Holistic Healers are all over the world. The western world does not approve of this idea because the medical science or use of the latest technologies like Artificial Intelligence (AI) is not seen evidently in the holistic healing process, but the fact being Holistic Healers do exist. It won't be inappropriate if I call them "Indigenous Doctors".
Where are those advancements in medical sciences available, I mean are they easily available at point of use, in rural areas, and for the general public. Not really !! We had Siddhu Vaidya(Vaidya is Sanskrit word means Physician) in our paternal village. His was the biggest house in the village, three wives and many Children. Well, this is not important !! What is important is that even Siddhu Vaidya was not professionally educated, had not undergone any crash course to be able to cure many & go famous in his profession.
The point worth noting is that in rural areas, even today, the ailments are taken care of by Vaidyas and Holistic Healers who are not educated at all. But they have statistics to prove that their way is also one of the ways to treat ailments.
Here somewhere, the holistic healers find their place.
Alternative medicine, complementary therapies, holistic practices, natural healthcare, integrative medicine-these are a few of the terms used nowadays to describe a wide array of healing practices that fall outside purely pharmaceutical or surgical treatments. Some examples are massage, meditation, and acupuncture.
A study conducted by the Federation of Holistic Therapists (FHT) last year found that the most popular holistic therapy is reflexology, followed by body massage in 2nd place and aromatherapy in third.
Why write this article-
The purpose of writing this article is to educate the sufferers and pave their way to the holistic healer who I am going to write about. It's also about the selflessness in this 'I-ME-MINE' world where we don't attempt to practice such acts of nobleness for mankind. Some may not have benefited, but the number of those who have benefited is much larger.
How I found a Holistic Healer–
It was my mother’s joints pain that led to the discovery of this Holistic Healer. My mother has been visiting orthopedic specialists for a long time to find a cure for her joints pain but to no avail. It was so bad that while climbing down she used to climb down backward & step-by-step. She was looking for a medical specialist who could suggest a remedy & cure her, and relieve her pain. It was during this time that she was given references of two or three Holistic Healers who cure joint pains. She chose, Kamla a female Holistic Healer at a place called Dharli, Near Salapar/Sundernagar in Himachal Pradesh.
Reaching the Healer-
There were no shops on the way till the destination as we took the diversion from the highway at Salapar. It was all scenic around, mountains and the narrow road on which I was driving. Waterfalls were gliding down the mountains. I always wonder where from this water comes which keeps flowing incessantly, day & night!!
We reached the place, and we found the patients already lined up. There was a proper list prepared of the patients who would be attended for sure. The patients were - kids who were not able to even take their body weight on their legs, middle-aged & old having some or the other problem. They said Healer would arrive at 10 AM sharp. That day she was late but, we were fortunate as there were fewer patients.
Healers demeanor & personality –
The healer is a regular village woman who has got to finish her chores to attend to patients regularly. She says it was the saint who did 'tapasaya' in a cave nearby and blessed her with this divine healing power with a promise that she would not develop greed for money while treating the people in pain. She applies oil which she carries with her and massages on the affected area. Not once, a complete cure might require multiple visits. I even heard people asking for the magical Oil saying that they would apply this at home. So that they don’t have to come this far. Almost matching with my logic, she said, "you can take the oil but the magic is seen or felt only when I apply this oil. She spends enough time per patient and is not in a hurry to finish the task somehow. I was amazed to see the dedication she had towards the commandment given to her.
-Start early morning to reach Dharli by 8-9 am.
-Carry your lunch along.
-The nearest place where you can find accommodation to stay is Salapar.
-Private buses do ply but not frequent enough.
What else to see-
Nearby there is a cave which the locals call ' Shiva Gufa' or the cave named after Lord Shiva, Hindu God. I did not expect this cave to be like the Mawsmai Caves in Cherapunjee. The formation of caves was the same. Limestone cave with flowery patterns hanging from the roof and Shiv Linga for people to worship and connect with the power of Lord Shiva. The Scientific name for these forms is speleothems. The Speleothems with which most people are familiar are stalactites and stalagmites. Stalactites grow down from the cave ceiling, while stalagmites grow up from the cave floor.
It seems the saint who blessed Kamala with the divine powers for healing was believed to be performing 'tapasaya' in this cave. He was the one who spotted these caves and later the villagers noticed the saint and the cave. Since then the 'Shiv Gufa' has been gaining popularity slowly along with the divine healing touch of Holistic Healer Kamala. Those who visit the healer would not miss the wondrous cave.
Conclusion -
There are uncountable holistic healers around the world who have mastered the art of curing the agony and pain of mankind. They are as busy as the commercial medical practitioners. The only difference is they don't work for money and they don't have professional degrees to flaunt. Being an engineer myself, I have to be a firm believer in science (and I do) and look for substance in everything. Believe me, it's all about pain & suffering. What matters is who has alleviated the pain. We shall talk about these Holistic Healers loudly and bring forth their expertise for the benefit of mankind. I would be glad if the readers can share some information about such healers with me to guide the needy ones or they can do the same.
I pray God may preserve health & life of all !