Category Archives: Spirituality

Tips From The World’s Oldest and Healthiest People

What helps us live a long and healthy life? It’s not money and it’s not a pill. It seems rather simple, really – intuitive almost. Here are two articles that share lessons from people in Japan: 1.  10 Tips For a Healthy Life From The World’s Oldest Person Jiroemon Kimura, who lived in a village in

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Vacations – Unplugged And Then Some – For Health and Well-being

On the East Bay in Traverse City, Michigan

On the East Bay in Traverse City, Michigan

Friday marks the official start of summer, and for many, summer is vacation time.

Research has found that vacations are beneficial for health and well-being, at least in the short run.

For example, one study¹ looked at fifty-three employees and measured physical complaints and the quality of sleep and mood both 10 days before and 3 days after vacations. These measures all improved. And then, again, five weeks after vacations, the employees still reported fewer physical complaints. The study concluded that vacations may improve well-being on a short-term basis.

Perhaps not surprisingly, though, it depends on the nature of the vacation. For example, other studies² have found that:

  • Health-related vacation outcomes depend on how a vacation is organized.
  • Choosing especially pleasant vacation activities is better for health and well-being.
  • Working during a vacation negatively influences health and well-being after vacation.

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Monitor Thought For Better Health

(Glowimages.com/stock photo -- model used for illustrative purposes only)

(Glowimages.com/stock photo — model used for illustrative purposes only)

Think thought doesn’t matter when it comes to health? Consider the following two articles that look at how thought affects our health – both of which address all of the following:

  • The placebo effect
  • The nocebo effect (harmful negative version of the placebo effect)
  • Fear / negative expectations
  • Medical students disease (getting a disease they study).

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The Roseto Effect and What Love’s Got To Do With It

What’s the Roseto Effect? It’s named for the Italian residents of Roseto, Pennsylvania who were consistently healthy – much more so than those in neighboring communities as close as one mile away. In his latest article, Keith Wommack of Corpus Christi, Texas, a self-syndicated columnist who writes about health, thought, and spirituality, explores this fascinating situation.

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Taking Lessons From Hospice Care

“Is it ever too early to incorporate the patient autonomy, compassion, comfort and enhanced quality of life hospice is known for?” Eric Bashor in the Christian Science Press Room asks this question in a short video that looks at the lessons hospice offers for all stages of care. If you can’t play the video below, you can view

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The love that is good for health

In an article in the Houston Chronicle, after sharing a very touching story of how he and his step-son-to-be learned together about living love, Keith Wommack – a nationally syndicated columnist on health, thought, and spirituality – discusses the love that has health benefits. He asks, “What kind of love makes the biggest difference in our health?”

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Penny-pinching for better health?

With growing health care costs and – according to the Institute of Medicine – the large amounts of unnecessary health care spending, will penny-pinching bring a paradigm-shift in health care? And if so, what forms of care will that include? Eric Bashor in the Christian Science Press Room discusses this issue in a short video, with a concluding

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Oklahoma: connecting with each other and the divine to move forward

(©Glowimages/Stock photo; Models used for illustrative purposes only)

(©Glowimages/Stock photo; Models used for illustrative purposes only)

Images of the category EF-5 tornado that went through portions of Oklahoma on Monday and the trail of destruction it left behind can be disturbing to watch. And, as in the case of other recent tragedies, such as hurricane Sandy, the Newtown massacre and the Boston Marathon bombing, our hearts yearn for everyone involved to find comfort and peace, along with any needed provisions.

Perhaps we recognize familiar sentiments from these words of the Old Testament prophet Jeremiah when he wrote in the book of Lamentations¹ about devastation:

  • “Oh, oh, oh…”
  • “How empty the city, once teeming with people.”
  • “…I weep, weep buckets of tears…”

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The Power of Hope in Healing

A guest post written by Ingrid Peschke, a Christian Science practitioner and a legislative advocate for spiritual healing in Massachusetts. You can also read this post on her weekly syndicated blog, “Health Conscious” at MetroWest Daily News.

Ingrid Peschke (Photo courtesy of Ingrid Peschke)

Ingrid Peschke (Photo courtesy of Ingrid Peschke)

Hope.

That’s the word  I came away with this past weekend after I took part in a panel discussion on the topic of “Spirit and Healing in the 21st Century” at the Open Spirit Center in Framingham. The motto for the center: “A place of hope, health, and harmony” to address the deeper spiritual yearnings of the wider community.

I joined four local spiritual leaders on the panel, along with two keynote speakers: a clinical psychologist with a specialization in health psychology, and a cancer survivor.

A repeating theme was that spiritual practice is incredibly important, if not vital, to healing. Nancy Gaulin, the psychologist, opened the 3-hour event, speaking from her twelve years of experience in the greater Boston area. She said she spends more time now asking her patients about their spirituality and exploring their beliefs, their morals and values, and even discussing their family upbringing–all contributing factors to health and well-being.

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When Mothers Offer Spirituality It’s Good For Health

My mother – through her example and her actions – instilled in me a recognition of the value of spirituality as it relates both to health and to everyday life. She didn’t push spirituality at others, she quietly lived it – in patience, caring, tolerance, and in a daily practice of Scripture reading and prayer.

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