conferences and work supported the creation of the Association For Holistic Health in 1976 and the Holistic Medical Association in 1978

Many regional Holistic Health Associations followed with the American Holistic Health Association being established in 1989.

Historically, Holistic health has not been widely practiced in North America and has not been legitimized as a valid process. According to Robbie Davis-Floyd in “Medical Anthropology- Modern Midwives, Issue 20”, she states that there are “links between tradition, ancestry, home remedies, the earth and the biomedical systems”