At WAYStation Wellness, combining the practice of therapeutic bodywork and prayer promotes natural healing and an environment of Divine intervention.

 

And these signs will follow those who believe: In My name they will...lay hands on the sick, and they will recover" (Mark 16:17-18).

​

Some think reflexology and other alternative forms of health care spiritually dangerous due to the cultures from which they originated? Is this true?

​

First, while modalities such as reflexology, acupuncture, or other forms of Traditional Chinese Medicine are thought to have originated from Asian, Tibetan, or Indian cultures; discoveries were made in Egyptian tombs dating the practice back thousands of years earlier. The question is: who really knows how far back many wholistic and alternative forms of health care originated? Here is my own theory: After you study an alternative form of healing from a scientific point of view, and see how well it works in tandem to the way the body was designed, you have to wonder if this wisdom does not date all the way back to the dawn of time. Adam and Eve, of course, had no reason for healing until after the fall. But, perhaps it was communicated to one like Enoch (Genesis 5), seventh from Adam, and who walked with God in close communion, and was then passed down through oral tradition. It is evident that God, who loved the world for which He gave His Son to save, also provided wisdom to preserve the health of the nations around the world. After all, He rains on the just and the unjust (Matthew 5:44-45), and shows no favoritism (Acts 10:34, Romans 2:11, Galatians 2:6). Those, of course, are simply my thoughts. But, really, who knows?

​

What I do know for sure is that alternative forms of health care, like reflexology, Raindrop Technique, acupuncture, and others, are wholistic. Wholistic means that your entire being: spirit, soul, and body are seen as a whole. One area cannot be affected in a vaccuum. Rather, all parts suffer when one part suffers, whether that is immediate or over time.

​

In Eastern cultures, the priest and the doctor were, and in many cases are, one and the same. They never dreamed of separating the body, soul, and spirit. Similarly, in the Christian faith, many people seek help from God for wisdom in regard to their health before they see a medical doctor. Similarly, there are many doctors who pray to God for wisdom about how to treat their patients, or who pray for their patients before treating them.

 

Out of obedience to the Scriptures, some pray for healing on their own (Psalm 30:2), get two or three to agree with them in prayer for healing (Matthew 18:19, James 5:16), or call for the elders of their church to anoint them with oil and pray for healing (James 5:14). In so doing, they are seeking a solution for the whole person instead of seeking physical help alone, as prayer affects body, soul (or the mind), and spirit. This is a wholistic approach, and practiced in many cultures.

​

In 1859, Charles Darwin's writing on The Origin of Species spurred the cultural catalyst that created ever-specializing branches of science. Conventional medicine, as we know it today, has been segregated into specialties such as psychology, neurology, immunology, and so on. This caused the wholistic philosophy to fade almost completely out of sight until recently with the onset of integrative health care at hospitals and care centers around the United States. Now, in places like Cancer Treatment Centers of America, or Vanderbilt University Medical Center, people can find complimentary alternative health care that works in tandem with conventional medicine. Because it includes the spiritual aspect as well as the mental and physical, patients are encouraged to bring their respective faiths on board with the healing process.

​

Does the Bible have anything else to say in support of a wholistic approach to health and wellness? Sure it does. According to God’s Word, the Bible, we can understand that He desires for our entire being to be at peace, which in Hebrew is “Shalom”, and means, “Nothing missing and nothing broken”, and He gave us provision in the elements of earth's creation.

​

“Now may the God of peace himself sanctify you completely, and may your whole spirit and soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ” (1 Thessalonians 5:23).

​

Further, we see, in the third book of John, that our soul (mind, will, and emotions) can have a direct affect upon our physical body.

​

“Beloved, I pray that all may go well with you and that you may be in good health, as it goes well with your soul” (3 John 1:2).

​

We also see the Divine will of God used in tandem with obedience in using a natural remedy.

​

"About that time Hezekiah became deathly ill, and the prophet Isaiah son of Amoz went to visit him. He gave the king this message: 'This is what the LORD says: Set your affairs in order, for you are going to die. You will not recover from this illness.'  When Hezekiah heard this, he turned his face to the wall and prayed to the LORD, 'Remember, O LORD, how I have always been faithful to you and have served you single-mindedly, always doing what pleases you.' Then he broke down and wept bitterly. Then this message came to Isaiah from the LORD: 'Go back to Hezekiah and tell him, ‘This is what the LORD, the God of your ancestor David, says: I have heard your prayer and seen your tears. I will add fifteen years to your life...Isaiah had said to Hezekiah’s servants, “Make an ointment from figs and spread it over the boil, and Hezekiah will recover.” (Isaiah 38:1-4a, 21).

​

God can use anyone He chooses to convey truth, preserve truth, or to do His will. He has used, and continues to use, Christian and non-Christian nations alike, to bring about His will in the earth. Here are just a few examples of people God used to do His will, and who did not claim to know or follow Him: King Cyrus (Ezra 1:1-2), and the army of Syria (Isaiah 10). God used the Roman Emperor Constantine to hasten the process of evangelizing the Roman Empire.

​

Paul said it best in Acts 16:26-28:

​

​​"...and He made from one man every nation of mankind to live on all the face of the earth, having determined their appointed times and the boundaries of their habitation, that they would seek God, if perhaps they might grope for Him and find Him, though He is not far from each one of us; for in Him we live and move and exist, as even some of your own poets have said, ‘For we also are His children."

​

​Paul goes on to say that the times of ignorance have passed, and that God is calling all nations to repent because of the Day of the Lord is approaching. But, the fact is that, only God can know which nations He will use for what reasons.

​

​The point I am trying to make is this: Through the Bible, history, observation, conversation, and education; I have concluded that God has given wisdom to, and communicated it through, a host of people throughout the ages. For example, Jethro, who was Moses' father-in-law, gave him wisdom from God about how to better administrate justice to Israel (Exodus 2). He was a priest of Midian. People, throughout the ages, who received wisdom from God about how our bodies function (whether by Divine revelation as with Abram in Genesis 12:1, or by oral tradition like the Ethiopian eunuch in Acts 8); naturally wrapped that knowledge in their various religions. So, when you take the religious wrapper off of an alternative health care technique, and you find profound wisdom that magnifies the glory of God as the Creator of the human body, not to mention the fact that it works beautifully to regain and maintain health, you cannot lump the art and science in with the religion of the people who practice it. And, just because it may not completely line up with Western medical schools of thought (although reflexology is very recognized in the West now - and growing), that does not mean it is not wisdom from God.

​

As for people who sought healing from an alternative health care technique, and subsequently experienced negative spiritual experiences, I would say that the lifestyle of the recipient, as well as the practitioner, is most likely the open door to negative intentions or demonic activity, rather than the practice itself. So, it is not necessarily the means of health care from which you are trying to get well, but perhaps the hands and intentions through whom that practice is offered, as well as where you stand in your own relationship with God.

​

Some people have expressed caution when considering reflexology, massage therapy, acupuncture, or any other type of wholistic health care technique, because practitioners in the wholistic arena are, by and large spiritual, but not necessarily Christian. However, the risk of being influenced by an alternative health practitioner's non-Christian beliefs is no different than receiving care from your medical doctor who is of a different faith, or from getting your lab work done by a functioning addict, or receiving care from your hospital staff nurse who may also be a Wiccan. Because America is a melting pot of nations and protects religious freedom, our labor force, including those who care for our health, is full of spiritual diversity. And yet, many times we still trust them to provide our health care when we are sick. In fact, I have found it to be a wonderful opportunity to find value in my caregiver, get to know them, and to pray for their needs. 

​

What we all must keep in mind is that, if we acknowledge God in all our ways, He will direct our paths (Proverbs 3:5-6). This includes those to whom we entrust the care of our health and that of our families. Go only where the Spirit of God guides you. Show love and grace, and be salt and light while you are there. Remember, where the Holy Spirit guides, He also provides, and that includes your protection against the impact of negative attitudes, intentions, and spirituality that surround you every day. If you are living in close relationship with the Lord, His perfect love casts out fear. You have the power of His Word at your disposal, and the agreeing prayer of the body of Christ. And, if you value your health enough to include prevention and relaxation to your health regimen, as well as to seek complimentary alternative care when you're ill, WAYStation Wellness is here to serve you.

​

Many people live in fear of what they do not understand. Fear blocks healing and undermines good health. Making a choice to not live in the dark is a good one. If you're uncertain about complimentary alternative medicine, or medical procedures of any kind, educate yourself. You don't have to go through years of medical school to take responsibility for your own health. Developing a mindset of prevention, as opposed to mere disease management is pro-activity that assumes responsibility for the stewardship of one's own health. In addition to making wise choices in regard to our food, sleep, exercise, and stress management, complimentary, alternative health care is a great choice for preventive maintenance of body, soul, and spirit.

 

In regard to complimentary, alternative health care, I have come to this conclusion: If research backs it up, and it works to help the body relax, to decrease pain, to encourage homeostasis, to reduce stress; if it is closer to what God provided in creation (herbal therapies, food as medicine, etc.), or a means by which we can help the body do what God created it to do naturally, should it not be part of our prevention strategy? Then, beyond that, we are blessed with diagnostic tools, surgery, and medication that can intervene when our bodies fall prey to accidents, age related illness, or God forbid, we are diagnosed with a disease. 

​

I am thrilled to join the ranks of those who understand the science behind complimentary, alternative health care, and who blend their practice with faith and prayer, according to the Word of God. I believe this is one of many reasons, as a christian chaplain and pastoral counselor, I was also called to become "healthy hands helping you heal" through licensed and certified bodywork.