Almost everyone has a turnaround tale - maybe personal or of someone else's - that credits the "miracle" to a prayer and hardly anyone doubts the power of prayer.
Now while science and spirituality may not always see eye to eye, holistic treatment is now finding greater acceptance, and spirituality, among everything else, is recommended by doctors as part of the healing process.
Bulgaria Arranges Prayer and Counselling to Stop Suicides
Free psychological counselling and prayer organisations for all faiths is now been organised by Bulgaria with a view to stop suicides that have swept the country.
Advertisement
"Spirituality as a therapeutic modality has immense potential," eminent cardiologist Ashok Seth of the Fortis Escorts Heart Institute, told IANS. "Spirituality is as much about a disciplined, balanced approach to life as about pursuit of things metaphysical. In its various manifestations, for example music and prayer, spirituality has been observed to have a considerable impact in terms of preventing diseases and promoting healing," he added.
Seth's thoughts found resonance among other experts who believe that veering towards spirituality is walking towards a well-balanced, disciplined life that ultimately promotes health.
![Prayers to]( "Prayers to")
People in Jharkhand's Bokaro district are chanting mantras and worshiping 'mosquito god' to seek a protection against the life-threatening mosquito-borne diseases.
"A religious or spiritual person tends to live a disciplined life. Waking up early for prayers, which is a form of meditation that calms your mind and de-stresses you, is beneficial for one's health. Most people who call themselves religious or spiritual live healthy lives, shun alcohol and tobacco, eat simple, and are philanthropic, which are all antidotes in today's times," opined cardiologist Rakesh Sharma.
Sharma related the example of one of his patients, Saira Sheikh, who couldn't maintain a regular exercise regime and, after some discussion, decided to turn the spiritual way, and took to praying five times a day. "Praying regularly has helped me a lot. It has calmed my mind, plus, as the doctor says, it's a good exercise that I now do regularly," Sheikh said.
Mental health expert Sameer Malhotra of Max Super Speciality hospital also stressed that spirituality helps in the healing process.
"Spirituality reaffirms faith and hope and that helps in the healing process," Malhotra told IANS. "When you have hope, you have the will to get better. It improves the quality of life."
"What doctors are saying now we have known for ages," said Ranjana Das, a 50-year-old homemaker. "My sister fought breast cancer not just with medication but also with prayers. We all prayed for her together during those initial days, calling up each other to think of her every time she underwent therapy. After the initial loss of hope, she started believing that she could become better. And she did," Das added.
What all doctors, however, add is that spirituality or any other holistic treatment can only act as add-ons to the mainline allopathic treatment. "Such therapies do help, but not in lieu of allopathy," Seth said.
(Azera Rahman can be contacted at azera.rahman@gmail.com)
Source: IANS
Prayers to 'Mosquito God' to Seek a Shield Against Dengue
People in Jharkhand's Bokaro district are chanting mantras and worshiping 'mosquito god' to seek a protection against the life-threatening mosquito-borne diseases.
Advertisement
"A religious or spiritual person tends to live a disciplined life. Waking up early for prayers, which is a form of meditation that calms your mind and de-stresses you, is beneficial for one's health. Most people who call themselves religious or spiritual live healthy lives, shun alcohol and tobacco, eat simple, and are philanthropic, which are all antidotes in today's times," opined cardiologist Rakesh Sharma.
Sharma related the example of one of his patients, Saira Sheikh, who couldn't maintain a regular exercise regime and, after some discussion, decided to turn the spiritual way, and took to praying five times a day. "Praying regularly has helped me a lot. It has calmed my mind, plus, as the doctor says, it's a good exercise that I now do regularly," Sheikh said.
Mental health expert Sameer Malhotra of Max Super Speciality hospital also stressed that spirituality helps in the healing process.
"Spirituality reaffirms faith and hope and that helps in the healing process," Malhotra told IANS. "When you have hope, you have the will to get better. It improves the quality of life."
"What doctors are saying now we have known for ages," said Ranjana Das, a 50-year-old homemaker. "My sister fought breast cancer not just with medication but also with prayers. We all prayed for her together during those initial days, calling up each other to think of her every time she underwent therapy. After the initial loss of hope, she started believing that she could become better. And she did," Das added.
What all doctors, however, add is that spirituality or any other holistic treatment can only act as add-ons to the mainline allopathic treatment. "Such therapies do help, but not in lieu of allopathy," Seth said.
(Azera Rahman can be contacted at azera.rahman@gmail.com)
Source: IANS
Family of a Man Whose Heart ‘Miraculously’ Mended Itself Credit It to Good Medical Work and Prayer
Doctors at an Omaha hospital are still struggling to ascertain how a 23-year old man's failing heart managed to mend itself as he overcome a toxic blood poisoning.
Advertisement
 Prayer Calms AngerA recent study found that one need not be religious to experience the calming effect of prayer, especially in controlling anger. | Advertisement
|
Advertisement
Latest General Health News
In India, youth must be aware of the diseases linked to cigarette smoking and tobacco consumption, causing a form of healthcare emergency.
Direct coastal access may represent a viable route to public health promotion, but the relationships of coastal living are not strongest among lower-income groups.
New research by Tinnitus UK has found that over four million gardeners are putting their hearing capacity at risk this summer without using safety protection.
Mucus plugs could be targeted to help reduce fatalities from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.
The development of reliable curative therapies for multiple sclerosis could significantly reduce the economic burden of the disease on patients and wider society.