The Six Principles of Naturopathy Part 5 – The Healing Power of Nature
The Healing Power of Nature
Trust in the body’s inherent wisdom to heal itself
What do you think of when you think of nature?
When you think of life on earth, spanning the vast eons of time?
Nature reproduces itself for one thing, and every living form nature produces is in constant, intelligent adaptation to its environment.
All the elements are in constant flux, and through this, this powerful adaptive force brings the ability to reproduce and regenerate.
The regenerative functions are those that human beings count on when we need healing.
Just as when you notice your favorite potted plant looks a little withered, and you seek to provide it some much needed water, sunlight, and/or fresh air, you too when you are withered you should seek to tend to yourself properly.
You, like every other organism on this planet, has an ideal habitat that allows for your ideal expression.
You have a unique set of genes, giving rise to your physicality and all your ensuing personality traits and characteristics that need to find the best environment for your fulfillment.
You need to find the right line of work for you, the right set of friends, the right hobbies, the right lifestyle that brings about your optimal state.
This requires discipline, and when we confuse mere pleasure with what is, in a larger sense, the right balance we get off track.
It’s not easy living in this modern world because there are pleasure traps around every corner (make no mistake about it).
Tackling the issue of our physical well-being, the naturopathic approach hinges on these basic core characteristics of life: that nature reproduces and regenerates.
For each organism, the ability to regenerate is in direct proportion to the balance of resources from the environment.
You cannot regenerate healthfully if the resources of the environment are lacking, or if the environment becomes toxic, right? Malnutrition and chemical poisoning are two obvious examples.
So back to our beloved potted plant, we instinctively look to provide the best environment for the plant to thrive. Some plants are more delicate than others.
Have you ever cared for an orchid? In my experience, the conditions have to be just right for them and there’s not much wiggle room.
You have a unique set of genes, giving rise to your physicality and all your ensuing personality traits and characteristics that need to find the best environment for your fulfillment.
And it is with ourselves. Some of us stronger than others, yet the principle remains the same―the right balance of environmental factors must take place for each of us to achieve ideal healthy.
We can trust this. This is an intrinsic property of life. It’s simply our duty to function as a good gardener to our own gardens, attaining the right balance in life to allow maximum healing and regeneration.
Sometimes, it’s all about nourishment.
Other times, it’s about removing something harmful. In the case of toxicity, the modern plague of the post-industrial world, to restore the balance and allow the natural regenerative functions to work is akin to taking off the wheel brakes of a running jet on the tarmac.
That jet is ready to go, right? The engine is going, but something is blocking its propulsion forward. When you remove those brake blocks in this case, the jet is off.
This analogy I provide to illustrate the idea that healing is the natural default state; disease is not.
Disease only happens when something is blocking the natural regenerative process, or better said, when the forces that are blocking healing overpower the regenerative forces.
Trust in the body’s inherent wisdom to heal itself
It’s important to recognize that the regenerative forces are very much in proportion to age, and there is a gradual decline in the regenerative powers as we grow older.
Tending to the body well throughout life maximizes the regenerative functions and allows people to live with vigor and health for a much longer time than what most think is possible.
The wise practitioner is vigilant in assessing and correcting both deficiencies and excesses in search for the balance point where optimal health naturally emerges.
