Ronald Peters, MD, MPH, is a specialist in Mind-Body Medicine, with expertise in the areas of nutritional biochemistry and holistic medicine.  Dr. Peters helps patients to heal by first helping them understand their illness, showing them how lifestyle and mindset affect physical health.  He then his patients how to use the body's natural wisdom regain health through nutrition and integrative healing practices such as meditation, cognitive therapy, acupuncture and massage.

Dr. Peters is perhaps best known for his book Edgework: Exploring the Psychology of Disease, which explains his philosophies and details patients' stories.  Edgework was published in 2003 and is available on Amazon.

Dr. Peters has been practicing at the MindBody Medicine Center in Scottsdale, Arizona, since 2004.  More information about the MindBody Medicine Center can be found at their website: www.healmindbody.com/Our-Clinic/Purpose.aspx

                                                                                         

Dr. Herbert Benson of the Harvard Medical School was one of the first physicians to understand the connection between emotional stress and the physical body.  In the 1960's he conducted an experiment on students of transcendental meditation, and noticed that their blood pressure readings became significantly reduced after meditation.  Dr. Benson called this phenomenon the Relaxation Response, and went on to explore how the Relaxation Response could be activated.  His work has spanned four decades and resulted in the publication of 12 books and numerous papers.  Dr. Benson still conducts research, gives lectures and makes television appearances on the subject of mind-body wellness. 

Today the Relaxation Response is the basis for the work of the Benson-Henry Institute, a non-profit research division of Mass General Hospital.  Its programs are aimed at schools and corporations across the country, teaching people of all ages how to deal with such medical issues as hypertension, pain, and menopause symptoms simply through relaxation techniques and changing personal beliefs.

Visit the Benson-Henry Institute's website for more information.

                                                                                         

Each month we are going to be looking at a different aspect of holistic health.  This month: chakras.

Chakras are an important part of yoga and Indian philosophy, and used by practitioners of yoga and energy medicine (e.g. Reiki).  But what exactly are chakras?  The word "chakra" in Sanskrit means "wheel", and chakras are thought to be wheel-shaped centers in the body that store and transmit universal energy.  There are seven chakras, running up the spine.  Here is a brief definition of each chakra and the aspect of life it is concerned with:

1: Root chakra - base of spine. 
    Security and connectedness.
2: Sacral chakra - just below the navel.
    Pleasure and abundance.  
3: Solar plexus chakra - upper abdomen.  
    Self-confidence and power.
4: Heart chakra - at the center of the
    chest. Compassion, ability to love.
5: Throat chakra - at the throat.
    Communication and truth. 
6: "Third eye" chakra - above the
     eyebrows. Wisdom and imagination.
7:  Crown chakra -  the top of the head. 
                                             Spirituality.

A blockage in any of the chakras can lead to illness and unhappiness.  A chakra can be healed or opened by eating the foods, holding the gemstones, or doing the yoga poses specific to that chakra.  Kundalini yoga also is involved with good chakra maintenance.