These medicines with scents from elsewhere
Ayurveda, traditional Chinese medicine, shamanism... Surrounded by mystery, obeying laws that defy rationality, health practices from elsewhere exert an immense power of seduction on many Westerners...
Is it because of their complementarity with conventional medicine or their inability to overshadow it that some of these approaches have penetrated our national health services? Perhaps a bit of both. And even though Miviludes1 is concerned about the surge in exotic medicines, the Gustave Roussy Institute, a leading European cancer center, has opened its doors to them for several years. The "Living Better with Cancer" support program includes mindfulness meditation (borrowed from Tibetan Buddhism), qigong (from traditional Chinese medicine), yoga (a spiritual practice from India), and sophrology (partly inspired by Zen and nidra yoga).
Alternative Well-Being couldn't ignore this trend. As summer approaches, the editorial team has put together an issue that focuses on medicines from elsewhere. The challenge was twofold: to avoid the trap of skepticism as much as that of illusion in order to penetrate these worlds with a perspective that is as lucid as it is open. Thus, Anne Burguière, an all-round doctor, opens this issue with a dossier devoted to one of the most mysterious, most seductive, but also most "trappy" aspects of Ayurveda: the third eye, this energy center located between our eyebrows and which, in connection with the pineal gland, is said to open the doors to the invisible, allowing the emergence of prescience, intuition... and discernment. Discernment is essential to avoid confusing fantasy with inner vision. Anne brings us back down to earth by reminding us that opening the third eye requires, above all, discipline and a healthy lifestyle that will nourish and balance our vitality centers before we can hope to access the higher worlds. As humans, we cannot rise without standing on solid ground.
Naturopath Annie Casamayou also discusses an exotic medicine, that of cupping, before offering us other, more accessible techniques for relieving joint and tendon inflammation.
For my part, I prudently renounced an Asian treatment that was a little too harsh in my opinion and looked for gentler alternatives, within everyone's reach. Clélia Fortier met an exceptional healer, Déborah Ply, who overcame ankylosing spondylitis using a method that few know comes from a skill widely shared among traditional peoples.
Finally, for her first contribution to the Health section, Audrey Merulla addresses the very fashionable subject of Ayurvedic massages... She gives you essential keys to distinguishing the fake from the authentic.
Traveling is a source of wealth, provided we don't lose our compass.
Welcome to CAP OCEAN, a new world of WELL-BEING!
Exoticism sells…
A tea brand that we will not name sells a so-called "grand cru" green tea at a price that is not modest, stamped "antioxidant" and duly labeled organic... However, it is a product ground to the point of being unrecognizable and which produces a yellow-brown infusion, a little acrid, signaling for this type of tea an advanced level of oxidation. A good green tea offers a luminous liquor ranging from soft green to light yellow and a real delicacy on the palate. In ignorance of what an authentic tea is, the public buys many poor quality products.
When it comes to health, the stakes are a little higher. And yet, we can no longer count the cases where we use and abuse our taste for the exotic. Ayurvedic massages that are nothing more than a pale copy of the original approach, chakra medicine fueled by fantasy, operetta shamanism, not to mention certain practices that are as expensive as they are ineffective. In the supermarket of dreams, illusion sells for a high price...
And yet, exotic medicines can indeed inspire us and help us grow in health, without breaking the bank.
This month, part of the Alternative Well-Being team ventured out to discover some of these approaches from elsewhere, with a focus on authenticity, simplicity and effectiveness.
So follow us!
Summary:
Health investigation : Third eye, access to inner vision.
Have you ever thought about a friend just seconds before your phone suddenly vibrated with their call? Or finished your partner's sentence correctly, which began with "I think that..."? Such situations are well known from ancient Indian tradition. Far from fantasies of superpowers, it encourages us above all to adopt a certain healthy lifestyle.
Doctor Fabienne Burguière tells you the essentials about the science of chakras and the ways to balance them to develop your intuition in pages 3 to 7.
Alternative consumption : Underwear and swimwear – dressing without polluting yourself
Textile manufacturing requires the use of numerous substances, some of which can be toxic to human health and the environment. Which materials should be avoided and which should be preferred?
Responsible consumption expert Rémi Moha gives you the 6 keys to choosing safe underwear and swimwear, as well as a selection of products on pages 8 to 10.
Prevent and Cure: Musculoskeletal Disorders - How to Avoid Surgery ?
Tendonitis, herniated disc, lumbago, capsulitis, carpal tunnel syndrome... The pathologies that painfully inflame the musculoskeletal system are varied. If left untreated, they may require surgery.
Naturopath Annie Casamayou reveals the natural ways to avoid resorting to such an intervention in pages 11 to 16.
Secrets herbalist : Goldenrod, the ally of the urinary tract
Known for centuries as an ally for male urinary comfort, goldenrod has recently been rediscovered for its effects against seasonal allergies and diabetes.
Herbalist Caroline Gayet tells you the essentials for enjoying it in pages 17 to 19.
I tested it for you: Guasha, the Chinese therapy that… I didn’t dare try!
After acupuncture needles, cupping glasses, and mugwort sticks, gua sha is one of the latest practices to arrive in the West from traditional Chinese medicine. Its principle: scraping the skin using various tools to extract pathogens.
Seeing photos of skin that had undergone these treatments, I didn't dare try it. I preferred to look for local equivalents to achieve similar effects. Follow me on the pages 20 to 22.
Healing Journey : Spondylarthritis: the miracle of the France Guillain method
Déborah Ply successfully silenced ankylosing spondylitis using the France Guillain method. She recounts her journey in a book published in February 2024 .
Journalist Clélia Fortier asked her about this approach which allowed her to regain a functional body, by giving up all medication... Pages 23 to 25.
Living in the rhythm of June
Our columnist Philippe Chavanne tells you all about this fish with an incomparable health-price-pleasure ratio and how to fully appreciate it. Not to mention natural treats and seasonal remedies to beautify your skin.
To read in pages 26-27.
Health mavericks : Davina Delor, from aerobics to Buddhism
Psychoanalysis, Chinese medicine, acupuncture, Buddhism... Davina Delor, the famous co-host of the show Gym Tonic in the 1980s, has stepped away from show business. She now lives in the monastery she founded in 2006 in the Vienne region.
An inspiring encounter to read in pages 28 and 29.
Health from elsewhere: Ayurvedic massages – What if we went back to the source?
At a time when Indian massage parlors are flourishing in our cities, it may be good to return to the origins of this health practice.
Alternative Well-Being gives you all the keys to distinguishing complete care for the body and mind from simple well-being massage in pages 30 and 31.
Click here to access your June issue
Take care...