Heart Rate Variability (HRV) is quickly becoming a popular biometric to measure wellness, with several watches tracking this data and numerous apps analyzing it. But what is HRV?

Understanding HRV

HRV denotes the relationship and synchrony between the heart and the brain. It measures the “diffe...

Today’s U.S. presidential election is a top stressor for Americans. An American Psychiatric Association survey conducted last month found that nearly three-quarters of U.S. adults are anxious about the election results. With increased stress often comes increased pain, generally experienced as flare...

While I was recently talking with a client, she remarked, “I don’t know how to relax. And when I try, I worry that I am doing it wrong. After a few minutes (of sitting still and breathing) I get antsy and start doing something. It is uncomfortable to be still.”

Not surprisingly, my client, who I’ll...

Please enjoy an excerpt from my book, Winning the Injury Game, available on Amazon.

Injuries raise your stress level. Looking back at the previous tips (for your healing journey), each of these could be a source of stress. Your stress may escalate because you have overloaded your mind or body with ...

Within your body, you have a powerful source of self-healing. To illustrate, think of the many bruises, cuts and blisters you’ve had that your body has repaired. Additionally, think about the colds, injuries and infections that you’ve overcome. This self-repairing biological system has also been pro...

 "We can experience wildly strong emotions (provoking our bodies into an accompanying uproar) linked to mere thoughts."

In other words, we activate the stress-response in our minds in response to our thoughts. This is the message shared by Stanford University professor Robert Sapolsky in his book "...

 
The Stress-Response and Relaxation Response are opposite pathways of our autonomic nervous system. When one is engaged the other is inhibited. The Stress-Response activates the sympathetic nervous system while the Relaxation Response empowers the parasympathetic nervous system. The image and table ...