Article Archive

The Hidden Patient

Polarity Therapy for Dementia Caregivers

Porter Shimer, in his book New Hope for People with Alzheimer’s and Their Caregivers, gives a tongue-in-cheek view of the dementia caregiver’s role with this proposed ad — “Wanted: Someone to spend an average of 100 hours a week to oversee the physical and emotional well-being of another human being. Expect frustration, depression, rejection, occasional abuse, and chronic fatigue. No benefits, no vacation, no room for advancement, and no salary.

Touch & Reconciliation

The Hamsa Project — Hands-on Reconciliation in the Middle East

The media shows us so much human pain that I often have the urge to jump into the TV screen, reassuring palms at the ready, to offer comforting touch at the scene of disaster. Possibly this is a widespread instinct among touch therapists. I believe the antidote to helpless feelings of “What can I do?” is to go out there and do something to make a positive difference.

Touching the Surface

In our work, skin is unavoidable. You can talk about muscles or motor nerves; trigger points or tsubos; meninges or organs; fascia, fluids, or chi — any and all of the body’s elements that fascinate us — but on your way you always go through the skin.

Fight Free Radicals

A Rainbow Guide to Antioxidants

You may have heard that free radicals are external insults that can affect our bodies internally. Some of these external factors are cigarette smoke, air pollutants, and various toxins we ingest, such as some cholesterol-lowering medications, oral contraceptives, and anti-inflammatory medications. But most free radicals are actually produced within our own cells as normal by-products of the conversion of food to energy.

Hydrogenated Fat

The-Not-So-Good Fat

It is very easy to get caught up in today’s craze for convenience. It’s easy to think we don’t have time to cook healthy meals and must rely on fast food to survive. What some people don’t realize is convenience foods are full of saturated fatty acids, especially in the form of hydrogenated fats. Hydrogenated fats are produced when hydrogen is injected into unsaturated fatty acids, the process used in converting vegetable oil to margarine.

Living Lighter

Clearing Away Our Clutter

Just as smelling too many fragrances at the perfume counter causes the olfactory sense to briefly shut down, some other parts of the brain might be on overload because of all the clutter in our lives. Some of our possessions, no longer useful or enjoyable, are constantly demanding our attention and time in ways that may distract us from real living. They have gradually morphed into junk. But do we even notice?

A Precious Leaf

Winding down after a demanding day often means turning on the television, pouring a drink, or breaking into a pint of ice cream. A more productive, healthy way to chase away tension, anxiety, and the daily blahs is meditation. Here’s a meditation designed to help you quiet mind chatter, focus inward, and explore the limitless realm of your heart and soul.

Can lit candles be toxic?

Ask a Therapist

Q. I really enjoy the presence of a lit candle, but I keep hearing that some are toxic. Can you enlighten me?

A. “There is nothing like the inviting glow of a candle to make us feel relaxed, guide us into a meditative state, or harmonize the ambiance of a room,” Glynnis Osher says. She’s a certified ayurvedic practitioner and founder of The Mystic Masala Ayurvedic Aromatherapy. “With all these life-enhancing attributes, it is troubling to think that many candles are toxic and doing more harm than good.

Pages