MindBody Medicine (MBM) is hardly new, this is just the current term for a branch of medicine that is ancient in its nature and current in its science. It represents a return to and recognition of the truth and wisdom of virtually all ancient wisdom philosophies and medicine that treated body and mind non-dualistically, that is, as an integral whole. MBM recognizes and uses the mind-body-spirit-environment continuum and focuses on helping people learn new strategies to help themselves live well in the face of whatever life brings. MBM is a wonderful complement to whatever else the medical system may offer and invites each person to take responsibility for self-management. MindBody Medicine views each person as a unique individual with all the inner resources or tools needed for healing, for connecting to a sense of well-being, and for living well and suffering less regardless of what your life circumstances may be.
The primary processes of MindBody Medicine that you are invited to participate in were simply stated by Eliott Dacher MD as Self-regulation and Self-exploration. It is through learning to live these practices in your daily life, that is, integrating them into your way of being and living, that, in combination with other external, passive modalities of conventional medicine, changes in your relationship with what is present in your life can occur. The benefits of commitment to daily practice for someone who is motivated to participate in mindbody-lifestyle self-care/self-management are huge and measurable. In MBM the health care provider / professional is more a teacher/co-trainer than a rescuer/healer and once learned the practices become a new way of living. Most MindBody-Lifestyle programs incorporate techniques such as physical exercise, breathing exercises, meditation, relaxation exercises and imagery, Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (CBT) and intentional lifestyle modifications.
Dr. Cook offers a MBM – Lifestyle Medicine practice making use of these modalities with a central focus on Mindfulness, an ancient form of mind training that is now the subject of intense basic science and clinical research in neurobiology, psychology/psychiatry and medicine.
Does this sound familiar? …
“When we’re at work, we fantasize about
being on vacation; on vacation, we worry about the work piling up on our
desks. We dwell on intrusive memories of
the past or fret about what may or may not happen in the future. We don’t appreciate the living present
because our “monkey minds,” as Buddhists call them, vault from
thought to thought like monkeys swinging from tree to tree.
Most of us don’t undertake our thoughts
in awareness. Rather, our thoughts
control us. “Ordinary thoughts course through our mind like a deafening
waterfall,” writes Jon Kabat-Zinn, the biomedical scientist who introduced
meditation into mainstream medicine. In order to feel more in control of our
minds and our lives, to find the sense of balance that eludes us, we need to
step out of this current, to pause, and, as Kabat-Zinn puts it, to “rest
in stillness—to stop doing and focus on just being.” (Dixit, J. “The Art of Now: Six Steps
to Living in the Moment”, Psychology Today, Nov/Dec 2008).
If this does seem familiar, perhaps you’d be interested in learning to “rest in stillness” and curious about how you might then integrate this into your life to learn how to cope effectively and suffer less. The practice of Mindfulness, intentionally paying attention in a very particular way, is a form of self-care/self-management, personal growth, and self-regulation that fosters this wholesome quality of conscious awareness and a sense of well-being.
Education Sessions
are held monthly as part of the
consultation process.
Talk with your Doctor &/or Call 452-7116 to arrange an appointment.
Training Cycles every Fall, Winter & Spring
Call 452-7116 to register.