What is Naturopathy?
Naturopathy takes a holistic approach to wellness. Naturopathy supports a person to live a healthy lifestyle. The foundations of naturopathy are based on the importance of a healthy diet, clean fresh water, sunlight, exercise and stress management.
Naturopathy aims to educate the person to look after their own health and the health of their family, minimising symptoms of any illness, supporting the body’s capacity to heal, and balancing the body so that illness is less likely to occur in the future.
Naturopathy is a holistic approach to wellness. The underlying principles of naturopathy are the importance of a healthy diet, clean fresh water, sunlight, exercise and stress management.
A range of therapies are used to support the person. Therapies may include nutritional medicine, diet advice, herbal medicine, homeopathy, lifestyle advice, and tactile therapies, such as massage, acupressure or Bowen technique.
Historical Background
Naturopathy, as practiced in India, finds its roots in the ancient Indian system of medicine known as Ayurveda. Ayurveda, which dates back over 5,000 years, is based on the concept of holistic wellness and natural healing. Indian naturopathy draws inspiration from Ayurveda's principles and adapts them to modern times.
The father of Indian naturopathy is widely considered to be Mahatma Gandhi. He was an advocate for simple living and believed in the body's innate capacity to heal itself. Under Gandhi's influence, naturopathy gained popularity in India as a way to promote self-sufficiency and sustainable health practices.
Naturopath
A professional naturopath is someone who has completed, at a minimum, an Advanced Diploma in either Naturopathy or Health Science, is registered with a professional body and is insured appropriately. Usually, a naturopath will have completed a Bachelor-level qualification.
A well-trained naturopath will ask you about your diet, lifestyle, family background and environment, as well as the history of any illnesses or complaints. After taking a detailed health history, the naturopath may use other techniques, such as: kinesiology, iridology, blood analysis, stool and urine analysis, hair analysis and functional testing.