Stress

Stress has become one of the leading health problems in Western society. While most stress these days is from psychological stressors, any stressor, whether chemical, physical or psychological in origin, will provoke a physiological response in the body.

Stress is a normal part of everyday life but it is important to be able to use tools for its management otherwise chronic stress, if left untreated, can lead to a variety of stress related illnes...

The Wisdom of the Buddha

There’s a Buddhist story. One of Buddha’s students approached him and asked, “Are you the Messiah?”

“No”, Buddha replied.
“Well, are you a healer?” the student asked.
“No,” Buddha replied again.
“Are you a teacher?”
Exasperated, the student asked, “Well, then what are you?”

Buddha replied, “I’m awake.”

Stress, that all too familiar word, may be defined as your body and mind's response to a demand.

Although it has taken on a negative spin, stress may actually be positive. It can motivate us and give us the energy to accomplish tasks. However, there is a fine line between positive stresses that drive us and negative stress that can make us miserable and ill.

Stressed individuals might be particularly prone to binge eating or drug addiction because of high levels of a hormone mechanism in their brain, according to University of Michigan and Georgetown University research. Researchers injected rats with either a high dose (500ng/0.2 ml) or a low dose (250ng/0.2 ml) of CRF, part of the brain's internal stress-signalling system that serves as a brain stress neurotransmitter. They injected the rats in a part of the brain called the nucleus accumbens, which is involved in the mediation of pleasurable rewards and stress signals.