acupressure: type of Chinese medicine that uses direct stimulation by a therapist’s fingertips,

knuckles, or hands or from blunt-tipped instruments to stimulate specific points on energetic

meridians and points on a patient’s body.

acupuncture: a branch of ancient Chinese medicine that treats many conditions including diseases, drug or alcohol addiction, and sinus problems by stimulation of needles to directly manipulate a network along 12 major pathways or energetic meridians, connecting specific internal organs with energetic points on the network. Acupuncture regulates, or disperses Ki (also referred to as Chee, Chi, Ki, Qi, and Qui), the vital life energy that animates all living organisms, and results in a correcting and rebalancing Ki to relieve pain and restore health.

aromatherapy: therapeutic use of essential oils extracted from flowers, stems, leaves, roots, or fruits of a plant or tree. Physiological and psychological benefits of treatment are achieved by absorption through massage, hydrotherapy, and inhalation.

art therapy: a type of therapy in which a person is encouraged to express feelings through a nonverbal process, using a variety of materials to create art. By observing the process, form, color, content, interests and comments, an art therapist makes a comprehensive diagnosis of a client's needs and determines treatment plans to restore, maintain, or improve an individual’s physical and mental health.

Ayurvedic medicine: 5,000-year-old system of holistic and preventive medicine from India that treats illness as an imbalance or stress in the awareness of the individual, along with an imbalance of the doshas. The ayurvedic tradition employs diagnostic procedures such as reading the pulse and observing the tongue. Nutrition counseling, yoga, massage, herbal medicine, meditation, and other modalities are used to treat a broad spectrum of ailments in reaching a balanced state of inner harmony, health, and natural well-being.

biofeedback: the process of furnishing an individual with information, usually in an auditory or visual mode, on the state of one or more physiological variables such as heart rate, blood pressure, or skin temperature; it often enables the individual to gain some voluntary control over the physiological variable being sampled. Biofeedback is used especially for stress-related conditions such as asthma, migraine headaches, insomnia, and high blood pressure.

chelation therapy: series of intravenous injections of the synthetic amino acid EDTA (ethylene diamine tetraacetic acid), designed to detoxify the body of undesirable heavy metals such as lead, mercury, nickel, copper, and cadmium. Chelation therapy is often used to treat atherosclerosis and arteriosclerosis by dissolving plaque that has built up in the circulatory system.

Chinese medicine: a variety of ancient and modern therapeutic methods, including acupuncture, herbal medicine, massage, heat therapy, and nutritional and lifestyle counseling--to treat a broad range of chronic and acute illnesses.

chiropractic practice: a discipline that views the spine as the backbone of human health. Misalignments of vertebrae caused by poor posture or trauma cause pressure on the spinal nerve roots, leading to diminished function and illness. Through manipulation or adjustment of the spine, treatment seeks to analyze and correct misalignments.

colonic therapy: colonic irrigations with fluid under gentle pressure are a method of and therapy for bowel cleansing designed to detoxify the large intestine.

craniosacral therapy: gentle manipulation of the brain, spinal cord, bones of the skull, sacrum and interconnected membranes--to correct misalignments and distortions in the structure and function of the craniosacral mechanism that surrounds the central nervous system.

dance and movement therapies: therapeutic technique which uses expressive movement as a tool for personal expression, psychological and/or emotional healing.

detoxification: the process of eliminating the build-up of wastes and toxins from the body, often accomplished with fasting, adhering to specific diets, colon therapy, vitamin therapy, chelation therapy, and hyperthermia.

Eastern medicine: a broad term for Oriental, Indian, Tibetan, Japanese, and Chinese medicine, all of which share philosophies about the energy system of the human body and the necessity of balance and harmony. Practitioners are trained to use a variety of ancient and modern techniques of diagnosis and treatments.

energetic therapies: the treatment of the human body/mind/spirit, including the electromagnetic or energetic field which surrounds the body, by pressure and/or manipulation. Includes many different modalities including reiki, breath work, aromatherapy, vibrational healing, polarity and many others.

Feldenkrais: a form of movement therapy designed to isolate separate muscles and muscle groups to promote flexibility, release tension, and enhance balance.

feng shui: ancient Chinese practice of arranging home or work environments to promote health, happiness, and prosperity. Importance is placed on color selection and furniture placement in order to promote a healthy flow of vital energy.

guided imagery: a technique that involves using the imagination and mental images to promote relaxation, changes in attitude or behavior, and encourages physical healing. Also known as visualization.

healing touch: one of the touch therapies that uses a variety of techniques to repattern and align the biofield, allowing the innate healing process to occur. Healing touch is an energy-based, therapeutic approach to healing and uses touch to influence the energy system thus affecting physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual health.

herbalism: employs parts of plants (seed, stem, flowers, root, bark, leaf) for the relief of conditions, ailments, or complaints; the earliest known form of medicine.

holistic dentistry: an alternative approach that focuses on the use of non-toxic restorative materials for dental work, and emphasizes the unrecognized impact that dental toxins may have on a person's overall health. While traditional dentistry focuses only on the areas above the neck, holistic dentistry looks at the patient as a whole system and how the mouth relates to the rest of the body.

holistic medicine: philosophical approach to health care which treats the patient as a whole person, not simply as a disease process or a collection of symptoms. Holistic health care practitioners may combine allopathic medicine with complementary therapies, taking into account the emotional, spiritual, social, nutritional, mental, environmental, and physical aspects of health and illness.

homeopathy: homeopathy is an alternative medical system that treats the symptoms of a disease with minute doses of a natural substance or remedy. In larger doses, the remedy would produce the same symptoms as the disease or disorder that is being treated.

hypnotherapy: the clinical use of hypnosis, in which the subject’s powers of consciousness are mobilized and subconscious memories and perceptions are brought into consciousness. Heightened responsiveness to suggestions and commands, suspension of disbelief with lowering of critical judgments, the potential of alteration in perceptions, motor control, or memory in response to suggestions and the subjective experience of responding involuntarily are induced through hypnotherapy.

hoopono pono: which literally translates "to make right," is central to Hawaiian healing traditions. Ho`oponopono is a therapy that seeks spiritual intervention to restore harmony. Recently, psychiatrists, social workers and psychologists have become interested in this ancient Hawaiian therapy for restoring harmony.

integrative medicine: practitioners of integrative medicine have training and interest in both conventional Western medicine and alternative and complementary therapies, bringing a variety of techniques to their practices.

internal medicine: Internal medicine is a “non-surgical” medical specialty concerned with diseases of internal organs in adults. Physicians who specialize in the field, known as Internists are skilled in disease prevention and in managing complex disorders of the body. Internists may be either generalists or specialists.

intuitive arts: methods of receiving information using your inner senses of Clairvoyance, Clairaudience, Clairsentience, Empathy, Telepathy, Psychometry, Aura Perception and Perception of Other Realms.

iridology: a diagnostic technique which uses the markings and patterns of the irises of the eyes to determine the condition of various systems or organs of the body.

kinesiology : a technique in which muscular strength and balance at distant points is used to determine the site and nature of a local impairment. 

Lomilomi massage: a Native Hawaiian healing treatment requiring rigorous training involving not only physical skills and techniques but the ability to create a bond of trust between patient and therapist.

Martial arts: any of several Oriental arts of self-defense; usually practiced as a sport.

massage therapy: systematic, therapeutic stroking, rubbing, or kneading of the skin and underlying muscle and other soft tissue of the recipient for the purpose of physical and psychological relaxation, improvement of circulation, relief of sore muscles, and other therapeutic effects.

meditation: a technique of mind control with the goals of feeling an inner calm and peacefulness, profound experiences of self-realization and transcendental awareness. Meditation is a discipline found in many of the world’s religions, including Buddhism, Hinduism, Islam, and Christianity, but it is also advocated by many practitioners of holistic health for its impact on stress-related disease.

meridian: in Eastern traditional medicine, it is believed that the body has a channel with 12 parts, or meridians, that loop through the body in an endless circuit, connecting the principal organs and other body parts. Meridians are said to carry ching qi that regulates the relationship between, and the functioning of, various body structures.

mind-body techniques: therapies such as meditation, hypnosis, guided imagery which focus on the interaction between the mind and the body.

music therapy: systematic application of music to produce relaxation and desired changes in emotions, behavior and physiology. Music can also be created by the client, allowing nonverbal self expression.

naturopathy: integrates traditional natural therapies such as botanical medicine, clinical nutrition, homeopathy, acupuncture, hydrotherapy, and naturopathic manipulative therapy with modern scientific medical diagnostic science and standards of care. Naturopaths recognize the innate intelligence and inherent healing ability of the body; great emphasis is placed on preventive medicine.

neurofeedback: a form of biofeedback which uses electrical signals from the brain detected by electrodes that are placed on the scalp. It is a painless and non-invasive exercise in which the person’s mental activity (brainwaves) are “fed back” to him or her via a computer. A coach trains the person how to change the activity of one’s brain in a desired way, and thus learn new behaviors. This way the person gains better control over his or her symptoms.

osteopathic medicine: a system of therapy that emphasizes normal body mechanics and manipulation to correct faulty body structures. Osteopathic physicians provide comprehensive medical care.

Pilates: a unique exercise that combines diaphragmatic breathing with a mind-body focus on spine alignment and musculoskeletal balance. All movement is initiated from the trunk — or core — of the body, and Pilates concentrates on improving this core body strength by isolating and strengthening the rectus and transverse abdominus, deep internal stabilizers, back extensors, back stabilizers, and trunk rotational muscles.

Qi (also referred to as Chee, Chi, Qui or Ki): in Eastern philosophies, the energy that connects and animates everything in the universe; includes both individual qi (personal life force) and universal qi, which are coextensive through the practice of mind-body disciplines, such as traditional meditation, aikido, and tai chi.

qigong (gi gong and chi-kung): ancient Chinese exercise that stimulates and balances the flow of qi, or vital life energy by using breath, movement, and meditation to cleanse, strengthen, and circulate the blood and vital life energy.

reflexology: a body work technique in which the practitioner applies pressure with thumbs and fingers to points on the feet, hands and ears said to correspond to specific organs and parts of the body. Similar to acupressure.

reiki therapy: an Eastern touch therapy in which the practitioner systematically uses light hand placement in one of 12 positions on the recipient's body to balance and direct healing energy to those sites.

rolfing: a massage technique developed by Swiss-born American biochemist Dr. Ida Rolf that involves deep fascia and muscle manipulation and education about body position. The purpose is to help the recipient establish deep structural relationships within the body that manifest via a symmetry and balanced function when the body is in an upright position. Also known as structural integration.

shamanism: an ancient spiritual and medical tradition practiced in native cultures around the world. Using ritual, shamans often enter altered states of consciousness to promote the healing of their clients. Shamans regard themselves as conductors of healing energy or sources from the spiritual realm.

shiatsu: a form of acupressure used in Japan to treat pain and illness as well as for general health maintenance. Practitioners apply rhythmic finger pressure at specific points on the body to stimulate qi.

tai chi: through this form of movement, one achieves health and tranquility while developing the mind and body. Tai chi teaches the individual how to control the nervous system in order to put the entire body to rest, believed to be an effective way of staying healthy.

therapeutic touch: a healing modality that involves touching with the conscious intent to help or heal. The practitioner moves the hands through a recipient's energy field for the purpose of assessment and treatment of energy field imbalance.

Western medicine: a term used by holistic health care practitioners to describe allopathic medicine, orthodox medicine, or the way medicine has traditionally been practiced in the United States and Europe .

yoga: ancient philosophical system and spiritual practice from India ; it involves breathing exercises, stretching postures, and meditation techniques that utilizes the body, mind and spirit. Participants of yoga describe achieving a state of tranquility and peacefulness that clears the mind, calms the soul, and rejuvenates energy. Yoga provides the physical benefits of increased strength and flexibility. It also relieves stress, gives mental clarity, promotes healing, and grants inner peace and serenity.