Summer is already here with the days becoming warmer and warmer and people spending more and more time outside. On a beautiful summer day, we all want to be healthy and glowing. For most, the main focus of leading a healthy lifestyle is exercising and keeping to a diet. While those can bring substantial benefits without a doubt, there are other great ways to enhancing your life, health and mood. Test one of the alternative medicine treatments described below and let me know what you think!

1. Aromatherapy

Aromatherapy is widely used for healing and relaxation and it involves essential oils that are extracted from plants. These oils have amazing scents and they come from all parts of a plant and can be either applied to your skin, inhaled or sometimes even ingested. Aromatherapy is effective in dealing with pain and inflammation, it manages stress and helps to fight depression and anxiety. You can try aromatherapy at home by using a diffuser and an oil of your choice. Another option would be going to a spa where aromatherapy is usually offered together with massage or to a sauna where scents are used with the steam for relaxation and healing purposes.

2. Himalayan Salt Lamp

You have probably seen this pink Himalayan sea salt at your supermarket. Well, a Himalayan salt lamp is exactly that salt but in a form of a solid lamp. This type of alternative medicine treatment is very popular today since it conveys such important health benefits as better skin, reduction of asthma symptoms and relieved mental disorders. The Himalayan salt lamp works by decreasing the amount of dangerous ions in the air and creating a soothing light.

3. Reflexology

In our body, there are points that correlate with specific organs. What reflexology does is that it applies pressure to these points (located on your feet, hands, and ears) and affects your organs. Reflexology is used globally for treating anxiety, asthma, diabetes and other ailments. To try this technique, you can either learn to do it yourself or see a professional reflexologist.

4. Colouring & Art Therapy

Noticed how popular it became recently to buy these colouring books for adults? There is a reason everybody suddenly became crazy about colouring. Colouring is a form of art therapy which is used for relaxation and dealing with anxiety. Art therapy helps you learn about yourself, explore how you feel, and it increases your confidence and self-esteem.

5. Acupressure

A bit like reflexology, acupressure also deals with applying pressure to particular parts of the body. The points where pressure is applied are called meridians– points that channel energy and run across the whole body. Due to unhealthy lifestyle or stressful environment, meridians can become unbalanced or blocked. Acupressure helps unblock the meridians to restore health and wellness. Acupressure is known to be particularly good at dealing with nausea and anxiety.

6. Reiki

Another healing technique that focuses on energy is called Reiki. Reiki practitioners say that when we are sick or stressed out, we have low energy levels. Reiki practice involves a practitioner transferring their own energy to the patient by gently touching their body or without touching at all. Healing with reiki brings relaxation, reduces pain and improves wellbeing.

7. Acupuncture

Just like acupressure, acupuncture involves working with energy to reach natural channels and unblock them to relieve physical or emotional pain. In acupuncture though, a practitioner will use very thin needles on the patient’s body to align the energy flow. Acupuncture is very old and popular practice that deals with chronic pain and depression.

8. Ayurveda

Ayurveda is a practice that has been around for thousands of years and originated in India. Actually, it’s a bit of an umbrella term for a variety of treatments that include massage, diets, and herb use. The treatments work to balance the mind, spirit and body while producing an overall sense of wellbeing.