Meditation, chakra, crystals, alternative medicine, therapies, accupuncture, do you ?

[weeksy]

Where do you sit with all this type of stuff then ? Mumbo jumbo ? Make sense ? worth a try ? load of bollox ?

[KungFooBob]

I'd like to try acupuncture, but I personally think the rest of it is probably bollocks.

[MrLongbeard]

load of bollox ?

^^^^ That, except maybe for meditation.

[McSatan]

It's all horseshit. But it seems to help some people, so I don't mind. Unless they get preachy. It seems to be a bit of a substitute religion for some people.

[weeksy]

load of bollox ?

^^^^ That, except maybe for meditation.

Have you tried any ?

If not, what's stopping you ? The Chinese have been living quite long lives for a while now, could it not be related to their various medicines ? treatments ?

[cheb]

Meditation I can see, it can* be relaxing sitting and staring at a blank wall. The rest is just hogwash IMO, and if it worked it wouldn't be alternative. With a caveat that it's probabl;y not bad for you to have someone be nice to you for a while. I've occasionally wondered how much new age therapies cost per hour compared to visiting a prostitute, both seem to be paying someone to give you their full attention for a shortish time.

That said, nothing works as well as homeopathy.


*Something I frequently have to do when modeling, hence the 'can' rather than 'is'. Sometimes it's mentally painful.

[Mr. Dazzle]

AFAIK Meditation is proven to cause permanent changes in brain chemistry (or least, be capable of it) and it is recommended by the NHS as a treatment. IME it's a real thing.

Have you tried it 'properly'? It can be really hard! Thinking about nothing...

I don't have any particular medical problem I'm trying to address with it (a close family member does, hence my exposure) but I have to say the practice of switching your mind off and being aware of only what's immediately around you is nice sometimes.

[KungFooBob]

I did a sample meditation session at the Manjushri Kadampa Meditation Centre near Ulverston.

I found it very relaxing, to the point I almost fell asleep, but I don't think it made my life any better... except giving me a technique to try when I can't get to sleep (it's about concentrating on the temperature of the air you take in through you nose and the difference when you breath out).

[Le_Fromage_Grande]

I don't do any of it, but it doesn't bother me if someone else does.

[MingtheMerciless]

Our oldest dog used to have acupuncture for his stiff back and initially I thought it was snake oil but it really did seem to ease his movement and seem happier (he's now on some strong drugs as his age/condition has worsened).

[MrLongbeard]

load of bollox ?

^^^^ That, except maybe for meditation.

Have you tried any ?

If not, what's stopping you ? The Chinese have been living quite long lives for a while now, could it not be related to their various medicines ? treatments ?

I have not, I've yet to read an authoritative source that concludes rubbing crystals on yourself or poking yourself with pins is beneficial to ones health.
My mother is into all the crystal bollocks, and used to go and see healers, so I've been exposed to such sham 'science' for some time.

I dare say the Chinese would lead equally long lives without having to rape the natural world for sham medicines made from pangolins or tiger testicles, I would posit that if you took one Chinese baby and one western baby and swap them at birth the would lead equal lives in length to the environment in which they live

[Numnut]

Had acupuncture a few years ago to help with a back muscle. It didn't fix the problem, but it definitely felt better after. This was via a physio so I don't know if there are different 'styles' of acupuncture...

[Skub]

If you have a health problem resistant to conventional medical treatment,you'l be happy to give most things a try. I assumed acupuncture and meditation were fairly well recognised as viable options,for some at least. Crystals and other similar stuff sounds like bollox to me.

Having said that,I'm fortunate enough never having been in the situation where I'm desperate. Mind over matter can be a thing,if an individual believes something helps,then it does.

One of Mrs.Skub's friends who has a history of mental fragility believes in all that stuff,like aromatherapy and crystals,then again,she also believes a bird's feather floating about is a dead person paying a visit. She may be right,I don't know.

[v8-powered]

Acupuncture is the only thing I've had that has worked.
Had a bad issue with my neck about 5 years ago, had BUPA so got referred to a specialist - tried physio, manipulation, even cupping and nothing would touch it. Woman also did acupuncture so though why not? Handful of sessions having pins stuck in my body and I was fixed and it's never came back since.

[DefTrap]

My S-I-L is an obstinate anti-vaxxer (you can guess the reasons) but big on alternative medicines, homeopathy, and "thinking good thinks will make things gooderer" philosophy. And she says Amen a lot despite not being religious.

She recently got into "chinese medicine". The chinese homepoathic witch doctor lady is a local legend, everyone swears by her etcetera. Anyway she gave the S-I-L "some tea" "for cleansing". S-I-L doesn't know what's in it because the doctor doesn't speak very good english and the packet is in chinese. But she took it anyway - woke up in the night having shit herself. I laughed all the way home.

Each to their own. My auntie was massively into faith healing and I think it gave her some brief comfort when she had cancer.

[v8-powered]

I tried acupuncture, but I felt a prick.

Dad joke warning!

[wheelnut]

I did a sample meditation session at the Manjushri Kadampa Meditation Centre near Ulverston.

I found it very relaxing, to the point I almost fell asleep, but I don't think it made my life any better... except giving me a technique to try when I can't get to sleep (it's about concentrating on the temperature of the air you take in through you nose and the difference when you breath out).

We've had a nosey round two buddhist temples while we've been out and about. More by chance than design. The one you've mentioned there and one in the Scottish borders (Eskdalemuir I think). They are very 'calm' places and the feeling you get when you walk in to one was a bit strange.

[Skub]

She recently got into "chinese medicine". The chinese homepoathic witch doctor lady is a local legend, everyone swears by her etcetera. Anyway she gave the S-I-L "some tea" "for cleansing". S-I-L doesn't know what's in it because the doctor doesn't speak very good english and the packet is in chinese. But she took it anyway - woke up in the night having shit herself. I laughed all the way home.

Everything would need cleansed after that.

[KungFooBob]

I did a sample meditation session at the Manjushri Kadampa Meditation Centre near Ulverston.

I found it very relaxing, to the point I almost fell asleep, but I don't think it made my life any better... except giving me a technique to try when I can't get to sleep (it's about concentrating on the temperature of the air you take in through you nose and the difference when you breath out).

We've had a nosey round two buddhist temples while we've been out and about. More by chance than design. The one you've mentioned there and one in the Scottish borders (Eskdalemuir I think). They are very 'calm' places and the feeling you get when you walk in to one was a bit strange.

That, except for two robed and shaven headed pensioners arguing in the gift shop

[Count Steer]

Done yoga, meditation, Tai Chi and have had acupuncture. Still do some bits of yoga/meditation breathing to help get to sleep sometimes.

The acupuncture was at the local physiotherapists in combo with the usual stuff - massage, exercises. Seemed to help. Hard to separate it from the other things really.

Might be something in chakras, been around a long time but know nowt about it.

Tai Chi's nice gentle exercise in most classes. I've seen it done in a bit more 'martial' way but I just wanted something that exercised a dodgy knee.