Notes and Articles

Wellness and Wellbeing: Vitalism

The philosophy of life that underlies naturopathic medicine. Vitalism defines life as an autonomous force which cannot be explained in biological or chemical terms.

Chi; Ki; Prana; Pranayama; Vitalism; Vital Elan

1. The word 'prana' (meaning 'vital air', from the root 'pran': 'to breathe') refers to what is known as the vital energy or vital force or life principle ... and has corollaries in other cultures.
   
   
2. The Patanjali Yoga-Sutras lay down an eightfold path consisting of aids to Yoga:
   
   
   1. restraint (yama),
   2. observance (niyama),
   3. posture (asana),
   4. regulation of breathing (pranayama),
   5. detachment from the senses (pratyahara),
   6. concentration (dharana),
   7. meditation (dhyana), and
   8. trance (samadhi3.

The natural therapeutic approach maintains that the constant effort of the body's life force is all ways in the direction of self cleansing, self repairing and positive health. The philosophy maintains that even acute disease is a manifestation of the body's efforts in the direction of self-cure. Disease or downgraded health, may be eliminated only by removing from the system the real cause and by raising the body's general vitality so that its natural and inherent ability to sustain health is allowed to dominate.

"Vis medicatrix naturae" or "the healing power of nature". Hippocrates

Fundamental to naturopathy is a profound belief in the ability of the body to heal itself, given the proper opportunities. The goal of the naturopath is to use the least invasive intervention that will have the desired therapeutic effect. This philosophical approach necessitates a broad range of therapeutic skills so that the specific treatment can be advised or can be referred on if out of the individual naturopaths sphere of expertise.

Naturopathic medicine is 'vitalistic' in its approach; the body is believed to have an innate intelligence that is always striving for health. Vitalism maintains that the symptoms accompanying disease are not always directly caused by the morbific agent e.g. bacteria, rather they are the result of the body's intrinsic response or reaction to that agent and the body's attempt to defend and heal itself. Health is viewed as more than just the absence of disease.

The naturopathic physician can employ a wide variety of different types of therapy in the treatment of an individual including nutrition, botanical medicine, homoeopathy, acupuncture, lifestyle modification and remedial massage therapy.

Treat the cause not the symptom