Inner Balance
Reiki, a therapy in which hands are placed lightly on the body or just above it, is increasingly being used to reduce cancer-related fatigue, anxiety, nausea and pain. Aches & Claims looks at the evidence.
Researchers in Cedars-Sinai's Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurosciences have reported people who undergo massage experience measureable changes in their body's immune and endocrine response...
Greenwich Hospital surgical, labor and delivery, and oncology patients are among those who have received a healing boost through a form of energy therapy known as Healing Touch...
Of our five senses, touch is the only one that is essential to life. Studies on premature babies have shown a link between holding the babies and better survival rates.
Planning a long road trip? Take my advice and put a Reiki Master on speed dial.
Receiving soothing massages for eight weeks after the death of a loved one can provide much-needed consolation during an intense, stressful period of grieving, according to a study in the April issue of the Journal of Clinical Nursing. Eighteen people who had lost a relative to cancer took part in the study...
Non-traditional therapies relieve pain among a wide range of hospitalized patients as much as 50 percent, according to a first-of-a-kind study in the Journal of Patient Safety...
“This is a time when disentangling ourselves is about more than our personal happiness. Working on ourselves and becoming more conscious about our own minds and emotions may be the only way for us to find solutions that address the welfare of all beings and the survival of the earth itself.
There was a story that was widely circulated a few days after the attacks of September 11, 2001, that illustrates our dilemma. A Native American grandfather was speaking to his grandson about violence and cruelty in the world and how it comes about. He said it was as if two wolves were fighting in his heart. One wolf was vengeful and angry, and the other wolf was understanding and kind. The young man asked his grandfather which wolf would win the fight in his heart. And the grandfather answered, ‘The one that wins will be the one I choose to feed.’
So, this is our challenge, the challenge for our spiritual practice and the challenge for the world -- how can we train right now, not later, in feeding the right wolf? How can we call on our innate intelligence to see what helps and what hurts, what escalates aggression and what uncovers our good-heartedness? With the global economy in chaos and the environment of the planet at risk, with war raging and suffering escalating, it is time for each of us in our own lives to take the leap and do whatever we can to help turn things around. Even the slightest gesture toward feeding the right wolf will help. Now more than ever, we are all in this together.”
Pema Chodron
Taking the Leap:
Freeing Ourselves from Old Habits and Fears
The "chocolate cure" for emotional stress is getting new support from a clinical trial published online in ACS' Journal of Proteome Research: Gut Microbiota, and Stress-Related Metabolism in Free-Living Subjects. It found that eating about an ounce and a half of dark chocolate a day for two weeks reduced levels of stress hormones in the bodies of people feeling highly stressed. Everyone's favorite treat also partially corrected other stress-related biochemical imbalances.
Researchers from Boston University School of Medicine (BUSM) and Boston University School of Public Health (BUSPH) have shown that an employer-sponsored, internet-based diet and exercise program shows promise as a low-cost benefit to lower healthcare costs for those at higher risk for above-average costs and healthcare utilization such as cardiac, hyperlipidemia, hypertension or diabetes patients. These findings appear in the current issue of the Journal of Medical Internet Research.
It's no wonder that many people feel extra soreness and aches in their backs during winter months -- they're often not getting enough vitamin D. The body makes vitamin D from the sun's ultraviolet rays, so it's known as the sunshine vitamin. However, even in the sunniest parts of America, this essential vitamin for keeping bones healthy is in short supply during late fall and winter. Up to 8 out of 10 persons will have back pain in their lifetimes.
The results of a new analysis have provided good evidence to suggest that Tai Chi is beneficial for arthritis. Specifically, it was shown to decrease pain with trends towards improving overall physical health, level of tension and satisfaction with health status. Musculoskeletal pain, such as that experienced by people with arthritis, places a severe burden on the patient and community and is recognized as an international health priority.
Drugs and radiotherapy given for cancer can cause unpleasant side effects such as nausea and vomiting, mouth sores, dermatitis, and menopausal symptoms. Around a third of patients with cancer use complementary therapies, including homeopathic medicines, to try to reduce these side effects. In a systematic review of randomised controlled trials, Cochrane Researchers examined recent evidence for the safety and effectiveness of homeopathic medicines used in this way.
Can massage really release toxins, and if so, what specific toxins are we talking about? I am not referring to lymph massage but relaxation massage, such as Swedish.
Massage can benefit health in many ways. It can reduce heart rate, blood pressure and levels of stress hormone, enhance immune function, boost levels of endorphins and serotonin (the body's natural painkillers and mood regulators) and increase blood circulation - all this while easing sore and achy muscles. Massage certainly can help address the build up of lactic acid in muscles, and promote the clearing of normal byproducts of muscle metabolism, but I know of no evidence suggesting that massage can remove toxins of any kind from the body.
The body has its own self-cleaning, self-purifying systems. The best ways to protect yourself from toxicity are to avoid taking toxins into your body and to keep those systems in good working order. For example, the kidneys are a key component of our blood-purifying apparatus, and you can best protect their health by drinking enough pure water and avoiding dietary stressors such as coffee, alcohol, and excessive protein. In general, I favor relying on the body's own resources for detoxifying, and I urge you to learn about them (I discuss them in my book Natural Health, Natural Medicine).
You also should be aware that none of the many supplements and herbal products purported to detoxify the system and purify the blood are necessary to good health. Neither is colon cleansing. The entire lining of the colon sloughs off and is regenerated every day. If you are eating well, drinking enough water, and getting enough physical activity, your regular eliminations will be sufficient to keep the colon clean and in good working order.
However, if you're still concerned about toxins, I suggest taking saunas or steam baths, which can help eliminate them through sweating. Otherwise, your best bet is to help the body eliminate toxins naturally by increasing your intake of pure water to boost urinary output and eating plenty of fiber-rich fresh fruits, vegetables, and whole grains to ensure regular bowel movements. And take my daily antioxidant regimen, which includes vitamins C, E, mixed carotenes, and the mineral selenium, to help maintain your body's natural defenses.
In addition, you might try herbs that help the body protect itself from common toxins. Some of the best-researched are concentrated extracts of green tea, ginger, turmeric, and milk thistle.
Andrew Weil, M.D.
Title: Yoga May Bring Calm to Breast Cancer Treatment
Category: Health News
Created: 2/27/2009 10:06:00 AM
Last Editorial Review: 2/27/2009
About 300,000 Iraq and Afghanistan war veterans suffer from PTSD or major depression, and about 320,000 may have experienced ...
"Reiki sessions with Paula are sometimes a journey home, often insightful, and always physically and spiritually healing. I come out of our sessions relaxed, free of back pain and with a lightness of spirit."
– Carole Brookins
