Essential oils are selected based on their medicinal properties and are absorbed into the blood stream through application on the skin or inhalation which triggers the desired pharmalogical effects. Aromatherapy is believed to produce psychological benefits as well. A systematic review of studies involving aromatherapy identifying the clinical benefits older adults with dementia showed that aromatherapy had positive effects on reduction of Behavioral and Psychological Symptoms of Dementia (BPSD), improvement in cognitive functions, increasing quality of life, enhancing independence of activities of daily living and so on.

There are two main categories of meditative practice: concentrative and mindfulness. In the concentrative approach, narrowing one’s focus is the catalyst to achieve deep concentration. The attention may be drawn to the breath, a sound, or an image. Sitting silently and focusing only on the chosen object will bring stillness and awareness. In the mindfulness approach, the focus is widened as opposed to narrowed. The meditator takes in all of the information inundating the senses, but then keeps it at arm’s length. Passively witnessing one’s interaction with the surrounding world aids in the calmness and clarity associated with this concentration.

Magnetic field therapy is an alternative health modality that uses magnets to improve health. The magnets are therapeutically applied to different areas of the body in the aim of leveraging the Earth’s electromagnetic fields (EMF) in treatment. The magnets may be electrically charged, used with acupuncture needles, or static and placed on the body for a period of time. It is believed that the body’s electromagnetic field must be in balance to maintain good health.

Energy healing therapies assert that the moving energy within an organism is the foundation of life. This movement may be described both as the observable energy flow of electrical impulses through an organ, and the less tangible yet equally important instinct that something isn’t ‘quite right’ within the body. Polarity Therapy in particular concerns itself with the flow and balance of this energy within the human form. In the polarity model, good health is defined by energy flowing smoothly without blockage, and in its natural state. When energy is unbalanced, fixed, or blocked due to stress or other factors, it is understood that pain and disease will arise.

Reflexology is a type of energy medicine that addresses health concerns through the application of pressure to the feet and hands. The modality is based on the premise that areas in the larger body (systems, individual organs, and the like) are related to specific points on the hands and feet, and that manipulating these extremities will in turn have an effect on the related body area. It is categorized as an energy medicine because a main goal of these manipulations is to improve the flow of energy, or Qi (pronounced ‘chi’), in the body.