| |
Basic InformationMore InformationLatest NewsBlog EntriesDo We Need Anxiety? Thoughts for Entering the New YearReaching Out: Strategies for Addressing LonelinessDump the Resolution and Adopt an Acronym What I Learned about Engagement, Motivation, and Leadership from a 13-Month Old - Part ITelehealth: A Modern Path to WellnessWant Relief? Spread It OutDon't QuarrelIs Lack of Sleep Hurting Your Health?Attention Restoration Theory: Was Thoreau onto Something?Why Can't I Stick to My New Year's Resolutions?In These Heart Breaking Times, Remember: We Are The Other.Message for 2013: The Beauty of CompassionWellness Resolutions for the New Year5 Tips on How to Keep New Years' ResolutionsTrust in LoveDo You Seek Happiness?Twenty Ways to Promote Peace in Our WorldTrust the Teacher WithinMake a DifferenceHoliday Blues? 9 Tips to Cope with Holiday Depression Bruce Springsteen in Concert: What Life Lessons Does He Teach Us?Open Your Eyes and Alleviate the Winter BluesOne Breath at a TimeA Caring Request to Keep Your Feet (and ALL of your toes) on the GroundThe Intricate Ties between Depression and InsecurityLean into Good on First WakingDo You Eat at Café Gratitude or Bitter Bistro? Empathy: It's About Happiness, TooBelieve It Or Not: Skeptics Brains Are DifferentSee Deep WantsLife Cannot Be Reduced To NumbersWant to Feel More Peace? Look at Your ExpectationsThe Anatomy of a Poker FaceThanksgiving and Gratitude in Hard TimesEmbarrassment: Powerful and PuzzlingDon't Rain on the ParadeHow to Make an Anti-Bullying Program a Bad Thing (Do Not Try This at Home)Community Development: An Untapped Resource in Mental Health TreatmentWant to Get Tougher in Life? Be Vulnerable.Regret: How You Can Reshape the Past See Good IntentionsShame: The Core of Addiction and CodependencyShould Doctors Prescribe Lifestyle Changes?We Don't Need to Wait for ThanksgivingNow and Then, Stress Is a Good ThingDon't Let Waiting Become RegretSee ProgressThree Errors in Judgment We are All Too Inclined to MakeTo Caffeinate or Not to Caffeinate? Making Personal Health Decisions Must Remain PersonalPurpose, Purpose, PurposeSpeak WiselyBe Sure to Taste Your WordsFeeling Bad about Being SadCultivating Patience in Everyday LifeUnexpected Causes of TirednessSee Life from an Infant's EyesNew and Old Friendships Alike Help Us Age Successfully6 Ways Mindfulness Can Improve Your Daily Life Drop the "Shoulds"If You're Happy and You Know It…Wag Your Tail?How to be Wise About FearLet It R.A.I.N.Why I Love Rock 'n' Roll: Healing Music for the SoulThe Art of RoutineWays We Think That Can Make or Break Us - Part 2Insisting on Fairness & Justice is a Recipe For Conflict, Misery & SufferingAre You Blind? He Said...Put the "I" in IndependenceWays We Think That Can Make or Break Us - Part 1Find Your Own WayThe Brain in Your GutHow Our Brains Adapt to Trust and BetrayalTech Support to Help Us Count Our BlessingsThe Risk and Reward of Emotional Agility: How to Know When to Let GoChoose Beginner’s MindAre Compassion and Pride Mutually Exclusive?Garbage Detection and Brilliance SpottingCan You Predict Your Emotional Future?What You Need to Know About Generation XhaustedWake Up to Good NewsWhat We Can Learn from Our KidsBehold the SuperAgers!Change the ChannelMental Health First Aid: A New Concept Helping CommunitiesFind ConnectionBottom-Up or Top-Down? How We Generate EmotionsFind StillnessThe Thoughts that Hold Us Back - And What to Do About Them"Off With Their Heads!"—Danger! Danger! Guillotiners Ahead! - Identifying and Protecting Yourself From Expediency-Driven Guillotiners4 Steps to ForgivenessForgiveEnjoy the Little ThingsAn Interview with Margaret Moore, B.S., M.B.A., on Organize Your Mind, Organize Your LifeCultivating Everyday Spiritual ExperiencesMinimize Painful ExperiencesConscientiousness and a Happier, Longer LifeTraining the Self-Care HabitFriends And MarriageRelax, You've ArrivedHow to Be Emotionally Aware - No Cat Ears RequiredHappiness, Sandwiches and George CarlinPeeling the Onion—Uncovering Our Wounds in TherapyHugging is Good MedicineHold Wants LightlySelf-Advocacy vs. Hypochondria: Where Do We Draw the Line?Trust Yourself and Take Some Baby StepsA Unified Theory of Happiness: Interview with Andrea Polard Psy.D.Why Support is Important for Dealing with Food, Weight + Body Image Issues Let It GoRule-Bound Adjustment is Deadening - Rule-Flexible Adaptiveness is EnliveningRest Your Weary HeadInclining Your Mind to Happiness: Just 5 ThingsThe Importance of Family Pets, Grieving the Loss of my Best Friend, Bonnie Exercise: Building the "Can Do" MuscleOur Obsession with "More"When Does Vicarious Trauma (VT) Become a Sign of Codependency? - Part IIGenerativity as a Path to WellnessWhy You Just Can't Stop Texting and DrivingGift YourselfWhen Does Vicarious Trauma (VT) Become a Sign of Codependency? - Part ICultivating Resilience before Mental Health Problems BeginA Mindful and Compassionate Approach to Anger in RelationshipsThe Essence of Healing, Governing, Service, Judgment and ContributionCreate Peace in YourselfThe Protective Effect of Having a Purpose in LifeEnjoy NowAre Mental Health Apps the New Generation of Self-Help Books?The Downside of ExpectationsIs Hating Someone Because They are Different a Mental Illness?Find What's SacredThich Nhat Hanh Shares Some Good NewsComplacency, Apathy and Resignation Be Banished and TransformedSuccessfully Negotiating the Crisis-Trauma, Grief-Transition Passage: Six Emo-Existential Questions The Benefits of Self-Questioning Part OneClean Air = Clear Thinking (Or How Pollution Undermines Cognitive Health)Having Trouble Exercising? Cultivate a Mindful HabitAvoid the RushMore Evidence That Staying Active is Good for the BrainSpring Cleaning for Your Social NetworkLessons Learned from Almost Dying: A Personal JourneySteps Back are Not Setbacks: Finding Solid Ground Can Be EssentialBridging the International Corporate Geo-Cultural Divide or Presenter Beware and Buyer Be AwareDefining Your Own Spiritual PathBeing Kind to Your Body is Healing to the MindTo Trust or Mistrust - Part IFind Your North StarChange Your Body, Change Your Mind Being Positional, Non-Positional and Taking a StandMen are from Earth and so are WomenMultidimensional Wellness: Powerful Concept and Practical ToolCling Less, Love MoreFollow Your Dreams Start Feeling Joy Now!What Can I Do? The Seven Options Available For You In Any SituationBe Grateful for the Good and Graceful During the BadIn Challenging Times, No More “Inner Child”: Boldly Bring Your Inner ChutzpahPay AttentionThree Components of a Commitment: A Universal ToolWhen Calmness is a Trigger for Fear and How to Change itRetraining Your Brain Toward Greater FreedomThe Grammar of Committed Action: Speaking That Brings Forth BeingThe Strength and Stamina of Your Willpower Make a Valentine's ResolutionAn Interview with Gerti Schoen on The Gentle SelfThe Secret Ingredient to Making Change StickBe BenevolentWhen is Compassion Idiotic?Inspiring Power and Partnership: An Interactive and Interdependent PerspectiveCatch A "Wild Pitch?" You Must Be Kidding!Breaking Bad Habits Using The Now EffectDon't Beat Yourself UpAre Reasons Complete Nonsense? A Three-Minute Course Admit Fault and Move OnPositivity in Relationships is ContagiousA Simple Life Lesson for Us All: The Late Shirley LevineAn Interview with Brenda Knight on The Gratitude Power WorkbookPut Yourself on Your Priority ListCan You Live Without the Internet?It's Shocking How Little People Settle For, How Much They Put Up With and How Much Better They Deserve5 Tips on How to Keep New Years' ResolutionsElisha Goldstein’s Top 10 2011 Mental Help PostsBe the BodyA Tip for Happiness: Turn Routine into WonderHoliday Blues and Depression Single and Alone for the Holidays? 6 Strategies for Surviving and Even Thriving the Holidays AloneWithdraw Attention, Interest and Feeding Unhappy Thoughts,and Natural Happiness Arises and BlossomsBack to BasicsKnowledge is an Obstacle to KnowledgeEnjoy Every Last SandwichThe Impact of Exercise on Your Mental HealthSee the Good in OthersThis Thanksgiving Try the Mindful Gratitude PracticeWant a Healthier Life? The Mindful DietStart Now: 3 Steps to Success in the New YearThis Holiday Give Yourself and Your Partner the Gift of your PresenceBe FriendlyPattern Recognition: A Key to Success in Doing Anything WellWho is the One with Mental Illness?Know You're a Good PersonJohn's Story: A Critical Reminder to Us AllStep into the Clouds: Relieving StressThe Mindful Freudian SlipThe Renew Your Life ChallengeDo You Ever Recover from Emotional Pain? The Answer is YesThe Architecture of All Change ProcessesSee Beings, Not BodiesDrop Tart ToneThe Top Seven Sources of Stress and Their RemediesLower the PressureReceive GenerosityBasics of Living: Breathing, Standing, Walking and Sitting: Safeguards of Well Being and Listening WithinAn Acronym that Guides us to Mental HealthBalancing Joining and Separation Keeping It Real — Do You Get It?You Can Feel Safer: Is There Really a Tiger in Those Bushes?Your Primary Spiritual Relationship - Love for YourselfAn Interview with Lama Tsering Everest21 Ways To Turn Ill Will to Good WillGROKKED: Being Seen, Heard and Known For Who You AreA Phrase to Save Your DayHow Did Humans Become Empathetic?Am I Normal?Dreams: More Than Fantasies and WishesThe Wolf of Hate7 Mindfulness and Psychotherapy Posts You Might Find InterestingSelf-Responsibility/Self-Accountability Qualifies You as an AdultTaking in The GoodAcknowledgment Transcends Pride and HumilityAltruism: The Power of Social MediaHealthy FriendshipCan you Improve Life Satisfaction by Changing Your Focus?Video Blog: Confidence3 Steps to Say Goodbye to Old Beliefs that Keep You StuckThe Brain in a Bucket Developing An Inner Meter on Manipulation — A Critical Life SkillFacebook: A Cold Hard LookLife: Bringing Back the Missing Puzzle PiecesWhy Do Smart and Successful People Do Dumb and Self-Sabotaging Things?What's Your 500 Year Plan for Humanity's Mental Health?My Beef with the "Secret"Beliefs, Roles and Stories Can Be Useful At Times or Create Suffering: Recognition, Disillusionment, Disidentification & Surrender is Freedom Itself Want to Make Change? Listen Beliefs Are Not to Be Believed6 Keys of Assertive CommunicationStraight Feeling Talk: "I Anger Myself", "I Delight Myself"—It's All An Inside Job What is the Gift You're Meant to Give?A Question to Balance Your BrainBecoming Happier: A Will and a WayAre Meditators Better Decision Makers?Is Lady Gaga Destroying America or Is She Holding up a Mirror for us to Reflect?Safety to Express Feelings: The IPA Spring RetreatMonitor Your Thoughts and Improve Your MoodThe Power of "I Can"Getting Unstuck: Changing How We See Difficulty3 Steps to Jumpstart Happiness TodayTen Tips to Improve HappinessAwash in Harm, Do No More Harm: The First Law of All Health, Healing, Wellness and Well BeingCan We Really Trust Our Intuition?Treating Depression with Medication: A Philosophical ApproachWhat an Apparent Poor Sense of Direction Revealed about the MindWithdraw Attention, Interest and Feeding Unhappy Thoughts, and Natural Happiness Arises and BlossomsWhat the Future Holds (From the Perspective of Two 30-Year-Olds)Three Components of a Commitment: What Qualifies as a Commitment and a Committed PersonTake My Advice, I'm Not Using ItTwisted Upside-Down CommunicationSurvival Tips for Singles During the Valentine’s SeasonAnother View of ForgivenessLessons From the Other Side of 80We All Need to Take This More SeriouslyObstacles and Obscurations The Benefits of RoutineNeedless: You Can Have Almost Anything You Want(So Long As You Don't Need It!)Mindfulness in Daily LifeThe Junction of Political Awareness and Mental HealthWhy We Fear Success and What to DoExcellent Self-Programming with the UnconsciousThe Four Thoughts that Turn the Mind: Part Four: Precious Human BirthThe New Year: Recognize, Release, RefocusRecharging Yourself Through Relationships and Giving to OthersA Fresh New Year Upon Which to Embrace ChangeRecognizing and Working Well with the UnconsciousThe Four Thoughts that Turn the Mind: Part Three: KarmaThe Four Thoughts that Turn the Mind: Part Two: SufferingThe Four Thoughts that Turn the Mind: Part One - Impermanence5 Steps to Connecting to the Good in LifeStrategies to Communicate and Maintain RelationshipsMindfulness, Intuition and the BrainA Vacation is Good For the Soul...and for the RelationshipThe Art of Pacing - Live Long and ProsperDepressed? Consider this Strategy TodayPrime Your Mind for GoodDid You Know? Some Surprising Data about Stress Can Increased Light Make You Fat? Your Mind: A Blessing and a CurseAn Expert Interview with Darrin Zeer on Managing Work Stress Lessons Learned: Like Bridges Burned?Can How you Eat Change What you Eat and What you Weigh?9 Ways Mindfulness Can Change Your LifeHow Lucky Are You?Musical Inspiration to Open to the Possibilities of Life 10 Ways To Finish The Race With The Bear On Your Back!"So What's the Point?" Help with Finding the Answers... New Research: Mindfulness and Adolescent Boys Suffering Is Easy. The Challenge Is Growth! It's Just Not Fair! Insisting on Fairness & Justice is a Recipe For Conflict, Misery & SufferingHow to Keep it Going Without CaffeineChange Your Mind, Your Brain and Your Life! A Bit of Humor that Can Change Your Day3 Steps to Turn Negative Self Talk into Emotional HealingWhat does Loving Yourself Mean, How do I do it and Why Should I Strive for it?How a Flexible Body Makes a Flexible MindThe "Fallen" Realities of Human NatureDo You Have Permission to Succeed?Can Money Buy Happiness?5 Ways to Renew Your Life TodayThe Great Illusion of Good and Bad Feelings1-Minute Generosity: Helping Thousands in NeedThe Most Important Way to Start Your DayEmotions Myths: What Do You Believe About Your Emotions?What is Docosahexaenoic acid and Why You Need to KnowThe Zeigarnik Effect and Completing EverythingThx: A 1 Minute Exercise Opening to the Space in Your Life: A Needed ReflectionIncrease Your Happiness FactorSaturday: The 12 Hour Unplug Challenge New Research: 5 Minutes Outside Can Boost Your Self-Esteem and MoodPsychedelics Good for Your Mental Health?3 Questions to Consider on this Earth DayWhat You Need to Know about the Dangers of Meditating for Relaxation Four Steps to Bring On HappinessDon't Let Stress Hi-jack your Life: Reduce Stress with Deep BreathingBuilding Strong Internal Resources — A Key to Well BeingWho Killed Happiness and How to Get it Back! Resiliency: Rewiring the Brain from Self Harm to KindnessA Practice to Get Clear on Living the Life You WantFighting Stigma: Dialectical Behavior Therapy and Wellness for Law Enforcement PersonnelThe Dangers of Compassion Texting While Driving: Breaking the HabitFeeling Depressed? 3 Steps to HappinessHope: Our Greatest Antidepressant5 Factors of Resilience to Engage Today! Be Happy Right Now! What About the Good News? The Psychology of Twitter, Mindfulness and Your Mental Health Meaning in Life: What Golf Balls Can Teach UsPeace in Oneself, Peace in the WorldWake Up to What Makes You Happy!Want Mental Health? Lessons from a KingEco-Altruism and Your Mental HealthCan Blogs Really Help? A Fundamental Attitude to Rediscover for Your Mental HealthOne Strategy to be More Successful Day to Day1 Strategy for Everyday Mental HelpTrain Your Mind to Tame Your StressThis is it! Letting Go of Daily StruggleIs Web 2.0 a Source of Happiness or Addiction? A Sleep Deprived Nation: Three Steps to Getting Back on TrackIn Pursuit of the Happy Life: Three TipsCompassion: The Missing LinkThe Missing Link to Mental Health: Your BodyRelationship problems? Consider this...How trying to avoid your fear, anxiety, and panic keeps it knocking on your doorHelp your brain help you live the good life: Neuroplasticity and your strengthsBreaking down Martin Luther King's psychology of faith and how it can help you today...Your morning coffee or tea linked to happiness? Turn 2009 into the year for you! A tip from Albert Einstein and Quantum Physics on relationships and well-beingLending a hand in the new year can keep addictive relapse at bayWhat are you capable of? Abu Ghraib and your mental health Is Happiness Contagious? Here is one way you can catch itI dare you: Using gratitude to support your mental healthIs the economy ruining your holiday season? 5 steps to a better holiday Does a green life mean a mentally healthy life? Breaking down Barack Obama’s Psychology of Hope and how it may help you in trying times…How avoiding your pain sinks you deeper into anxiety and depression…without you knowing it How you can be in the flow of life more often and increase your happinessHow might Google keep your brain on its toes? What does an Iraqi war veteran have to teach you about stress? The mental help of a smile, what's in it for you? Why we don’t exercise and the how to cultivate self controlToo smart for our own good? How we perpetuate stress and how to change! Forgive for 'You'; 5 ways to get started today! What do Barack Obama and Sarah Palin have to do with your mental health?Our Fast Paced LivesHow to better motivate weight lossExercise promotes happiness and can have an antidepressant effectYoga For Mental HealthGetting Beyond the Box: Part II -- Face Your FOE and Flow from the Inside OutGetting Beyond the Box: Part I: For Creative Rebirth…Think Out of the Coffin VideosLinksBook Reviews101 Ways to Meditate29 Gifts3-In-1 Total Body Fitness with Desi Bartlett30 Minute Ab & Butt Blaster5 Day Fit Yoga7 Weeks to 100 Push-UpsA.M. EnergyAccessible Yoga for Every Body DVDAfter the Ecstasy, the LaundryAge-Proof Your MindAgeless Mobility: Pain-Free Wellness For LongevityAlmost MeatlessAM/PM YogaAnywhere, Anytime, Any Body YogaAthlete's Guide to YogaAuthentic HappinessAwakening Self-EsteemBalanced AssetsBedroom Body: Booty Burner, Core & Pelvic Floor WorkoutBeginners Yoga DVDBetter Sex Through YogaBody By BethennyBreath-Centered YogaBreathingCalm EnergyChoosing CivilityClassical Pilates Technique DVDComplementary and Alternative Therapies ResearchCore Fusion - Pilates PlusCore Fusion - Pure Abs & ArmsCore Fusion - Thighs & GlutesCore Fusion Body SculptCore Fusion Lean & TonedCore Fusion Power SculptCore Strength PilatesCore Strength Vinyasa Yoga Power Hour with Sadie NardiniCreative Core AbsCreative Writing In Health And Social CareDance the Chakras Yoga WorkoutDeep Stretch / Yin YogaDr. Andrew Weil's Guide to Eating WellDr. Andrew Weil's Guide to Optimum HealthDr. Andrew Weil's Mindbody ToolkitEastern Body, Western MindEasy YogaElement: Yoga for Stress Relief & FlexibilityEmotions, Stress, and HealthEvamarie Pilipuf's Yoga Express DVDEvery Day Yoga for Every Body DVDEveryday GreensEverything VeganExhale Core Fusion 30 Day SculptFamily YogaFast Food for the SoulFat and FuriousFear and Other Uninvited GuestsFit Family Fun CircuitFit in 5 DVDFlat Abs PilatesFlow and YinFlow YogaFluid Power Vinyasa Flow YogaFully PresentGaiam Pilates Slide and Sculpt Kit with DVDGaiam Pilates Total Toning KitGaiam Yoga For Weight Loss KitGet Ripped & ChiseledGood MedicineHealthy AgingHealthy Sexy Beautiful Kundalini YogaHemalayaa's Yoga for Young Bodies DVDHemalayaa: Bollywood BootyHot Body Cool Mind - Level 1Hot Body Cool Mind: Waking Energy How to Cook Everything VegetarianI'd Rather LaughIn Defense of FoodInsight Yoga Earth: Balancing Yin EnergyInsight Yoga Heaven: Balancing YangInsight Yoga with Sarah PowersIntegrated YogaIntegrative MedicineIntroduction to Ashtanga Yoga DVDIntroduction to Qi YogaIntroduction to Yoga DVDIt's Up to YouJanis Saffell Beverly Hills YogaKids Teach Yoga - Flying EagleKidYogi - Yoga for ChildrenKnowing the Nature of FearKripalu YogaKripalu Yoga Dynamic DVDKripalu Yoga Gentle DVDKundalini Yoga : DVDKundalini Yoga for Beginners & BeyondKundalini Yoga Meditation for Beginners & BeyondKundalini Yoga Meditation for Complex Psychiatric DisordersKundalini Yoga on the BallKundalini Yoga Solar Power All-In-One WorkoutKundalini Yoga to Detox and Destress DVDKundalini Yoga Transformer All-In-One WorkoutLife MakeoversLifeForce Yoga to Beat the Blues--Level 1LifeForce Yoga to Beat the Blues: Level 2Living Room Yoga DVDLiving Room Yoga: Twist and BendLiving Your Best LifeLiving Your DreamLunar Flow YogaMadhur Jaffrey's World VegetarianMake It Fast, Cook It SlowManage Your Depression Through ExerciseMaui PilatesMayo Clinic Wellness Solutions for Back PainMayo Clinic Wellness Solutions for IBSMayo Clinic Wellness Solutions for InsomniaMean GenesMeditation in a New York MinuteMindfulness for BeginnersMisadventures of a Garden State YogiMozart's Brain and the Fighter PilotNew York PilatesNext-Level PilatesPassionate VegetarianPerfect in Ten AbsPerfect in Ten: PilatesPerfect in Ten: StretchPerfect in Ten: YogaPilates AnatomyPilates for BeginnersPilates for MenPositivityPower to the Peaceful YogaPower YogaPower YogaPower Yoga for HappinessPower Yoga: Core PowerPower Yoga: Fat BurnerPrescriptive StretchingPsychology Moment by MomentPure and Simple YogaPure SculptPure Yoga Pilates with Kerry BestwickQi Gong Fire & Water With Matthew CohenQi Gong Flow for BeginnersQi Gong for Low Back PainQi Gong for Upper Back and Neck PainQi Gong for Weight LossQiGong for Healthy Joints & BonesQiGong IllustratedQuick Blast MethodReach - Upbeat Toning & Flexibility for a Dancer's BodyRed Lotus YogaResistance Stretching With Dara TorresRestorative Yoga PracticeSelf-CompassionSeven Challenges To Change Your Life DVDSleep BetterSolar Flow Yoga DVDSoupsSparkSpontaneous HappinessSports Hypnosis in PracticeStep By Step Strength TrainingStep by Step Tai ChiStrength & SpiritStrength, Grace, HealingStress ReliefStrong Body, Ageless BodySun SalutationsSuper Natural CookingSurf Yoga SoulSybel's Yoga For Sports & FitnessSybel's Yoga For Sports & Fitness Vol 2Tai Chi for Beginners with Grandmaster William C. C. ChenTaming Your Inner BratTeach Yourself MeditationTeen YogaTeenYogi DVDTen Minutes to RelaxThe Accidental VeganThe Angelica Home KitchenThe Art and Science of MindfulnessThe Athlete's Guide to YogaThe Beginner's Guide to Healthy EatingThe Booty Barre -Total New BodyThe Breathing FieldThe Cafe Brenda CookbookThe Complete Book of Raw FoodThe Complete Vegetarian HandbookThe Easy Yoga WorkbookThe Feeling Good HandbookThe Five Things We Cannot Change ...The Happiness of PursuitThe Healing Remedies SourcebookThe Healing Remedies SourcebookThe Health Psychology HandbookThe Healthy KitchenThe Heart of YogaThe Indian VegetarianThe Jewel Tree of TibetThe Joy of MeditatingThe Kettlebell BoomerThe Little Book of Healthy TeasThe Little Soy BookThe Little Yoga BookThe Mood CureThe Mozart EffectThe Myth of Freedom and the Way of MeditationThe Perfect ExerciseThe Pilates Workout JournalThe Playful BrainThe Quest for Peace, Love, and a 24'' WaistThe Spa DeckThe Stoic Art of LivingThe Way of StretchingThe Weight of the NationThe Will to Live and Other MysteriesThe Yin Yoga KitThink SmartTotal AstangaTotal Health the Chinese WayTotal PilatesTotal-Body ToningTransform Yourself with Jivamukti YogaTransformative YogaTrudie Styler's Warrior YogaV-Core WorkoutVegan ExpressVegan for LifeVegetarian Turkish CookingViva Vegan!WalkingWalking a Literary LabyrinthWatch Me Do YogaWeight Loss Cardio KickWellbeingWhat We Say MattersWhen Things Fall ApartWriting in FlowYin and Yang YogaYin Yoga DVDYogaYogaYoga & Pilates Workouts for DummiesYoga 4 TeensYoga : Beginners Flow for EveryoneYoga AnatomyYoga and PsychologyYoga as MedicineYoga Beauty BodyYoga Bliss HipsYoga Body : Lean & Defined Total Body WorkoutYoga By Teens DVDYoga Emergency DVD: Arms & ShouldersYoga Emergency DVD: BackYoga Emergency DVD: Full Leg StretchYoga Emergency DVD: HipsYoga Flow DVDYoga for AnxietyYoga for BeginnersYoga for EveryoneYoga for MeditatorsYoga for OsteoporosisYoga for Pain ReliefYoga for Regular GuysYoga for the Young at HeartYoga In BedYoga in BedYoga Inside Out: Go DeeperYoga Inside Out: The Healing WayYoga Journal's Yoga for StressYoga Journal: Yoga for Strength and Toning DVDYoga Link: Core IntegrationYoga Link: Hip HelpersYoga Link: Shoulder Shape-UpYoga on DemandYoga Quick FixesYoga SanctuaryYoga SculptYoga ShaktiYoga Therapy for Back PainYoga Therapy Prescriptions - 60 Health Restorative SequencesYoga To Go's Yoga Quick Fixes DVDYoga to the Rescue - Feel Good from Head to ToeYoga to the Rescue for Back PainYoga to the Rescue for Neck & ShouldersYoga Weight Loss for DummiesYoga: Freedom from Back PainYoga: Relief from Neck and Shoulder PainYoga: Spirit of Vinyasa FlowYogabodyYogawomanYou Can Think Yourself ThinYou'll See It When You Believe ItYour Body Breakthru - Your Best Body Circuit DVDYour Brain on FoodYour Miracle Brain |
| | | |
10-Minute 'Tension Tamer' at Bedtime May Help You Sleep: Study by By Barbara Bronson Gray HealthDay Reporter Updated: Oct 23rd 2012
TUESDAY, Oct. 23 (HealthDay News) -- Comedian W.C. Fields once said that "the best cure for insomnia is to get a lot of sleep." But, of course, that's not always so easy.
Now a new study suggests that a simple 10-minute technique may reduce tension, making it easier to fall asleep and stay asleep.
The approach, designed to be done just before going to bed, involves mentally focusing on a serene and inviting place -- like the waves on a beach or a quiet lake surrounded by tall trees -- and slowly deep breathing.
"The technique builds on prior work that shows that stress negatively affects sleep," said Dr. Arn Eliasson, a research consultant with the Integrative Cardiac Health Project, a health promotion and cardiac risk reduction program at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, in Bethesda, Md. "There are a lot of well-known risk factors for cardiac disease -- like smoking, diabetes and high cholesterol, for example -- but less is understood about the issue of stress."
The study, scheduled for Oct. 22 presentation at the annual meeting of the American College of Chest Physicians, in Atlanta, suggests that the technique decreases the time it takes to fall asleep, improves the quality of sleep and reduces fatigue.
According to the U.S. National Center on Sleep Disorders Research, about 30 to 40 percent of adults have some symptoms of insomnia -- the inability to fall asleep or remain asleep -- within a given year, and about 10 to 15 percent of adults have chronic insomnia.
The research involved 135 men and 199 women with an average age of 56. All of the participants had either served in the military or were dependents of service members. A minority had post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), a severe anxiety disorder that can develop after exposure to any event that results in psychological trauma.
The participants completed a 14-item questionnaire to measure the scope and degree of their perceived stress. They also responded to a survey about sleep quality that asks how long it takes them to fall asleep, the duration of their sleep, the frequency of their sleep disturbances, their use of sleeping medications and how often over the previous month fatigue affected their daytime activities.
Participants then attended a "Tension Tamer" program that included a 30-minute introductory workshop followed by a series of four 30-minute visits with a stress management specialist to practice the technique. After completion of the program, the two surveys were re-taken and compared.
The study showed that 65 percent of the participants improved their perceived stress by 6.6 points, but 34 percent worsened their stress levels by 4.6 points.
Those who reduced their stress showed significant differences in sleep quality, with less time necessary to fall asleep and decreased fatigue.
A sleep expert urged caution in interpreting the study.
"This is not a novel technique; it has a fancy name -- Tension Tamer -- but stress reduction has always had a role in helping people sleep," said Dr. Aparajitha Verma, medical director of the Methodist Hospital Comprehensive Sleep Disorders Program, in Houston. While Verma said that reducing stress in any way will clearly help, it's important to learn why people are having difficulty sleeping.
"My philosophy is that unless you get to the bottom of the cause, you won't be effective. There's always a reason why insomnia is there; it could be depression or mood problems, digestive issues, pain, medications and other factors," Verma explained. "Sometimes you have to be a detective to find the source of the problem."
Research has shown sleep deficits are associated with an increased risk for diabetes, cardiovascular disease, depression, highway accidents and other problems.
While stress reduction is useful, Verma said it can only go so far. "It will help you fall asleep but will not ensure you get good-quality sleep, a problem in sleep apnea, for example."
Verma recommends that people commit to having a wind down time before bedtime to relax and shut off the issues and stimuli of the day. "You need to make sleep a priority in your life," she advised.
Because this study was presented at a medical meeting and not published in a peer-reviewed journal, the data and conclusions should be viewed as preliminary.
More information
Learn more about sleep disorders from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
This article: Copyright © 2012 HealthDay. All rights reserved. |