Holistic therapies are increasingly gaining more and more acceptance around the world as scores of frustrated people seek alternatives to expensive modern medical practices. These people have slowly begun to recognize that the very same modern medical practices that they’ve relied on for so long, seek to treat the symptoms rather than cure the disease and avoid seeing the patient as a whole being in need of care not only for their body but their minds and spirits as well.

Interestingly, while individuals are turning to holistic medicine in record numbers, they are often wary of discussing such things with their friends and families out of the fear that they will be misunderstood.

Here are a few suggestions that will help you broach the topic of holistic medicine with your family:

Educate Yourself

Education is your first line of defense when faced with a discussion about an unfamiliar topic. Before you talk to your friends and family, read everything you can find on the subject of holistic health. Your local library branch or an internet search is a place to start, but you will also glean much more by actually seeing and being with holistic health practitioners and those on the holistic path. Reading books and information that are applicable to your own situation will make it much easier to field the unavoidable questions that will no doubt be forthcoming. Having such tools to use as a reference will give you confidence in introducing and discussing other health options with those who may be less supportive or knowledgeable.

Explain about Access to Affordable Health Care

When you first enter into the holistic discussion with others, it is best to approach it from a perspective that they are likely to understand right off the bat. Modern health care is prohibitively expensive and as such is out of reach for millions of people. Health care insurance – if it is available at all – can cost hundreds of dollars every month and still may not cover all of the costs associated with maintaining the health of you and your family. Regardless, even if you have the best health insurance seeking alternative healing arts modalities may be the best path for you.

Thankfully there are a number of holistic therapy options that are available to people irrespective of their age, current health condition or financial status.

Organize a Family Movie Night

One way to foster family togetherness is to incorporate a family movie night. In this relaxed atmosphere, discussions can take place in a comfortable and familiar environment, leaving many people much more receptive to new concepts. There are DVDs available on nearly any holistic therapy you can imagine and The Center for Healing Arts has made what to watch and share a simple task. Subscribers receive a new DVD every other month to review at their leisure, in the privacy of their own home.

According to founding director Victor Demko, sharing your newfound information is exactly what the Center had in mind. "Members of the center are encouraged to watch and share the DVDs with friends as part of creating a wellness mentality in their community. The DVDs can also be used to support friends and loved ones on their own wellness journey."

Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner?

In some cases you might not feel comfortable bringing up the subject of healing arts alternatives with your family no matter how well informed you might be. This is unfortunate and something to be concerned about but if the support is not there then you simply require a different approach. If this is the case for you, consider looking through the telephone book for holistic practitioners in your area. You could also visit your local health food store to ask about the existence of such practices or support groups. When you have found a person with which you feel comfortable and whom you feel could help you make your case with your family and friends, invite them to dinner at your home so your family may meet others who are interested in the same healing arts modality as you and will help broaden the exposure for your family.

Your family may at first offer resistance to your new path but with persistence and doing your best not to judge them, sharing the holistic journey with your loved ones will pay off in the end. The important thing to remember is to not push them or force your "message" on them. Every person learns and absorbs information in different ways and at different paces and if you show them how important it is to you, they’ll no doubt come around soon enough. After all, your best health and happiness must be the goal and all movement in the right direction, however small, will get you to your destination.