May, 2007

Last year alone some 213,000 women were diagnosed with breast cancer. The good news is that 2 million women have survived. Many women with breast cancer seek complementary interventions that will enhance their quality of life. However, research is lacking about whether programs such as yoga also benefit immune function.

What keeps some people motivated to return to your classes week after week, while others have a harder time? According to experts, they may be afraid. "People avoid situations where they think they may fail," says David Conroy, PhD, assistant professor of kinesiology and director of the sport psychology lab at Pennsylvania State University in University Park.

In a previous issue of Inner IDEA Body-Mind-Spirit Review, we asked: Do you offer complementary body work such as massage therapy or Feldenkrais as a profit center? What lessons have you learned from offering these options? Here’s what you had to say.

There’s no way to avoid stress altogether—pressures and tensions are a normal part of everyday existence. But repeated and prolonged stress can do damage to your mind and body. Learning to protect yourself from the effects of chronic stress may help you live a longer, healthier life, according to the Benson-Henry Institute (BHI) for Mind Body Medicine of Massachusetts General Hospital in Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts.