“There are only two mistakes one can make along the road to truth; not going all the way, and not starting.” Buddha
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Yoga Improves Mental Function
Gothe et al. from the University of Illinois recently conducted a study to look into the effects of hatha yoga on cognition. They recruited 118 senior citizens (mean age of 62) and randomly assigned them to one of 2 groups: a hatha yoga intervention group and a stretching/strengthening control group. Each group took part in…
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Acupunture Mechanisms Revealed
Research on mice by da Silva et al has revealed new mechanisms underpinning the workings of acupuncture. They injected carrageenan into the calf muscles of mice. This created an inflammatory response with associated pain and swelling. Manual acupuncture of Spleen 6 (an acupuncture point in the lower leg) reduced pain, heat and swelling of the…
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The Brain Can Learn To Decrease Pain
New research led by Raymonde Scheuren from the University of Luxembourg has brought some new insights into the world of pain. It’s generally known that a pain present in one part of the body can be attenuated by painfully stimulating a different part of the body. This is known as diffuse noxious inhibitory control (DNIC) and…
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Yoga Can Help Prevent Diabetes (Type 2)
A new study by McDermott et al. was carried out to see if yoga could be effective at preventing type 2 diabetes in those who presented risk factors. The participants were randomly split into 2 groups: the yoga group and a walking group. The participants either had to attend a yoga class or complete monitored walking…
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Relaxation Response
As mentioned in an earlier post, relaxation has many, many benefits. Through his extensive study of relaxation, Herbert Benson from the Harvard Medical School has put together an 8-step sequence that consistently elicits the relaxation response. The sequence has been proven scientifically and has been used for decades. Step 1: Pick a focus word, phrase,…
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“Only that day dawns to which we are awake“ Henry David Thoreau
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“Be happy in the moment, that’s enough. Each moment is all we need, not more.” Mother Teresa
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Vitamin D Deficiency Linked To Chronic Pain
Paul McCabe et al from the University of Manchester analysed data from the European Male Ageing Study and found that men with vitamin D deficiency at the start of the study were more than twice as likely to experience ongoing widespread pain over the next 4 years as those with high levels of vitamin D. It…
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Glucosamine Promotes Longevity
In life, sometimes a new use is found for an existing product and this new use turns out to be way better than the original use for which the product was designed. Examples of this are: Propecia: now used to promote hair growth in balding men but originally sold to treat prostate enlargement Viagra: now…