Mind-Body Wellness Resources

Dateline: 05/2/99

When we talk about "mind-body" approaches or therapy, we're covering that form of healing or wellness promotion that encompasses meditation to tai chi to art therapy -- any practice that creates a connection between your mind and your body. The objective of course, is to affect your body's process. . . and ultimately -- health.

Mind-body techniques can be particularly useful when looking to reduce stress. Given medicine's current knowledge that stress can cause or worsen a variety of illnesses, and autoimmune illnesses in particular, reducing stress should be as important a part of any thyroid patient's treatment as taking the appropriate medicines.

There are so many different types of mind-body therapy that you should start by deciding which ones are most appealing to you before you decide where to go next.

To investigate the full realm of mind-body approaches, start by visiting:

Center for Mind-Body Medicine
A Washington, DC based non-profit, educational organization dedicated to reviving the spirit and transforming the practice of medicine.

Health World's Mind-Body Medicine Site
With an introduction to mind/body medicine and its therapies, as well as unique mind-body approaches for chronic illness.

Once you've gotten an overview of mind-body medicine, some good places to continue are with the U.S.' most promiment mind-body medical experts, Dr. Andrew Weil, and Dr. Deepak Chopra.

Andrew Weil, M.D.

Dr. Andrew Weil is America's leader in the integration of Western medicine and the exploding field of alternative medicine. He offers one of the best mind-body approaches in his "8 weeks to optimum health" program. For thyroid patients looking to "detox" their body and help break out of old, unhealthy habits, this is just the program. America's favorite alternative doctor offers an 8-week program -- which includes vitamins, exercise, meditation, and other mind-body health techniques -- to retune self-healing mechanisms. Dr. Weil offers this program in an easy to follow video, and in an online program.

Deepak Chopra, M.D.

Deepak Chopra, M.D. is acknowledged as a world leader in promoting the understanding of the health-related connections between mind, body, spirit and healing. Among many books, videos, and programs, Dr. Chopra brings us a unique program that is of particular interest for thyroid patients. In Deepak Chopra - Quantum Healing, Chopra, an ayurvedic, alternative medicine expert, shares his ancient medical techniques for healing from within and maintaining health and well-being through the balance of mind, body, and spirit -- and restoring the energy needed by most chronic thyroid disease sufferers.

Meditation

Meditation techniques are quite common in Asia. In particular, they are an essential component of Buddhism, Hinduism, yoga, and a number of Asian religions. Medically, meditation or guided relaxation and imagery have been proven to reduce blood pressure, anxiety, chronic pain, and can reduce cortisol levels, a measure of the body's stress level.

You can learn meditation by taking a specialized yoga class, or via particular instruction, or there are some helpful resources to start you on the road to meditation. Get a taste of meditation by downloading "About Living's" free free meditation software that gently helps you relax your mind and walks you through a peaceful meditation session, all from your desktop.

When you're ready to incorporate meditation into your life as part of your wellness approach, one video is in particular an excellent resource. Better Health and Healing Through Meditation, developed by Jonathan Porter, is an interactive video program that encourages stress reduction and improved health through "chapters" on breathing, white-light meditation, and color therapy, among other meditative techniques.

Attitude is Everything

When it comes to health, wellness, and reducing stress, there's no doubt that attitude is often everything. A positive attitude is an essential part of the treatment plan of anyone with a chronic problem like thyroid disease. Here are some resources to help you find and maintain a positive attitude.

Bernie Siegel, M.D.'s "How to Live Between Office Visits" is a video that offers practical self-treatment advice about how a positive attitude can help enhance your immune system and improve your overall health and wellness.

Caroline Myss - Why People Don't Heal and How They Can . It's well known that a period of stress often precedes the onset of thyroid disease, and no one understands what mechanisms are at play in this phenomenon better than Caroline Myss. This alternative health pioneer explores the relationship between spiritual and emotional stress and disease, and how this information can lead to wellness.

A Passion for the Possible, focuses on the inner realms and spirit. When long-term chronic disease, or ongoing misdiagnosis have left you with a feeling that you need something more in your life, philosopher and author Dr. Jean Houston has the answers to help in this video, helping you rediscover those key inner realms. This is a companion to "Body Mind Exercises."

Body Mind Exercises was intended as a companion tape to "A Passion for the Possible." This program features exercises designed to help you expand your awareness and intellect by improving memory and physical and psychological powers.

Other Resources

Some additional mind-body resources include:

Mind Body Health Searchable Online Directory/Database

Advances in Mind Body Medicine, Stress Psychology Alternative Health

Mind Body Medicine at the Behavioral Medicine Department of Harvard

American Chronic Pain Association
P.O. Box 850, Rocklin, CA 95677
Phone: 916-632-0922
This group manages a list of over five hundred support groups internationally, and publishes workbooks and a newsletter.

Center for Attitudinal Healing
33 Buchanan, Sausalito, CA 94965
Phone: 415-331-6161
Support groups throughout the nation for people with chronic or serious illness.

Wellness Community
2716 Ocean Park Blvd., Suite 1040 Santa Monica, CA 90405
Phone: 310-314-2555
Chapters throughout the nation offer support groups for people with chronic or serious illness.

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