Wholism and Reductionism

Wholism: Treating the whole being. “The whole is more than the sum of its parts” Aristotle

Reductionism: The whole is nothing more than the sum of its parts. To break down the whole into parts for study- this is in an effort to understand the whole.

In general, the western scientific method of viewing the body is reductionist. The body is reduced to its parts, ignoring the whole. Thus, the body is likened to a “machine” made up of its parts. When a part goes bad, a symptom occurs there. The “cure” is to treat and repair only the superficial symptom of that one part of the body. BUT what was the root cause?

The reductionist approach, although effective in many ways, is still severely limited by its tunnel vision. The cure is selected from only a limited set of possibilities. A wholistic approach does not say “NO” to traditional western methodologies, rather takes, them into account, and allows for whatever else is needed. Thus the possibilities are limitless!

As we know there is more to us than the eye can see, or that can be studied under a microscope. In more recent years, healthcare is slowly starting to recognize that dis-ease can have origins, which are of an emotional, physical, spiritual and energetic nature. Looking at the symptom is only looking at the tip of the iceberg.

Wholism, symbolically speaking, takes a step back to look at the big picture. Dis-ease is viewed as an imbalance and can be brought back to balance by many forms of therapy, healing and lifestyle changes. Our life is wholistic in nature. We can easily see that one circumstance connects to the next, and synchronous occurrences happen all the time- whether you notice them or not! To start thinking about your body and your life wholistically will change your perspective drastically. It will allow you to notice the signs your body is telling you about your overall health. Your intuition and gut reactions will become more apparent in decision making in all aspects of your life, health included.

The point above all else is to keep an open mind towards health. Sometimes wholism is taken as only using “alternative” health, for example, not using any western medicine or antibiotics. This is not the case because true wholism is all encompassing. Wholism is a way to integrate western, eastern and alternative medicines together. We want to have an open state of mind when it comes to health. It is not a “this VS that” mentality, but more of a “this AND that”. This removes any limiting beliefs so when the time comes for you to make a choice, you are open to all available options.

That being said, as a culture, we are still taking baby steps into alternative care options. I strongly encourage everyone to put your health and well being as a priority in your life. Listen to your intuition and look into all possibilities. Nothing exists in isolation in life. Overall health and well being can be achieved in many ways, and it’s up to you to discover it. Enjoy the journey to health, well being, joy, freedom and vitality.