Week One
Lesson 01 - Holistic Stress Management
Wednesday
Stress affects each of us every day and while some of us rise to the occasion, others experience myriad physiological, psychological, and spiritual effects. How we cope with stress can determine the current and future state of our health and well-being. Our bodies react to the signals sent to us by our brains during stressful episodes and these signals affect every system, especially the nervous, endocrine, and immune systems.
Lesson 02 - Health and the Human Spirit
Friday
Spirituality plays an important role in health and healing. This course will explore the forms and expressions of spirituality; discuss culture and its relationship to spirituality; examine the relationship between spirituality and aging; explain spiritual interests within the healthcare system; describe the role of spiritual care providers in administering spiritual care; and describe the relationship between spirituality and health conditions, therapeutic interventions, and healing environments.
Week Two
Lesson 03 - Energy Healing
Wednesday
The old paradigms of health care are shifting as a growing number of researchers, physicians, nurses, and other health practitioners embrace a new view that includes energy healing. Traditional healers have practiced energy healing methods for centuries and viewed the body as a complex energy system.
Lesson 04 - Healing Elements of Meditation
Friday
Although there are many ways to meditate and many different forms of meditation, they all share the characteristic of intentionally training a person's attention and concentration. Meditation practices are used by diverse cultures, are rooted in the traditions of the great religions, and have been practiced for thousands of years to promote healing.
Week Three
Lesson 05 - Place and Space: Healing Environments
Wednesday
Every individual has the capacity to enhance their healing process (or the healing process of clients) through the creation of healing environments – spaces that support the individual's inner healer and utilize the environment to maximize its healing effects.
Lesson 06 - Traditional Chinese Medicine: An Ancient Approach to Healing
Friday
Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) is one of the oldest continuously practiced professional medical systems in the world, with origins dating back more than 3,000 years. TCM emphasizes the holistic view of the human being and encompasses many different treatment modalities such as acupuncture, acupressure, herbal medicine, and Qigong.
Week Four
Lesson 07 - Ayurvedic Medicine: Ancient Foundations of Health Care
Wednesday
Ayurvedic medicine is a highly sophisticated religion, philosophy, and system of medicine that has been practiced in India for over 2,500 years. As with other forms of complementary and alternative medicine, it focuses on the whole individual and one's relationship to one's environment. Health, vitality, and longevity are achieved through a balance within the body and between the body and the external environment.
Lesson 08 - Humor and Health
Friday
How many times have you felt better after laughing? Humor and laughter make people feel alive and bring a unique perspective to life. They relieve stress and connect people to one another. Humor is a complex phenomenon and an essential part of human nature. Anthropologists have never found a culture or society that did not have humor as a part of it.
Week Five
Lesson 09 - Music Therapy and Sound Healing
Wednesday
In an age where people increasingly turn to holistic methods of healing, music therapy and sound healing have entered mainstream health care and can be used successfully with people of all ages and disabilities.
Lesson 10 - Nutrition: An Integrative Approach
Friday
What people eat profoundly impacts their health and well-being, yet many people eat when they are rushed; they don't know where our food originated; we eat toxic, irradiated, or genetically altered foods; and we eat more than we need. How can we revise our eating habits and become more conscious of what we eat, why we eat it, and how it is prepared?
Week Six
Lesson 11 - Therapeutic Massage and Bodywork Healing Therapies
Wednesday
Health care is evolving and integrating the healing therapies of alternative and allopathic medicine. Therapeutic massage and bodywork healing methods are being integrated in many health care organizations. This course will describe somatic and musculoskeletal therapies (therapeutic massage, which includes Swedish massage, sports massage, Esalen massage, neuromuscular massage therapy, and Aston patterning); Eastern, meridian-based, and point therapies (acupressure, shiatsu, Jin Shin Jyutsu, and reflexology); energy-based therapies (Therapeutic Touch, Reiki, and Healing Touch); emotional bodywork (Rolfing and Hellerwork); and manipulative therapies (chiropractic and osteopathy).
Lesson 12 - Healing Effects of Physical Activity and Movement
Friday
Physical activity and movement are essential elements of any program designed for obtaining or maintaining health and well-being. While most individuals associate physical activity with aerobics, many activities comprise a well-rounded and interesting physical fitness and movement program.