Conventional Oriental medication (such as acupuncture, shiatsu, and reiki), Indian systems of health care (such as Ayurveda and yoga), and Native American healing practices (such as the Sweat Lodge and Talking Circles) all incorporate the beliefs that:

* Wellness is a state of balance in between the spiritual, physical, and mental/emotional “selves.”.
* An imbalance of forces within the body is the cause of disease.
* Herbal/natural solutions, combined with sound nutrition, exercise, and meditation/prayer, will correct this imbalance.

Acupuncture: The Chinese practice of inserting needles into the body at particular points controls the body’s flow of energy to stabilize the endocrine system.

This adjustment controls functions such as heart rate, body temperature, and respiration, as well as sleep patterns and emotional modifications.

Acupuncture has been utilized in centers to help individuals with drug abuse disorders through detoxing; to relieve tension and stress and anxiety; to deal with attention deficit and hyperactivity disorder in children; to lower symptoms of depression; and to help individuals with physical ailments.

Ayurveda: Ayurvedic medication is described as “knowledge of how to live.” It includes a customized regimen– such as diet, meditation, herbal preparations, or other techniques– to treat a range of conditions, including anxiety, to assist in lifestyle modifications, and to teach individuals how to release tension and tension through yoga or transcendental meditation.

Native American traditional practices: Ceremonial dances, chants, and cleaning routines become part of Indian Health Service programs to heal anxiety, stress, injury (including those related to physical and sexual abuse), and drug abuse.

Cuentos: Based upon folktales, this type of treatment came from Puerto Rico.

The stories used contain recovery themes and designs of behavior such as self-transformation and endurance through misfortune.

Cuentos is used mainly to assist Hispanic kids recover from depression and other mental health problems connected to leaving one’s homeland and living in a foreign culture.