Happiness is our birthright. Of course it is! This is the essence of Ayurveda. It’s simple, really. Ayurveda is an instruction manual teaching us how to maintain mind-body balance. When the physiology is in balance happiness is a side-benefit, a very big benefit, in my opinion. Of course problems and tragedies occur and other emotions [...]
Think back to a time that you've been nervous. Can you remember the feeling of butterflies in your stomach? Hasn’t everyone has had that experience? Hasn’t everyone also had the experience of worry and anxiety keeping the body awake at night? We innately know that emotion and mindset affect the body. We also know that [...]
Do you realize how similar you are to your car? Am I being facetious or just plain silly? Both--sort of! But it is definitely a truth that in order to function properly, we are not unlike our cars; we need to clean out the dirt and grime in our systems. Over time and because of [...]
Please note: This is the followup to my first post on Ayurveda and Eating, entitled, Ayurveda and the Liveliness of Food: Find Lasting Joie de Vivre! Digestion begins when we see our food. Sensory awareness of the food we are about to eat is the spark that lights up the digestive fire. If digestion is [...]
Liveliness, strength, energy and vitality are the essence of joie de vivre. That morsel on the end of your fork is what brings (or doesn’t bring) vitality and joie de vivre to you. In other words, food absolutely does affect mood. All too often we discount the role that diet plays in mental health. Who [...]
Hans Selye, the physician who first coined the term “stress,” defined stress as “essentially the rate of wear and tear in the body.” In recent years scientists have learned that stress underlies most, if not all, physical, mental and emotional disorders. If we look below the surface when investigating a disorder we will usually see [...]
The therapeutic powers of massage are well documented. If you have experienced massage you know that this healing technique is also pleasurable. But, has it occurred to you to do massage at home? A strong immune system will take you through the winter months unimpeded by illness. During fall and early winter months, the physiology is adjusting [...]
Happy New Year! Have many people asked you about New Years’ resolutions? Friends and family usually want to know how or what we have decided to change. New Years’ resolutions are a conversational gambit in January. Self-improvement is the name of the game! Who doesn’t want to improve? Who doesn’t want to eat healthier, lose [...]
During the holiday season friends often assume that the schedule of a psychotherapist is super busy. It is a common belief that depressed people are knocking down therapists’ doors during holiday time. Perhaps, in some quarters this is true, but for me and my colleagues business slacks up a bit around holiday time. People become [...]
For many people going home for the holidays is a time of pleasure and enjoyment. For others, holiday time is difficult. This blog post is dedicated to the folks who find going home for the holidays to be less than wonderful. Hopefully this year your holiday can glisten with good feelings. Why is it that [...]
By Nancy Liebler, Ph.D., and Sandra Moss, M.S.P.H.
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