Monthly Archives: January 2015

Not surprisingly, I found this story on the Facebook page of Margaret Dubay Mikus, poet, physician, photographer and artist. How do you like that smile? Allow me to introduce 77 year old Willie Murphy. She weighs 105 pounds....

The Mighty Murphy first began lifting weights four years ago, starting with five pound dumbbells. Today, this grandmother from Rochester, New York can deadlift 215 pounds and she was recently named the 2014 Lifter of the Year by the World Natural Powerlifting Federation.

Murphy, who can easily do one-handed push-ups and pull-ups, also took home titles at the WNPF World Championships for deadlift, power curl, and bench press -- and she weighs only 105 pounds.

Researchers from Syracuse University looked at how to reduce the adrenergized alarm state experienced by veterans with PTSD, a hypothalamic pituitary axis dysfunction that is reflected in measurable cortisol output.

Knowing that many veterans with PTSD are hesitant to engage in distressing, triggering trauma-focused exposure treatments, these investigators explored the impact that non-exposure-based treatments, briefer in duration might have.

One such promising approach is an abbreviated, Primary Care, 4-week, brief Mindfulness Program (PCbMP).

On Feb. 6, we are urged to wear red, to remind women to care for their hearts. National Wear Red Day was established by the American Heart Association and the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute, to raise awareness that heart disease, the number one killer of women, is 80% preventable.

As women, we nurture our mates, children, pets, friends, patients, clients, customers, students and numerous others, but do we devote as much time and energy to nurturing our hearts? The month of February gives us an opportunity to do just that, and to get the word out to others, beginning with something as pleasant and colorful as wearing red.

Hello,

Do you have any suggestions for guided imagery that could help someone who needs to support a dying family member?

With the case I have in mind, the person cannot be present, since he is in America and the dying beloved mother in Europe. I am wondering if you would recommend the anxiety CD from Nepasteck (sic)?

Thanks for your recommendation,

Dora

Hello again.

As I was digging into my weekly cache of the 214 new mind-body research abstracts that had dropped into my NIH cubby, I saw two, new European studies on eating disorders that grabbed my attention, especially because I've been spending a good part of the last two weeks on editing, mixing, reviewing and packaging Traci Stein's new guided imagery and hypnosis audio for Healthy Weight & Body Image.

Now, just to be clear, Traci's new audio is not just for people with eating disorders, although it certainly is going to be wonderful for that – it's also designed for anyone who wants to make mild to moderate tweaks to their weight (up or down) or to their attitudes toward their bodies (up), so there's a lot of range and scale to who this will help.

Okay, so when we last left you on the Inspiring Story page, we'd featured Michael Peterson's sleepless night in Iraq, after an especially dicey day and night, where his musical performance was scored to sound of whizzing and exploding shells.

So now let's see how Colonel (R) Jill Chambers, the amazing, power-packed ball of energy who set this whole trip up, so that these isolated Soldiers in the middle of nowhere could get a little love, music, humor and inspiration from home... well, she was right there by Michael's side, talking to the troops, directing set-up and logistics, making everything run smooth as silk, all the while cheer-leading to beat the band...

Let me also say that this is the same Jill who was handpicked by Joint Chiefs of Staff Chair, Admiral Mike Mullen, to be his first Special Assistant for Returning Warrior Issues – not exactly chopped liver, you could say. Jill is further qualified to chat with the troops by having overcome her own posttraumatic stress, derived from having been in the Pentagon during 9/11. Jill now spends her days helping veterans and training returning warriors.

This research was to see if the positive effects that were attained immediately after, were sustained after six months

Researchers from Tilburg University in The Netherlands conducted a 6-month follow up study of the DiaMind trial, which showed beneficial immediate effects of mindfulness-based cognitive therapy (MBCT) on emotional distress, but not on diabetes distress nor on HbA1c.

This research was to see if the positive effects that were attained immediately after, were sustained after six months.

In the DiaMind trial, 139 outpatients with diabetes (type-I or type-II) and a lowered level of emotional well-being were randomized into MBCT (n=70) or a waiting list with treatment as usual (TAU: n=69).

"All life events are formative. All contribute to what we become. As my friend Kenneth Koch once said, 'You aren't just the age you are. You are all the ages you have ever been."—Fred Rogers, from The World According to Mister Rogers.

It seems that children can find the magic in anything. They are content to experience winter while sitting in a stroller, under layers of warm clothing or delight in the tangible wonders of snow.

The same can be said of animals. Cindy's Huskies seem blissfully unaware of the cold. "I laugh at them every time I see one of them using a snow pile for a pillow - wish I liked the cold more," she said.

Children and animals seem to have a natural ability to be present in each moment and experience the beauty of it. Even in winter, they experience the magnificence of the moment, while we slog around in a winter funk and dream of spring. No matter how we try to embrace the season, we look at the calendar, the weather and above all, the loss of daylight, and we don't need a groundhog to predict that we will experience another two months of it.

Dear Belleruth,

My wife has had OCD (Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder) since at least 1963, along with deep depression. Though she will be in a program at UCLA and is under doctor's care, and I don't expect immediate "cures," is there anything else that might be helpful for her? And, honestly, I'm not all that hopeful about holistic medicine, but I feel we have to try all avenues.

Thank you.
Jose M.

Dear Jose,

I'm guessing that some segments of the program your wife will be participating in at UCLA will provide selected mind-body training in relaxation, along with medication (probably from the class of drugs called SSRI's, such as Zoloft, Prozac, etc), cognitive-behavioral techniques, psycho-education and possibly group support – all of which can be extremely helpful over time.

You are wise to gear yourself not to expect a "silver bullet" that yields an instant cure – lasting positive changes tend to be incremental over time, not quick fixes. But if she sticks with the program, I think it's fair to say you both will see results.

Okay, folks - World Cancer Day is coming up on February 4th, and Cindy and the team thought it would be very cool to invite people to post their stories on how they used guided imagery and other holistic, mind-body approaches to help deal with their cancer.

...Because there's nothing like a personal story to inspire, teach and model a useful approach to a daunting, scary or difficult situation.

So, did you have a natural cancer treatment approach to accompany more standard therapy? Tell us about what you did for your cancer fatigue! (Yep, that's the biggest complaint, folks – cancer-related fatigue far outweighs pain or nausea as the peskiest side effect of treatment.) 

We've actually seen quite a few holistic cancer treatment stories already, because several of you sent in some great ones (with pictures, even!) for our new landing page (being designed even as we speak). Please consider emailing your personal story to us at [email protected].

Some of you used integrative, natural cancer treatments to reduce side effects, such as post-op pain, nausea and cancer related fatigue. Others used guided imagery, hypnosis, yoga, breathwork, affirmations or meditation to keep their spirits up, to reduce anxiety, or to encourage their immune cells to do their natural best.

So, just to get the ball rolling, we're going to post two very different breast cancer stories, both on hold for the new landing page.

One woman had a pretty breezy time of it; another had complications that had to be surmounted. Very different experiences, but both of these awesome cancer survivors used guided imagery and other mind-body methods to very good effect. Check it out!

And help us celebrate World Cancer Day with your story!

Here they are: Beth Spring, a marriage and family counselor from Northern Virginia, and Ester Leutenberg, a publisher from Tucson, each with her own story to tell:

BETH SPRING, LMFT Herndon, VA
BREAST CANCER SURVIVOR

Guided imagery and meditation were among my closest allies and friends through 16 months of breast cancer treatment and side effects in 2009-2010. As a marriage and family therapist, I was well acquainted with mindfulness meditation, and incorporated it into my life and my work.

In February 2009, I attended a week-long training in Mindfulness Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT). Full of good energy and excitement, I returned home and scheduled a class for clients.

Then, just about when the class was scheduled to start in April, I had a one of those mammograms where a long, cold wait in a little paper gown leads to all kinds of fears and worries taking root. I was sent immediately to an ultrasound tech, then biopsied, and before I knew it, meeting with my surgeon. My head was spinning, and the first thing I asked my surgeon was, "Can I still hold my class for clients?" Wordlessly, he gazed at me and shook his head, "no." Read More

ESTER LEUTENBERG, Tucson AZ
RADIATION THERAPY FOR BREAST CANCER

My kind of breast cancer was Paget's Disease. Only 4% of breast cancer is that. It took my going to three doctors 'til the third one recognized that it was a problem and not just a sore nipple. Dr. Malgieri of Hillcrest Clinic knew what it was. This was February of 2003, when I was still living in Cleveland.

After months of being upset because no one believed me, I was at a fairly anxious state.

The surgery went easily. They removed the nipple and whole area around it, then checked the lymph nodes and all was well there.

Radiation was indicated. I always needed my husband Jay with me for a scary procedure. I was fearful and anxious of being alone in the room. He wasn't allowed in the room with me. So I had a brilliant idea – I knew about

Belleruth's Radiation tape!

I emailed or called Belleruth, don't remember which. She asked if I wanted the tape or if I wanted her to come with me (for which I will always be grateful). I told her the tape was fine. Read More

So there they are – two very different experiences. Would you share yours?
All best,