Scripturally, I believe 1 Corinthians 12:26 sheds some light on the concept of holistic health.  “That there should be no schism in the body; but that the members should have the same care for one another.  And whether one member suffer, all the members suffer with it; or one member be honoured, all the members rejoice with it.”

 

Because our mental, emotional, spiritual, and physical health are so intertwined, when there is a “dis-ease” in any facet of one’s health, it doesn’t necessarily stay “contained” in that realm; any aspect of one’s health could inevitably be affected adversely.  For example, a physical malady may affect one’s mental or emotional state.  A spiritual issue of unforgiveness may drastically affect one’s physical health, and so on.  

 

Elder Boyd K. Packer shared the following experience.  “I recently asked a doctor of family medicine how much of his time was devoted purely to correcting physical disorders.  He has a large practice, and after thoughtfully considering, he answered, ‘Not more than 20%.  The rest of the time I seem to be working on problems that very much affect the physical well-being of my patients but do not originate in the body.  These physical disorders,’ the doctor concluded, ‘are merely symptoms of some other kind of trouble.’”  Elder Packer added that “...there is a spirit in man; to ignore it is to ignore reality.  There are spiritual disorders, too, and spiritual diseases that can cause intense suffering.  The body and the spirit of man are bound together.  Often, very often, when there are disorders, it is very difficult to tell which is which.” (The Balm of Gilead)

 

If you are looking for a scientific explanation of holistic health, Penelope Quest shares that the field of psychoneuroimmunology has, “firmly established links between stress and almost every major disease, including arthritis, autoimmune disorders, cancer, diabetes, heart disease, hypertension, infertility, irritable bowel syndrome, peptic ulcers and strokes.” (Reiki for Life, p. 46)

 

Perhaps you have experienced something similar to what Dr. Bradley Nelson recounts here regarding symptoms, drugs, and underlying causes.  “There are many powerful drugs that can relieve symptoms of disease.  But when the drug wears off, the symptoms often return because the underlying causes of the disease have not been dealt with.” (The Emotion Code, p. 12)  That was the case with me multiple times over throughout my life.

 

When we experience “dis-ease” in one facet of health, we also need to be open-minded in looking at some of the other facets of health to discover the root cause.  In order to gain and maintain optimal health, we need to do our best to be aware of and take care of ALL facets of our health, with a holistic (whole) mindset.