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From Jackie with love: Making strides toward holistic health
Published
9 years agoon
By Jackie Rainford Corcoran EBS Health Columnist
The 17th century was a revolutionary time for medicine and science. In much of Europe, from approximately 1100 to the mid 1600s, the Catholic Church governed the sciences and generally prohibited the dissection of cadavers because it was believed that medicine was witchcraft.
The church also considered the mind, body and spirit as one, and in order to ascend to heaven, the body had to be preserved intact. This thwarted medical and scientific progress.
The French philosopher, mathematician and scientist René Descartes influenced a reversal of dissection restrictions through his writings and teachings. In his treatise, “The Description of the Human Body,” he argued that the body worked like a machine and was separate from the mind and soul. The church was eventually convinced and began allowing the performance of autopsies, paving the way for medical and scientific breakthroughs.
However, this was not all for the best. For the last 300 years, Western doctors have been treating disease with the complete acceptance that body and mind are separate and do not affect each other. This has distorted our understanding of disease causes and treatment, and resulted in pharmaceuticals becoming a very powerful field of medicine.
A 1997 report from the Journal of the American Medical Association listed the causes of heart disease without mention of emotional factors like stress, depression or anxiety.
How can medicine – despite its narrow focus on biological factors and disease control through surgery and drugs – help humans prevent and cure diseases holistically?
A fairly new science called Psychoneuroimmunology, or PNI, studies the effect of the mind on health and resistance to disease. It’s a big word, but when broken down it makes good sense: “psycho”: the mind and emotions; “neuro”: the nervous system; and “immuno”: the immune system.
Medicine and science are advancing, now considering the whole person and how they fit into the world. A decade after its 1997 report, JAMA published in 2007 another article titled, “Acute Emotional Stress and the Heart.”
Stephen Maier, a professor of psychology at the University of Colorado, explained in a 2001 lecture given at the American Psychological Association convention that, “In a real, true sense, stress makes you physically sick.”
PNI will hopefully help create a tipping point for a new medical and scientific revolution – one that will start treating humans as holistic beings rather than addressing fragmented diseases and disorders that exist in a vacuum.
We now know we have a powerful ability to control our minds and health. We can learn to manage our stress and reduce anxiety; alter lifestyle choices that cause preventable disease; and work with holistic physicians. We must move from disease management to disease prevention swiftly. Our future generations depend on it.
Jackie Rainford Corcoran is an IIN Certified Holistic Health Coach, an NASM Certified Personal Trainer, a public speaker and health activist. Contact her at jackie@thetahealth.com, or find more information at thetahealth.org.
Megan Paulson is the Co-Founder and Chief Operating Officer of Outlaw Partners.
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Bike Big Sky is a FREE community mountain biking group with BSCO and Gallatin Alpine Sports. Meet at posted locations at 6 p.m. Monday evenings. Visit BSCO.org or swing by
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Bike Big Sky is a FREE community mountain biking group with BSCO and Gallatin Alpine Sports. Meet at posted locations at 6 p.m. Monday evenings. Visit BSCO.org or swing by GAS for ride information.
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July 15 (Monday) 6:00 pm - September 23 (Monday) 6:00 pm
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Hike Big Sky is a FREE guided hike for our community and visitors alike. A different trail will be featured each Monday at 9 a.m. Visit BSCO.org for trail description
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Hike Big Sky is a FREE guided hike for our community and visitors alike. A different trail will be featured each Monday at 9 a.m. Visit BSCO.org for trail description information. Please wear layers, bring water and snacks. Bear spray recommended.
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July 22 (Monday) 9:00 am - September 23 (Monday) 12:00 pm
Event Details
Bike Big Sky is a FREE community mountain biking group with BSCO and Gallatin Alpine Sports. Meet at posted locations at 6 p.m. Monday evenings. Visit BSCO.org or swing by
Event Details
Bike Big Sky is a FREE community mountain biking group with BSCO and Gallatin Alpine Sports. Meet at posted locations at 6 p.m. Monday evenings. Visit BSCO.org or swing by GAS for ride information.
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July 22 (Monday) 6:00 pm - September 30 (Monday) 6:00 pm
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Join Santosha, BASE and Gourmet Gals to bring you a donation based all levels community yoga lunch break class every Wednesday throughout the summer. It will be
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Join Santosha, BASE and Gourmet Gals to bring you a donation based all levels community yoga lunch break class every Wednesday throughout the summer. It will be taught by a variety of teachers from Santosha and BASE. This summer all proceeds will go to Big Sky Band-Aid, aside from the first one on the 26th that is happening during Pride week- all funds donated for that class will go to Big Sky OUT. A delicious lunch will also be served by Gourmet Gals following our practice each Wednesday (included in donation). You are welcome to donate with cash at the event or you can Venmo @Santoshabigsky and make a note for Community Yoga. Hope to see you in the Park!
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July 24 (Wednesday) 12:00 pm - September 23 (Monday) 1:00 pm
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Len Hill Park