What are the Healing Arts?
The sacred healing arts teach us that we can be both the healer and the healed.
The healing arts encompass a wide range of alternative medicine practices, like chiropractic, acupuncture, massage, aromatherapy, naturopathy, Reiki, tai chi, and energy healing. Though Western medicine often refers to these holistic practices as a load of quack and alternative to traditional healthcare, they are actually some of the oldest medical systems in existence, hosting a comprehensive history of knowledge. Chinese medicine, for example, has been practiced for centuries to treat psychological and physical ailments, and Amazonian tribes have been using plant medicine since pre‐Columbian times.
In times of serious injury, illness, and emotional turmoil, people often turn to spirituality and these alternative, integrative practices to support health, healing, and well-being – they return home to the powerful healing abilities we’ve always known and held. Like the practice and creation of art, healing is something humans have always intuitively known how to do. No wonder it’s so threatening to mainstream medicine and healthcare; when we realize we hold healing gifts within us, there is less of a need to pour money into the prescription pills that have become customary to today’s conventional healthcare system. We’ve become disillusioned by quick fixes and made to forget that we can be both the healer and the healed.
The healing arts give us power and autonomy on our healing journey because they invite us to become active listeners and participators in our health and well-being. The healing arts are deeply intuitive and empathetic, helping us build awareness of not just the physical body, but the subtle bodies as well. At the basis of most of these practices is the knowledge that everything is connected, so to heal, we must look at the body, mind, and soul as a whole. The healing arts focus on the maintenance of health and the prevention of disease. The goal is not to provide medicine that treats only the physical body or a specific ailment, but to get to the root of a problem to create balance and harmony. To heal the physical body, we must learn to better purify and detox the body and mind, process our emotions, and communicate our needs. Rather than suppress or ignore urges in the body, the healing arts encourage us to listen to the innate knowledge we hold inside and trust in our natural ability and power to restore health.
These are some of the healing arts that influence and guide us here at Soul School:
Reiki
Invented in Japan, Reiki is a form of energy work where practitioners use their hands to transfer energy to a client to balance and improve the client’s life force energy. Reiki comes from the Japanese words rei, meaning ‘universal’, and ki, meaning ‘life force energy’. The purpose of Reiki is to heal energy blocks that may be contributing to physical illness or emotional pain. At our Soul School YTT, we offer Reiki certification. You can also book a Reiki appointment at our yoga studio in downtown Toronto: Oblong Yoga House!
Herbalism
Herbalism is a traditional medicine practice that uses sacred plant medicine for its healing properties. Plants and plant extracts are used in teas, vapours, creams elixirs, oils, etc to address different ailments, such as turmeric for inflammation or ginger root for nausea or an upset stomach.
Ayurveda
Ayurveda, which translates to ‘Science of Life’, is one of the oldest healing systems in the world. Ayurvedic teachings derive from the Vedas, which are Hindu scriptures. Ayurvedic medicine is built on the idea that disease stems from imbalance, so to heal, one must create balance between body, mind, soul, and nature. This is done by balancing your doshas (life forces), which are related to the five elements.
Bodywork
Bodywork refers to any physical manipulation technique, such as massage. These techniques use understanding of the body’s anatomy and subtle energy system to encourage healing. Bodywork can be used to improve flow (blood flow and energy flow), align the body, and optimize function. The following bodywork techniques are offered at Oblong:
Massage: Massage is atherapeutic practice that involves kneading and rubbing muscles and soft tissue.
Thai Yoga Massage: Influenced by Chinese Medicine and Ayurvedic teachings, Thai Yoga Massage integrates dynamic assisted stretching (resembling yoga poses) with the palming and stimulation of pressure points.
Transformational Bodywork: Transformational Bodywork uses massage techniques, myofascial release, and energy work to release stored pain, tension, and trauma.
Fascial Stretch Therapy: Fascial Stretch Therapy is assisted stretching that focuses on relaxing the fascia and joints.
Mind-Body Therapy
Mind-Body therapy consists of practices that bring balance to the body and mind through various techniques, such as movement, stillness, and breathwork. Mind-body therapy includes practices like meditation, tai chi, and yoga. This form of healing looks at the mind-body connection and how it affects overall health, behaviour, thoughts, and emotions.
Sound Healing
Sound healing uses hertz frequency to recalibrate the body into a relaxed state. Different instruments are used throughout the journey to guide and activate your senses, helping you come into the present moment.