From Forums of the Virgin Mary [translated]:
The medicine of Saint Hildegard of Bingen is a perfect combination of science and spirituality for a healthy life.
Modern medicine has proven to be reasonably efficient in curing diseases.
There is no denying it, beyond criticism of some big mistakes, especially in recent years.
But there is a point before the disease.
How not to fall into a disease? How to prevent it?
Saint Hildegard of Bingen received supernatural visions to lead a life that avoids disease, knowledge that today has been corroborated by science and is already beginning to form part of modern preventive medicine.
And it will be even more so in the near future, due to the growing body of scientific research in universities.
Here we will talk about the supernatural knowledge that Saint Hildegard was given on how to stay reasonably healthy and avoid illness.
Saint Hildegard was a Benedictine nun from the 12th century, to whom much knowledge in medicine and health, as well as visions and prophecies, are attributed.
And she also stood out for her songs and musical compositions.
The focus on health is currently in fashion, and it does not collide with traditional scientifically-based medicine, but rather is a complement.
Saint Hildegard was informed about the importance of the balance between the body, mind, and spirit, to maintain health.
And modern medicine is increasingly discovering that diseases originate from imbalances in the person.
Today doctors already know how the psyche helps to cure or develop diseases, and they even refer to psychosomatic diseases.
But already in the twelfth century, Saint Hildegard had supernatural visions about the influence of emotional and spiritual states on health.
She considered that negative emotions, stress, spiritual neglect, and distance from Creation, could affect general well-being.
And she advocated the importance of maintaining a calm mind, a balanced spiritual life, and a healthy diet supported by Creation.
Who was this woman?
Saint Hildegard is a German saint canonized and named in 2012, as one of the four female doctors of the Church.
Mystic, composer, philosopher, scientist, doctor, abbess, theologian, she carried out the Benedictine premise “ora et labora.”
She was born in 1098 into a noble family.
And throughout her life she had supernatural visions, beginning at the age of three.
However, she kept these visions private until she was forty-two years old.
These visions were sometimes accompanied by illness, leaving her bedridden.
At the age of forty-two, Hildegard had a vision that prompted her to write them.
In 1147 the Church held a Synod in Trier and there Pope Eugene III examined a part of her vision book Scivias.
He approved and encouraged her to continue sharing her visions, which dramatically increased her writing output.
Her books strictly on health topics were Physica and Causae et curae, although health was a theme in all of her writings, including her prophecy works.
In her texts that the “Light of God” showed her the relationship between health and virtue. [scroll for more:]
Saint Hildegard recognized three centers in the person that must maintain a certain balance for health: the center of the body, the center of the soul and emotions, and the center of the spirit and faith.
These three centers work in complete unity, and all healing must provide a recovery of balance between them.
It was revealed to this Benedictine saint almost 9 centuries ago that diseases are signals that our bodies give us to indicate that there is something in our life that is not in balance and we must look for its causes and treat them.
The disease arises from the absence of harmony with the Divine and Creation.
And for this, she proposed to provide comprehensive care in four fields to achieve the balance we need to be healthy.
One is the spiritual field, which is about our relationship with God, and recognizing that we cannot control everything that happens to us, but we depend on the Divine Will.
Another field is our relationship with Creation.
On the one hand, with the natural, that is, nature, animals, and the environment. And on the other, with our neighbors, that is, with our family, friends, colleagues.
A third field is the psychic, where our emotions, virtues, and vices are found.
The saint said that in a virtuous person there is more health, and that in a vicious person there are more sources of disease.
And the fourth field is the body, on which conventional medicine is focused, and refers to our relationship with food, habits such as sleeping, physical activity, and everything that concerns our body.
To find the balance we must begin to get to know ourselves better and ask ourselves questions about our relationship with these four fields.
We can do it in a quiet environment, in front of the Blessed Sacrament.
We can ask God in prayer to help us find the causes of the imbalances within us and our illnesses.
And if we are with any disease, it must be accompanied by a visit to the doctor.
And her six golden rules for good health are very valuable, which can be summarized as follows: let your food be your medicine; try to get the remedies from nature; have a balance between restful sleep and adequate activity; distribute your work in just proportion to your relationship with God; detoxify yourself from the toxins that affect your health; and know yourself.
Regarding the fact that your food is your medicine, it refers to the need to eat healthy and balanced, and to be measured and vigilant in our food and drinks.
Here temperance plays a very important role to control our meals and not fall into temptations.
Regarding seeking the remedies provided by nature, it refers to the measured use of chemical compounds and invites the practice of healthy or natural medicine.
At the same time, it calls us to a contemplative look at nature, where we can discover the Presence of the Creator.
Regarding the healthy balance between sleep and activity, it establishes the need for a balance between work, rest, and recreation, in order to enjoy good health.
It is essential to promote moments of personal rest, play sports, not neglect prayer, have a restful sleep.
This is the meaning of the Benedictine premise “ora et labora.”
Praying reminds us that we are citizens of heaven in union and communication with our Creator and Lord.
And working should lead us to contemplate that we are called to establish the Kingdom, with our effort.
Regarding detoxification, it refers to cleansing the body and the immune system.
Saint Hildegard recommends doing a “mono diet” during the week (one food or food group throughout the day) to put the body at rest, avoiding foods that are too heavy. (Fasting is excellent in this regard!)
And she recommended the practice of fasting, because it helps us become aware of what we are doing wrong, and discover how we can improve our habits to maintain good physical, psychological, and spiritual health.
And with regard to knowing yourself, this refers to transforming your negative psychosocial traits into generous acts of love.
These acts will fill you with spiritual joy and vitality.
And they will transform your negative tendencies that so much affect your daily personal and community life.
Well up to here what we wanted to tell about the supernatural knowledge that Saint Hildegard of Bingen had on how to maintain our health and not fall into diseases.
And I would like to ask you if you are trying to apply some of these recommendations from Saint Hildegard to live healthier, which ones, and which ones are you struggling with?
[resources: The God of Healing]