We are delighted that so many of you have chosen to join Claire Frederick and me for our month-long e-course, Empowering the Self Through Ego-State Therapy. We are well underway now with chapter 3 to arrive on January 7, chapter 4 (the last chapter) on January 13, and our closing teleseminar on Wednesday, January 20 from 9:00 am - 10:30 am Pacific time. Please remember that, if you registered for this course, you will have lifetime access to the e-book, the audio replay of 2 teleseminars, and weekly email tips to assist your practice. We expect this material will be helpful for a long time to come so please feel free to take your time to make the most of the excellent information. And many thanks to those of you who have written to tell us how pleased you are with the course!

We also have an e-workshop scheduled on Wednesday, February 24 with Fred Gallo on The Identity Method (those of you in my workshop in Rottweil, Germany this fall saw me do a very intriguing demonstration of this method). We are hoping to provide video as part of this seminar and will update you on exact times and schedule. On March 17, we will have a teleseminar with Dr. Michael Mayer on Qigong and Bodymind Healing: An Integrated Approach for Stress and Pain from 9 am -10:30 am Pacific.

I will be traveling to Johannesburg (4-7 February) and Capetown (9-11 February), South Africa for the upcoming congress on Changing Faces of Pychotherapy (please visit www.meisa.co.za to view the program). I am looking forward to seeing some of you there.

For those of you who cannot attend in person, I hope to provide some video clips from my work there, which will be available starting in March or April, so please watch your email for information on this series. My conference schedule includes:
 

Your Quarterly Bonus
This quarter's bonus is a short article I have written on mindbody health from the perspective of Somatic Experiencing. I recommend it as helpful reading for practitioners yet especially appropriate for helping clients understand more about how trauma affects the nervous system. Your bonus can be downloaded at:
http://www.maggiephillipsphd.com/_private_/bonus_0110_2211.pdf
(if you have trouble with this link, simply type the web address directly into your browser, being sure to include the 4 underscores).

Thanks so much for staying with us!

When we start a new year, most of us greatly appreciate the "blank slate" opportunity for a fresh start or a chance to "turn over a new leaf." Whatever your metaphor is for change that you can welcome in 2010, I hope you will find some of the strategies for optimal health described below helpful in your growthful endeavors.
 
These tips are from Dr. David Eifrig, who is a former financial trader turned surgeon, along with my comments:
 
#1           The Importance of Sleep
 
During this time of year, it's especially challenging to get enough sleep because, in addition to finishing work tasks for the year, holiday activities keep us up later. Yet because this is the season with the shortest amount of daylight, our brains are wired to get more sleep, similar to how animals instinctively withdraw into hibernation.
 
Sleep does so many important things for us... it boosts our immune systems and can improve heart health. Dr. Eifrig's tip: Practice setting and keeping consistent a time either to go to sleep or wake up and your body will orient to right around 8 hours.
 
#2            Get Enough Sunlight
 
Sunlight provides your body with raw materials to create vitamin D, which is crucial to fighting cancer and other types of health imbalance, regulating your mood, and allowing you to sleep easily at night. One possibility is to take a "sun break" on days when the sun is visible. Dr. Eifrig's tip: Find yourself a comfortable place in the sun with shelter from the wind so that you can sit or stand comfortably for 10-15 minutes to gather sun on your face and arms.
 
#3             Movement
 
What's important to your mindbody health is to express movement. Exercise is also helpful, but the crucial focus is to move. Dr. Eifrig's tip: Whether it's stretching or walking 20 minutes, whatever you can do that's simple, easy, and doesn't cost much will benefit you.
 
#4             Massage and Healing Touch
 
Splurge on professional massage or exchange foot or hand rubs with a partner or friend, using inexpensive lotion or oils. Not only does this practice help reduce aches and pains, it can also help flush toxins from your body. Dr. Eifrig's tip: Go once or twice a month to give you invaluable feelings of well-being.
 
#5            Eating Fruit
 
I must admit, this one has come recently for me. I have finally embraced the benefits of natural fiber and sugar. And there is more and more positive research on the benefits of fruits including how they can lower blood pressure, reduce joint pain, and enhance digestion. Dr. Eifrig's tip: There are many micronutrients in fruits, especially berries and other fruits with colors in their skins, which include powerful antioxidents.
 
#6            Meditation
 
There are many forms of meditation that have been shown to enhance health and well-being. Just spending time sitting quietly, breathing, and concentrating on your spirit is time well spent. Dr. Eifrig's tip: Meditation has been proven effective with heart disease, blood pressure, and oxygenation, among other healthy advantages. Even 15 minutes daily spent in meditative focus can stimulate significant benefits for the time investment.
 
#7            Aromatherapy
 
Stimulating your sense of smell can be especially important in winter when we are more confined indoors. Appealing scents can boost our moods and general sense of well-being. Individuals who are allergic to environmental toxins reflexively reduce their exposure to all scents, including non-toxic ones. Dr. Eifrig's tip: There may be particular scents like fresh-cut flowers, cocoa, cinnamon or the smell of homemade bread that are particularly soothing and can help in fundamental grounding.
 
#8            Aspirin
 
This is a controversial strategy. Although it's known to reduce the risk of colon cancer and heart disease, there is disagreement about who should take this and in what dosages. Dr. Eifrig's tip: Aspirin is definitely something to consider with your doctor, especially if you are over 50.
 
#9            Wine
 
Drinking one glass of wine per day is believed to bring many health benefits, including help with arthritis, heart disease, Alzheimer's, and cancer. Red wines tend to have more antioxidants, but research shows that even white wine and other alcohol in moderation can provide health benefits. Dr. Eifrig's tip: Consider wine or alcohol as a medication and treat it as such, using it in small doses that are right for you. "There are more German wine drinkers than there are old German doctors. And there's a good reason for that."
 
#10            Prevent the Spread of Germs
 
Especially during cold and flu season, be careful about sharing food and drink through sharing utensils, glasses or cups. Use common sense when someone in your household is sick and be sure to sterilize and quarantine within reason. Dr. Eifrig's tip: This is one reason people get so sick this time of the year. They forget to wash their hands frequently, and cough or sneeze into their elbows. Just following this strategy can prevent illness during a time period that is especially virulent.
 
#11            Use Antibiotics Judiciously
 
This is another controversial item. Many people have been warned off from using antibiotics and so avoid them completely and so become unnecessarily ill. It is important to take yoghurt or probiotics and daily doses of acidophilis and bifidus, along with any antibiotic, to prevent the loss of "good flora" in the digestive system. Dr. Eifrig's tip: Even though this is controversial, the research suggests that one dose of antibiotics per year may prevent chronic infections that can contribute to diseases like macular degeneration and heart disease. My comment: Be sure to evaluate this possibility thoroughly with your doctor.
 
#12            Enjoy Music
 
Music is a wonderful source of joy and happiness. Classical music, for example Baroque music, has been linked to boosts in memorization, recall, and other cognitive functions. Dr. Eifrig's tip: Be sure to listen regularly to music you really like. Don't be afraid to turn it up, dance to it, or make it louder so you can really "groove" to it. My comment: Music is a wonderful balancer for too much left-brain activity. I also find instrumental a wonderful antidote to jetlag.

Although this is a fairly "off-beat" list, I hope you find one or more health strategies that help to inspire greater health in this new year. Hopefully, reading through these ideas has stimulated your own creative thinking about positive health intentions you'd like to set for 2010 or even the new decade.
 
My very best wishes for your complete health.