Alternative therapies

It's funny to me that treatments like massage are "alternative" because I bet massage or gentle touch is the first way that a parent soothes their child when they're in pain.

Even though this picture is PG, Elle does do some great yoga

Even if you don't have a difficult illness you might still want to use chiropractic care, acupuncture, acupressure, massage, reiki, yoga or meditation to help your body and brain feel relaxed. I enjoy massage and recently, have started to really enjoy acupuncture. It's helped me with lockjaw after wisdom teeth extraction and back pain. My grandfather, BB, really found reiki helpful when he had cancer. Yoga is a bonding activity for my family and is a favorite of grandma Lavender and my friend Swag. Bert knows a thing or two about reflexology and I'm a novice meditator but it's improving!

I think that meditation is anything you find relaxing: gardening, reading, having a warm drink, playing music, cooking, laying quietly or wood working. The list is unlimited. I also think that picturing pleasant images helps with pain. When I had my first CT scan, I was scared because the injection makes you feel like you're peeing and it's hot in your veins. There's a "don't look at laser - causes blindness" sticker right in your face and you're wearing a gaping dress. I pictured every detail of my mums face until it was over and then it wasn't so bad. 

What do you do that might seem "alternative" to western medicine? What ratio would you say that you use Western vs. Eastern medicine? Western seems to be diagnostics, pills and physiotherapy while Eastern seems to be herbal tonics, energy flow and active release. Nutrition seems to straddle both sides right now, although it's in it's infancy in North America.

I bet I'm using a 70% West to a 30% East treatment plan right now and you?

*A picture of me getting a CT will follow but I've misplaced my camera cords*