Can Our Bodies Create Our Moods? – Simple Steps to Happiness

Posted by & filed under Cardiology, Community Health, Complementary and Integrative Health, Energy Medicine, Holistic and Integrative Health, Integrative Mental Health, Mental Health, Mindfulness, Wellness.


 

Did Descartes have it backwards? We often envision our brains as “computers” that tell our bodies what to do and we assume that our moods are determined by how our brains process what we experience. Happiness, then, should come from thinking happy thoughts. But research is showing that is not necessarily true. Instead, our bodies (and what we do with them) can profoundly influence our mood. For example, a brisk five-minute walk can do more to our improve moods than just thinking positive thoughts.… Read more »

Relaxation Through the Music of the Spheres

Posted by & filed under Brain Health, Complementary and Integrative Health, Healing Environments for the Body, Mind, and Spirit, Holistic and Integrative Health, Meditation, Mindfulness, Stress Management, Wellness.

Did you know that our planet actually hums? It’s called the Schumman resonance, and it is calculated to be 7.83 Hz. The ancient mystics and astronomers also called it the “music of the spheres” and the ancient Indian Rishis called it OM.

All living organisms interact and interconnect with electromagnetic waves. Since life began on Earth, each living being has been protected with a natural frequency pulsation of 7.83 Hz. This frequency is associated with high levels of meditation, increased cerebral blood flow, and an increased ability to be creative and learn.… Read more »

Breath and Health – What’s the Connection?

Posted by & filed under Complementary and Integrative Health, Healthy Aging, Holistic and Integrative Health, Integrative Mental Health, Meditation, Men's Health, Mental Health, Mindfulness, Stress Management, Wellness, Women's Health.

One of the most profound healing techniques is free – and right under your nose! According to Andrew Weil, MD, one of the leaders in integrative medicine, learning how to breathe correctly is probably the most important practice you can use to support good health.

Breath control can provide many health benefits. It can:

  • Lower blood pressure;
  • Reduce or eliminate heart arrhythmias;
  • Relieve chronic indigestion;
  • Increase blood circulation throughout your body;
  • Improve immune function;
  • Decrease anxiety;
  • Improve sleep;
  • Improve energy; and
  • Improve your sense of well-being.
… Read more »

Natural Ways to Get a Good Night’s Sleep

Posted by & filed under Healing Environments for the Body, Mind, and Spirit, Holistic and Integrative Health, Stress Management, Wellness.

Do you have trouble falling asleep at night? Do you toss and turn all night? Do you wake up too early or find yourself feeling tired in the morning. If so, you are not alone. Millions of people struggle with falling asleep and staying asleep.

Insomnia takes a toll on your life and the people around you. Many of the reasons for not getting a good night’s sleep include trying to accomplish too much in one day, long work hours, stress and anxiety, lack of exercise, and poor eating habits.… Read more »

Burnout Can Severely Increase Risk of Cardiovascular Disease

Posted by & filed under Behavioral Health, Brain Health, Cardiology, Complementary and Integrative Health, Energy Medicine, Food, Nutrition, and Health, Gerontology, Healthy Aging, Holistic and Integrative Health, Integrative Mental Health, Meditation, Men's Health, Mental Health, Mindfulness, Spirituality, Health, and Healing, Stress Management, Wellness, Women's Health.

Workers in the United States tend to log more and longer hours, and continue working much later in life, than most people in industrialized nations. Combine this with some of the shortest vacation time in the world, and these workers often suffer from burnout, a state of emotional, mental, and physical exhaustion caused by excessive and prolonged stress that leads to a progressive spiral of diminished health. This can become a chronic condition, leaving those who suffer from it feeling fatigued, hopeless, resentful, and more prone to obesity, insomnia, anxiety, and workplace errors.… Read more »

Discover Music and Sound for Healing

Posted by & filed under Brain Health, Complementary and Integrative Health, Healing Environments for the Body, Mind, and Spirit, Holistic and Integrative Health, Integrative Mental Health, Men's Health, Mental Health, Psychiatric Health, Spirituality, Health, and Healing, Stress Management, Wellness, Women's Health.

Creativity heals the physical body while stimulating, calming, and transporting the mind to a sublime place where holistic healing can occur.

The process of making or listening to music is a wonderfully creative experience that heightens awareness and brings us joy and an undeniable connection to our spirit. Music and sound healing also help bridge differences and connect people of different cultures, backgrounds, and experiences through shared experiences, and thus healing communities through creative expression. Music and sound healing can help:

  • heal emotional injuries,
  • develop a capacity for self-reflection,
  • reduce symptoms of disease, and
  • alter behaviors and thinking patterns.
… Read more »

Monkey-Mind and Mindfulness

Posted by & filed under Brain Health, Complementary and Integrative Health, Energy Medicine, Healthy Aging, Holistic and Integrative Health, Meditation, Mindfulness, Stress Management, Wellness.

 

Do you struggle with monkey-mind (a mind that jumps from thought to thought like a monkey jumps from tree to tree)? The monkey mind is not content with being in the present moment, but rather is constantly distracted by the thoughts that pass through it. Is your brain unsettled, restless, inconstant, confused, indecisive, or uncontrollable? By practicing mindfulness meditation, neuroscientists have reported that after only eight weeks of mindfulness meditation, 30 minutes a day, you can not only calm your mind but your brain can create new brain cells (neurons) and connections between those neurons.… Read more »

Stress and Physical Activity–Get Moving!

Posted by & filed under Behavioral Health, Brain Health, Cardiology, Complementary and Integrative Health, Holistic and Integrative Health, Integrative Mental Health, Men's Health, Mental Health, Spirituality, Health, and Healing, Stress Management, Wellness, Women's Health.

Do you find yourself saying, “I’m too busy and stressed to fit exercise into my daily routine”? You’re not alone. Seven out of ten adults say they experience stress every day—it’s an inevitable part of life and impossible to eliminate, but you can learn to manage it. Physical activity is one of the best antidotes for stress, so get moving. What are you waiting for?!

Engaging in physical activity can help you feel more relaxed, become healthier, and enjoy life more.… Read more »

Stress in the Workplace

Posted by & filed under Brain Health, Cardiology, Complementary and Integrative Health, Energy Medicine, Food, Nutrition, and Health, Gerontology, Healthy Aging, Holistic and Integrative Health, Integrative Mental Health, Legal and Ethical Issues in Healthcare, Meditation, Men's Health, Mental Health, Mindfulness, Spirituality, Health, and Healing, Stress Management, Violence Prevention and Awareness, Wellness, Women's Health.

Are you overwhelmed by workplace stress? You are not alone. For most us, the workplace is ever changing and a major source of daily stress. Economic upheavals, downsizing, layoff worries, mergers, and bankruptcies have cost hundreds of thousands of workers their jobs while millions more wonder how long they will be employed. The economic and personal health effects of workplace stress are at epidemic levels, making it one of the most important health challenges of the 21st century.

The nature of work today is changing at whirlwind speed.… Read more »

Technostress–Can Technology Affect Health?

Posted by & filed under Behavioral Health, Brain Health, Cardiology, Diabetes, Holistic and Integrative Health, Men's Health, Mental Health, Psychiatric Health, Spirituality, Health, and Healing, Stress Management, Wellness, Women's Health.

With cell phones chirping and playing music, wireless devices vibrating, and emails signaling their arrival at the computer’s inbox, is it any wonder that many people feel stressed and distracted by technology? Our minds may wander as we start to read a book, or we can be surprised to look at a browser window and see how many tabs we’ve opened. This can lead to feeling fatigued, anxious, and disconnected from the real world, or overwhelmed by technology. For many, it has been a long time (if ever) since they took a true vacation where they were really “off” and not answering emails or voicemails.… Read more »