Naturopath
Traditional Naturopath(y) [hereafter referred to as Naturopath(y] is a natural drugless alternative health approach that I use in my energy healing practice. Food, air, relaxation, sun, sleep, and herbs are adapted to the best combination for each individual case. Traditional Naturopathy is a large area of study that includes many specialties with the same goal – to increase the vital life force.
DNM Doctor of Naturopathic Ministry
Trinity College of Natural Health
www.TrinitySchool.org
BCND Board Certified Doctor of Natural Medicine
American Naturopathic Medical Certification Board
www.anmcb.org
Naturopath
The natural God-given, life-enhancing practices to help one maintain mental, physical, emotional, and spiritual health. ©
Traditional Naturopaths (TN’s), Doctors of Natural Medicine (DNMs) or Doctors of Naturopathic Ministry (NDM’s) are not Medical Doctors (MD’s). R Leah Moon, is not a medical doctor nor has she represented herself as such, and does not diagnose, treat or prescribe.
Naturopathy as First Method
Naturopathy is a drugless healing approach to health that teaches, inspires, and subsequently promotes growth of wellness skills.[i] All the means of naturopathy such as food, air, relaxation, sun, sleep, and herbs are natural and are adapted to the best combination for each individual case.[ii]Naturopathy is a large area of study directing itself across many specialties always with one goal: to increase the vital life force.
Naturopathy embodies philosophies and principles involving pure water, clean air, wholesome food, proper diet and nutrition, exercise, proper living, appropriate rest, right thinking, absence from toxic substances, body ecology, effective management of stress and a number of other natural subjects which lead to a balanced living concept….We believe that physical health is primarily a reflection of God’s universal law of cause and effect. A man reaps what he sows. How we care for our bodies is both a physical and spiritual issue which impacts our health and the health of our offspring. In cases where health principles have been violated the only true “cure” is for the body to restore its own protective mechanisms by removing those physical and spiritual roadblocks which hinder proper restoration and/or healing.[iii]
Did You Know?
Bernard Jensen gives three important principles of cure:
1. The body must have a healthy blood stream, for without this the body cannot have a healthy cell structure…. What flows in the arteries determines whether the body’s needs can be met.
2. The blood must circulate rapidly enough to supply cell structures with all the necessary building elements. It must circulate fast enough to give the body the opportunity to build and repair as rapidly as is required.
3. Rest cures….rest allows the body to recuperate and regenerate. Tiredness was given to us as a barometer and fatigue is the first symptom of all disease.[iv]
Understanding Health
Health is generally defined as the absence of disease, but this is really an unsatisfactory definition. The word “health” means “wholeness.” Health implies much more than freedom from disease. A complete definition of health must include vitality, appropriate feelings, clear thinking and reasoning, and a willingness to embrace change. Responsibility and creative self-expression, intuitive understanding and a vital spiritual life are also essential if we are to be whole and healthy. —Rosalyn L. Bruyere[v]
Why do people get sick?
What is the cause of disease? How do people get well? What do we need to know and do to return them to wellness? Bernard Jensen, DC, ND, PhD, a naturopath and “the father of modern iridology,” describes a foundational way of thinking that underpins and flows throughout naturopathy’s many branches of healing methods: “Theory amounts to very little if we cannot find a way to back it up by practical means. If theory and practice do not work hand-in-hand, then the theory must be changed.”[vi] The intent of naturopathy is simple, direct, and without distraction for the practitioner or client—wellness! A single goal for all.
Doctor of Natural Medicine as Teacher
The first annotation in the dictionary defines “doctor” as a teacher of natural means for enhancing health, wellness and longevity. Naturopathy is not a system of medicine, diagnosis or treatments such as are held by the medical societies, but a lifestyle of practices which build immunity, improve mental health and enhance body function. Our belief is that every person has the right to learn of the natural God-given, life-enhancing practices embodied in naturopathy which will help him/her maintain mental, physical and emotional health. To this end, the Trinity College of Natural Health offers training which shall first be used by the individual for his/her own personal development after which time, at the individual’s own discretion, may be used to educate others.[vii]
Did You Know?
Naturopaths educate others in natural and organic methods to encourage maximal health with optimal wellness and longevity. The naturopathic methodology is directed toward holism with emphasis on sustaining wellness while actively engaging in prevention of disease.
The word “doctor” comes from the Latin word docere meaning “to teach.[viii]
Naturopathy as a Study
Trinity School of Natural Health program literature describes the Natural Medicine Doctor program of study as a comprehensive health approach:
Total health is achieved by understanding the intricate relationships of the body (physical), mind (emotional) and spirit (spiritual). It is no accident that the Creator has numerous methods of analyzing our complex body. The Scripture says, “At the mouth of two witnesses, or at the mouth of three witnesses, shall the matter be established” (Deuteronomy 19:15). This program encompasses the awareness of a multitude of modalities to observe circumstances in the body as well as a detailed study of nutrition, herbs and other available natural resources. The student learns how to determine the best of all natural options according to the knowledge gained from numerous information-gathering techniques.[ix]
Disclaimers
This document is a reflection of my journey and path. As in any area of specialty and study, human nature seems to dictate and provide a set of diverse opinions. These opinions are certainly worthy of investigation in another venue and time for those interested in debate and comparison. My interest and intention are one of information, education, and support for those wishing to know more about what will best serve them on their life journey. It is important to acknowledge there are many different approaches and equally important to be thankful for the many options available to us.
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[i] Robert J. Thiel, Combining Old and New: Naturopathy for the 21st Century (Warsaw, IN: Whitman Publications, 2000), 83.
[ii] Robert J. Thiel, Combining Old and New: Naturopathy for the 21st Century (Warsaw, IN: Whitman Publications, 2000), 8.
[iii] “Programs,” Trinity School of Natural Health, accessed August 9, 2010, http://trinityschool.org/programs.php?id=2 (page deleted).
[iv] Jensen, The Science and Practice of Iridology, 43.
[v] Bruyere, Wheels of Light, 22.
[vi] Jensen, The Science and Practice of Iridology, 43.
[vii] “Programs,” Trinity School of Natural Health, accessed August 9, 2010, http://trinityschool.org/prgorams.php?id=2 (page deleted)
[viii] “Trinity College Catalog,” last modified September 9, 2012, accessed March 14, 2013, http://trinityschool.org/pdf/TrinityCatalog.pdf, 5.
[ix]
“Trinity College Catalog,” last modified September 9, 2012, accessed March 1, 2013, http://trinityshcool.org/pdf/TrinityCatalog.pdf, 10.