From the category archives:

Relaxation

Warm Hands, Warm Thoughts

by Dr. Stephen Parker (Article selection and Commentary) on October 18, 2010

Continuing on the theme that it is healthy for your heart to warm your hands… In an experiment, college students experiencing physical warmth perceived emotional warmth in strangers. Talk about getting in touch with your feelings. NPR Dan Charles October 23, 2008 If you’re going out on a date anytime soon, you may find this [...]

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Mindfulness, the Immune System and Antibodies (and Jacuzzis and Music)

by Dr. Stephen Parker (Article selection and Commentary) on October 16, 2010

One of the earlier and frequently cited studies on mind-body interactions is a 2003 article in psychosomatic medicine: Psychosomatic Medicine 65:564-570 (2003) © 2003 American Psychosomatic Society Alterations in Brain and Immune Function Produced by Mindfulness Meditation Richard J. Davidson, PhD, Jon Kabat-Zinn, PhD, Jessica Schumacher, MS, Melissa Rosenkranz, BA, Daniel Muller, MD, PhD, Saki [...]

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Meditation and Cardiovascular Disease: 30% Mortality Reduction

by Dr. Stephen Parker (Article selection and Commentary) on October 15, 2010

Yesterday’s post suggested that as one takes pills, it is a good idea to breathe deeply, relax, and visualize the expected effects of the medication/supplement/vitamin. This suggestion is based on the “placebo effect” — which is another way of describing how powerfully the mind can effect the body. As far as I know, no research [...]

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