Have you ever had a patient who, when trying to excuse some behavior or condition, blamed it on their genes? We tend to see genes as the determining factor for everything from our weight to our propensity to develop certain neurological diseases and while genes can play an important role in many areas of health, […]
The Benefits of Exercise for the Brain
I was just reading about the abnormally severe winter that folks in Europe are currently enduring. Last year at this time, my house was surrounded by six-foot snow piles and topics of conversation were about how to shovel snow off the roof. At any rate, my exercise regiment had fallen by the way-side, with snow […]
Dance Therapy: Using Movement to Heal
If you read my last blog, you would have seen the video about Dance for PD®, an innovative program for people battling the symptoms of Parkinson’s Disease. Dance for PD® is so effective because it allows participants to step out of the patients’ role and just move – creating beauty while engaging mind, body, and […]
Mind-Body Healing at its Best: Dance for Parkinson’s Disease
It’s funny how many people feel a pang of hesitation, reluctance, or even fear when they’re invited to dance. Who hasn’t heard someone say, when being pulled onto the floor, “oh no, I can’t dance!” I’ll admit, I leaned that way, too. I left the dancing to those with natural rhythm and “moves.” My view […]
Stress, Obesity and Our Children: What Mind-Body Research Says
Our lifestyle choices can create direct routes to conditions like inflammation. Even more recently, information linking psychoneuroimmunology and depression with stress and obesity has surfaced.