For many menopausal women, hot flashes are the bane of their existence. While there’s more to the experience of menopause than hot flashes, they’ve become the most recognizable sound-bite to sum up what most women find so unpleasant. There are a number of pharmaceutical options out there for addressing hot flashes, but little by little scientific research is coming out with some mind-body medicine alternatives to ease this menopausal journey. The International Journal of Clinical and Experimental Hypnosis recently published a study by Gary Elkins, PhD et al. from Baylor University. Their focus: whether the use of “cool” imagery during…

How can inflammation signal healing yet at the same time, be the culprit in undermining our good health? We’ve all had the experience of inflammation – we trip or fall, our ankle or knee swells. We get a surface cut, it bleeds. We get blisters or hotspots, there’s redness and warmth. These signs of inflammation just mean that “the body” is rushing in with the “first aid” it needs to heal. And after a few days, the swelling goes down, redness begins to dissipate, and our white blood cells and T-cells return to their usual “at ease” patrol. Healing is…

Remember “You are getting sleepy” after the hypnotist urges his patient to stare at a swinging pocket watch? Popularized on TV and in the movies for years, this became the lay person’s image of hypnosis. Filled with a good deal of mystery and magic, audiences held their breath until the suspense of trance released itself into awakening. And voila! Eyes opened and consciousness returned. Of course, this isn’t how hypnosis works, but it’s intriguing to look at perceptions surrounding its practice. “…we know now that such an authoritarian-like approach can trigger resistance…” With uncanny control, the hypnotist would tell the…