An article to be published in the June edition of the Academic Medicine journal confirms an earlier study that found mindfulness meditation and communication training is beneficial both to physicians and to their patients. The new study also found that physicians found it meaningful to share experiences from their medical practice with each other, that mindfulness skills proved helpful both at work and at home, and that the participants appreciated the value placed on mindfulness training and the reflection time it provided. Researchers noted that medical practice must “…support mindful practice, (and) encourage transparent and clear communication…”
Read full article here: Mindfulness Skills Benefit Both Physician And Patient
This is a group for people affected by Chronic Pain and/or Neurological disorders, their families, and caregivers, in need of support to manage their experiences and find healing through guided transpersonal process work, meditation and various heart-centered approaches proven to be very effective. A supportive and comfortable place where you can feel at ease to share what is stopping you from living your life at its fullest.
Do you find yourself in any of these situations?
- Suffering of chronic pain
- Suffering of a neurological disorder
- In need of mental, emotional, spiritual and physical support
- In need of guidance on how to thrive every day
- You are the caregiver of a loved one and need support to manage your life
- You are a professional caregiver looking for more depth and understanding
If one or more of these situations apply to you, then you are a good candidate for this support group. Each meeting may have a slightly different format depending on the people attending and the issues that will surface, but the general guidelines for eachmeeting are the following:
- Sharing of struggles and achievements
- Sharing of what works for you and what does not
- Stress Management
- Guided Meditation
- Process work
- All along there will be valuable tips that could be applied in your daily life
We are meeting every 1st and 3rd Monday of the Month. For more questions and to RSVP email Damiana Corca at damiana@holisticacare.com or go on the Meetup Group.
This group is facilitated by the experienced and gifted psychotherapist, Timothy Long. For more information about him, please visit his webpage at www.imaginehealing.com.
This group is organized by Licensed Acupuncturist and Herbalist Damiana Corca. Marked by her father’s death of Alzheimer’s disease, she is now dedicating part of her practice and supporting the community for neurological disorders and chronic pain. Please visit her webpage for more information about her at www.damianacorca.com.
Pollen can trigger different reactions in people. While allergic sufferers might have a fit only at the sound of this word, others might be quite excited by the potential opportunity of enriching their diet with a high nutrient food. After all, would you say no to an energy-boosting and totally healthy food?
The irony is that while inhaled pollen can trigger allergic reactions in some people, if ingested it can actually treat allergies. How can that be? Well, strange as it might seem, the explanation is simple. The body reacts differently when the pollen intake is achieved through the digestive system instead of the respiratory system.
Let’s now talk about the interesting way bees gather the pollen. I bet you did not imagine that bees mix the pollen with their saliva and stick it to the back of their legs to carry it back to the hive and feed it to the male honey bees. No wonder bees are known to be some of the best workers. Those tiny legs, almost imperceptible to the human eye, must carry so many loads to make one single grain. We should always keep this in mind and prize every little grain of bee pollen, as it is the fruit of such a tremendous and tireless effort! It’s not for nothing that we use the phrase busy as a bee to describe a tireless person.
Bee pollen is commonly used to boost energy and this shouldn’t come as a surprise as it is sometimes called the perfect food containing almost all the essential nutrients our body needs. Proteins, carbohydrates, minerals and vitamins – pollen has it all, to honor the beauty of plants and the industriousness of bees. Pollen can give a real boost to your energy when time seems to be shrinking and lower energy levels kick in.
Another common usage of bee pollen is to promote longevity. Pollen has been found to contain this protective coat with such a tremendous power that has kept intact some 200 million years bee pollen grains attached to a rock. That definitely rocks! Thank goodness bee and human saliva provides the appropriate enzymes for the pollen to be digested, otherwise we would be long gone while the bee pollen we ingested would still be there even after millions of years.
Finally, let’s talk about the beautiful quality of bee pollen as a remedy for allergies. Don’t you hate when allergies keep you arrested away from nature because of the continuous sneezing, runny nose and even headaches? Instead of our common Allegra, why not try something different this year. Just start taking a few granules of bee pollen and work your way up to two teaspoonfuls a day and when the allergy season comes in you might be quite surprised to see that nature is not your enemy anymore. Bee pollen seems to be working by strengthening the immune system and desensitizing the body of common allergens. However, some people can be allergic to bee pollen itself so if you have ever had anaphylactic shock you should exercise caution and consult a health care provider before introducing it to your diet.
I think these are enough reasons pleading the case of bee pollen. If you really wish to buzz around with new forces, think about introducing bee pollen into your daily diet!
Other therapies useful for allergies are Acupuncture, herbal medicine, elimination of allergens when possible, diet changes, and dietary supplements.
From the acute common cold to the lingering hacking cough that seems to have become part of your life, Chinese herbal medicine can help alleviate the symptoms of the common cold and flu, shorten the course of disease, and prevent complications.
While many of these herbs are naturally antiviral and antibacterial, the diagnosis however is based on the overall symptoms of each person. For example, a person with lots of sputum will have a very different herbal treatment than a person with a dry hacking cough.
A customized herbal formula for each individual gives the practitioner the freedom of choosing what is most effective for each person and the advantage of fast measurable results.
Chinese herbal medicine works by boosting your immune system and eliminating whatever pathogens exist within your body. It also has the added benefit of no side effects, as often happens with antibiotics. In certain cases where antibiotics are definitely advisable, herbs can work in synergy with them, potentiating their effect and helping maintain a healthy gut flora.
For the past 10 years, women have been streaming into my office often reporting the same symptoms:
I do not recognize myself!
I am cranky and a bit depressed.
I can’t sleep.
I have no sex drive.
I cannot remember anything!
I have hot flashes, and my period is early/late/irregular and making me nuts!
Honestly, everyone says the same thing, mostly with some bewilderment and surprise. The truth is, if you are over 35 and under 55, you are likely suffering from hormone changes that are totally normal for the peri menopausal women. Often my patients are shocked when I tell them that they are peri menopausal. Often some of them are contemplating having another baby and do not at all relate with being close to menopause.
I feel that there are several reasons that we have so much difficulty believing we are in peri menopause. Read More
There are patients who experience fatigue on a daily basis and those who are debilitated by fatigue often referred to as Chronic Fatigue Syndrome. While they vary in their causes and treatment at Holistica Integrative Care, we address fatigue on both ends of the spectrum. Some people report that they have difficulty getting out of bed in the morning, need their morning cup of coffee, and struggle to stay off the couch every single afternoon. Some people are so fatigued they cannot make it out of bed in the morning and their activities of daily living (such as work and school) are severely affected by fatigue.
Each patient has a different story and cause related to their fatigue, and each patient that we see has a specialized treatment plan created for their particular picture of fatigue. Read More
