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Episode 3: The Philosophy of Healing in Naturopathy
8 Plays1 month ago
Welcome to another enlightening episode of **Healing Insights**, the podcast brought to you by Rising Phoenix Naturopathy and hosted by Naturopathic Physician, Dr. Tara Coppola. In **Episode 3: The Philosophy of Healing in Naturopathy**, we delve into the foundational philosophies that guide the principles and practices of naturopathic medicine.
Have you ever wondered what sets naturopathic healing apart from conventional approaches? In this episode, Dr. Coppola explores the core philosophies that shape holistic healing in naturopathy, inviting you to discover the deeper understanding of health and wellness that this field embodies.
Join us as we unpack:
- **The Principles of Naturopathy:** Learn about the six fundamental principles that guide naturopathic medicine, including the healing power of nature, treating the whole person, and the importance of prevention. Dr. Coppola explains how these principles create a comprehensive and personalized approach to health.
- **Vitalism Explained:** Building on our previous discussion, we delve deeper into the concept of vitalism—how it connects to the philosophy of healing in naturopathy, emphasizing the body’s innate ability to heal and restore balance.
- **Holistic Perspectives:** Understand the interconnectedness of physical, mental, and emotional health. Discover how naturopathy views the individual as a whole, rather than a collection of symptoms, leading to more effective and lasting healing.
- **The Role of Patient Empowerment:** Dr. Coppola discusses the vital role patients play in their healing journeys. Learn how naturopathic practitioners educate and empower their patients to take an active role in their health through informed decisions and self-care practices.
- **Real-Life Applications:** Explore how the philosophies of naturopathy can be incorporated into daily life, from dietary choices to stress management techniques. Dr. Coppola shares practical tips to help you embrace a holistic lifestyle.
- **Listener Engagement:** Tune in as Dr. Coppola answers listener questions, providing insights and clarifications about the philosophy of healing and its practical implications.
This episode is perfect for anyone who wants to deepen their understanding of naturopathy and its holistic approach to health. Whether you are a seasoned practitioner or new to the concept of holistic healing, you’ll find valuable insights that can enhance your health journey.
Don’t miss **The Philosophy of Healing in Naturopathy** and discover how these timeless philosophies can inspire and guide you toward a vibrant and balanced life!
Remember, the content provided is for educational purposes only and is not intended to diagnose, treat, or cure any disease. For any health concerns or questions, please seek the advice of a qualified healthcare professional. Take care and stay well!
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Transcript
Introduction and Disclaimer
00:00:01
Tara Coppola
Hi, beautiful souls, and welcome to another enlightening episode of Healing Insights by Rising Phoenix Natureopathy. I am your host, Dr. Tara Coppola, and today we're gonna dive a little deeper into the topic of the philosophies of healing in natureopathy. But first, I have to give you the disclaimer.
00:00:29
Tara Coppola
Before we dive into this episode, please note that the information presented here is for educational purposes only. It is very general in nature, just like the information you're going to find almost anywhere on the internet. It is not intended to diagnose or treat illness. It is intended to educate and empower you about the healing that can occur. It should not be used or considered medical advice.
00:00:59
Tara Coppola
always consult with a licensed healthcare practitioner to get personalized guidance regarding your health and medical conditions.
What is Naturopathy?
00:01:09
Tara Coppola
No, now that that's done, have you ever wondered what underpins the principles and practices of naturopathic medicine?
00:01:19
Tara Coppola
Well, if so, I've got some news for you. We're gonna explore the guiding philosophies behind naturopathy, how they shape treatments, and their remarkable uses in healing. So grab your coffee, grab your tea, let's get comfortable and embark on this healing journey together.
00:01:41
Tara Coppola
Before we dig in to the philosophies of healing, let's briefly outline what natureopathy is. I've discussed this in other podcasts, but I want to go over it again, just in case you're a new listener. Natureopathy is a holistic approach to health and seeks to treat individuals as a whole, emphasizing prevention and the body's innate ability to heal.
00:02:06
Tara Coppola
The core belief of naturopathy is that health is not merely the absence of disease, but a dynamic state of balance involving physical, emotional and spiritual wellbeing. I'm going to repeat that again. Health is not just the absence of disease. Health is the body, the emotions and the spirit so all being in a dynamic state of balance.
00:02:37
Tara Coppola
Now, just to get a little history in, the origins of naturopathy can be traced back to multiple ancient healing traditions, botanical medicine, traditional Chinese medicine, Ayurvedic medicine. Now, what we know as naturopathy today was formulaized around the late 19th century, thanks to some pioneers such as Benedict Luce.
00:03:06
Tara Coppola
As we explore the philosophies of healing, remember, they're deeply rooted in these rich traditions of understanding health and wellness.
Principles of Naturopathy
00:03:20
Tara Coppola
Natureopathy is built on several foundational principles that guide its practice. They are the healing power of nature, identifying and treating the cause. First, do no harm. Doctor as teacher, treating the whole person and prevention. So let's go into these in a little bit more depth. The healing power of nature. Nature paths believe that nature provides us with remedies and a vibrant energy. This principle directs practitioners to use natural remedies to support the body's vital force, to support the body's healing processes.
00:04:02
Tara Coppola
When we identify and treat the cause, nature paths are not just addressing symptoms. We are working to uncover and treat the underlying cause of illness. Our whole medicine relies on first doing no harm. We function on a therapeutic order, which I will go into more detail in other podcasts because it can be expensive.
00:04:30
Tara Coppola
First Do No Harm emphasizes using the least invasive methods possible to promote healing within the body. Nature paths prioritize natural remedies, which can carry minimal risk. However, anything that's used can be a risk, right? It's not the substance that makes us toxic, it's the amount of substance that can be used, can create toxins.
00:04:57
Tara Coppola
so Our goal as naturopaths naturepath to come in and use the least invasive, most minimal tactics possible to help the body heal itself. Then we have doctor as teacher. Again, I've talked, this is one of my favorite principles of naturopathic medicine.
00:05:16
Tara Coppola
nature path use their their role as educator to empower patients to learn how to heal themselves, to empower patients to take charge of their health and their healing through knowledge and informed choices. Then we come to treating the whole person.
00:05:40
Tara Coppola
This is a holistic approach, which considers the patient's physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual wellbeing, and recognizes that there is a dynamic interplay between all of them that creates health and creates healing. We want to touch on all of these aspects as it is pertinent to the individual patient. And lastly, we come to prevention.
00:06:06
Tara Coppola
Majorpathic philosophy places huge emphasis on preventing illness through lifestyle choices, education, and therapies that enhance wellbeing and enhance healing. As I've said, prevention is not a hundred percent going to stop everything that comes in. I have seen many, many patients come in that are living a beautiful,
00:06:31
Tara Coppola
healthy life full of prevent prevention still coming down with diseases and illnesses. What is different when we lead a life of preventative medicine is that when our body succumbs to illness or disease, it has more tools and more vital force to come back and fight that illness or disease. Together,
00:07:00
Tara Coppola
All of these principles form the foundation of our understanding as naturopaths and the application of the healing art of naturopathy. Now, I want to dive deeper into the philosophy of healing within naturopathy.
Vitalism and Holistic Health
00:07:19
Tara Coppola
At its heart, naturopathy believes in the concept of vitalism.
00:07:25
Tara Coppola
The idea that a vital force is within all living beings. What is this vital force? This is the energy that embodies our bodies to heal and thrive. In naturopathic practice, treatments aim to support and educate this vital force rather than merely combating illness.
00:07:50
Tara Coppola
Naturopathy embraces holistic view, a true holistic view that encompasses physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual, not just focusing on relieving the symptoms. For example, if someone is experiencing anxiety, a naturopath is not just going to come in and give them an anti-anxiety medication or an anti-anxiety ERT.
00:08:18
Tara Coppola
They're gonna come in, they're gonna assess lifestyle, assess nutrition, assess emotional factors, assess factors of sleep, anything that can possibly couldn't be contributing to anxiety or to the mental health concerns that person is dealing with. However, in some situations, pharmaceuticals are needed. Like I've said, there's a therapeutic order in which coming in to suppress the symptoms can be needed.
00:08:48
Tara Coppola
This being said, it's not gonna be the forefront. We're gonna come in with other aspects first to help facilitate the body's natural healing abilities and support that person's vital force.
00:09:08
Tara Coppola
In naturopathy, we focus on the interconnected wellness of the individual. each body part, each emotion, each thought, everything that happens within a human being is interconnected. Nothing happens in isolation. We are not simply a sum of our parts. Our parts integrate and work together to create our life and our worlds. Nature paths will employ modalities like acupuncture, herbal medicine, nutrition,
00:09:45
Tara Coppola
to address the dynamic interplay between these facets of our being. For example, let's talk about a patient that might be struggling with digestive issues.
00:10:00
Tara Coppola
Naturopaths are absolutely going to explore dietary changes. That's not gonna be the only thing. We may touch on stress management. We may touch on emotional healing. We may touch on potential toxins in the environment, um mold in in the house they live in. We will touch on any possible thing that is affecting that individual person. We're not just going to come in with take this herb to ease your upset stomach or take this herb to ease your heartburn. It is a multifaceted approach.
00:10:39
Tara Coppola
This holistic interconnection underpins the philosophy of healing in naturopathy. Now, we've unpacked some of the core philosophies. Let's look at how they actually translate with utilizing the healing practices.
Applying Naturopathic Principles
00:10:58
Tara Coppola
First and foremost, one of my favorites is diet and nutrition. This is one of the most practical applications to help the body heal itself.
00:11:09
Tara Coppola
Most often times, if there is a chronic illness occurring in the system, you can bet there is a underlying nutritional component. And it's going to be individual to the patient. Nature paths will guide their patients to understanding which foods are potentially more dangerous and which foods are more helpful. For their bodies,
00:11:40
Tara Coppola
effective functioning. Next we come to Botanical Medicine. This is nature's pharmacy. Nature paths learn to incorporate botanical medicine that align with their patient's need. It's not just take this herb if you have a headache. It's also take this herb because it supports the energy of this system of your body or small dosing herbs to support the energy of the whole being. There are multiple ways that botanical medicine can be used and are used in naturopathy. We then come to mind body practices.
00:12:15
Tara Coppola
This can be techniques like mindfulness, meditation, yoga. Anything that comes in to help to connect your mind to your body is a mind-body practice. It is so important. In our world, many of us are living, running around in our heads.
00:12:32
Tara Coppola
Our anxiety, our stress is through the roof. We are pushing and pushing and pushing and pushing, and our bodies are slowly decaying. It is so, so important to connect our bodies back to our mind again through these mind-body practices. The next tool we use is lifestyle modifications. Nature Paths will frequently advise on stress management, exercise, work-life balance, because they are important.
00:13:03
Tara Coppola
Our health doesn't care if we have to work 80 hours a week to get the bills paid. That working 80 hours a week can be slowly killing us. We have to find a way to make it functional. We have to find a way to so support that work-life balance, to support that stress management on the system. Because that is going to be the crux. That is going to be what we call our term I cannot think of right now.
00:13:32
Tara Coppola
It's our obstacle to cure and we're going to have to find a way through that with our patient because it's important to get our patient to cure. We then come to physical modalities. Nature paths will use physical modalities. Some use massage, some use hydrotherapy, some use acupuncture. There are many others that nature paths use to promote physical well-being. All of these applications are grounded in the philosophy of healing.
00:13:59
Tara Coppola
Natureopathy offers a comprehensive toolkit for patients seeking wellness.
Naturopathy vs. Conventional Medicine
00:14:08
Tara Coppola
We're going to touch a little bit on how natureopathy differs from conventional medicine. We're going to talk a lot about this in another podcast because it's big and it is heated and it can be heated. It's a very, very interesting topic of discussion.
00:14:26
Tara Coppola
It is important to understand that naturopathy differs from conventional medicine. However, they can compliment each other. Okay? So first it's symptom focused versus root cause. Conventional medicine offers a symptom focused approach to getting rid of symptoms quickly. Naturopathic medicine offers a root cause approach to dig deeper and heal the root cause that created that symptom.
00:14:56
Tara Coppola
then we have the difference between natural remedies and pharmaceuticals. Nature paths prefer to use natural remedies because they're sometimes, sometimes the least invasive method. Conventional doctors typically run on pharmaceuticals and surgery. However, depending on the situation, and I've talked about this before and I will talk about this again, in the therapeutic order, there can be a need to suppress symptoms.
00:15:24
Tara Coppola
So depending on the situation, bold approaches can be either needed or effective. Then we come to patient empowerment. Natureopathy promotes self empowerment and education. We want our patients to heal themselves, to empower themselves to become. Whereas conventional medicine is more of a passive role where you're kind of just listening to what your doctor tells you to do. Now,
00:15:54
Tara Coppola
depending on the individual will also depend on which avenue is best for them. Some patients just want to be told what to do, and that's fine. So maybe a vitalistic naturopathic practitioner is not the right option for them. Now, we need nice but we need to recognize that these differences can help you choose the best approach for your individual healthcare care needs.
Encouragement and Conclusion
00:16:25
Tara Coppola
As we wrap up our quick conversation on the philosophy of healing in natureopathy, I really hope you gained a deeper understanding of the principles that guide this holistic practice. If you're feeling inspired to explore these philosophies, how these philosophies can enhance your journey, I want you to consider reaching out to me for a private discovery call.
00:16:50
Tara Coppola
You can visit my website, www.risingphoenixnatureopathy.com for different resources or for booking options. I want to thank you from the bottom of my heart for joining me today for this quick conversation on healing insights. If you found this information valuable, please like, share, and subscribe with anybody you think might be of benefit. Remember,
00:17:17
Tara Coppola
The content provided is for educational purposes only, and is not intended to diagnose, treat, or cure disease. For health concerns and questions, please seek a licensed medical practitioner. Until next time, embrace your journey of healing, nurture your vital force, and remember, your health is a beautiful blend of body, mind and spirit. Take care, everyone.