Holism and Holistic are words derived from the Greek "holos,"meaning total. The word holism is used to express the idea that a whole organism is greater than the sum of its parts. The term applies to groups that promote the "mind, body, spirit" philosophy.

The terms holism and holistic are used to describe the total person approach to health and have included methods of restoring and/or maintaining health that rely on an organism's ability to heal itself. Holism encompasses cases in which both traditional and alternative health practices are integrated into a single overall process. It has been known to include social and economic factors which may influence health.

Because of the expanding nature of the holistic field, some areas of specialization, such as massage techniques, have been in use long enough for their effectiveness to be documented, while others, such as Alchemia, Reiki, Synergy and Breathwork, are just beginning to be explored. The future may offer more, yet undreamed of, areas.

Applying the concept of "the whole being greater than the sum of its parts," we can see that holistic health, or total wellness, is not just an absence of disease or the elimination of isolated symptoms.