Mind/Body Medicine
Bringing together ancient wisdom and modern medicine

Background
The rishis, or ancient healer-sages of India, recognized the importance of attending to the mind and emotions (along with diet and lifestyle) in order to enjoy good health. They used tools such as yoga, meditation and relaxation to fully experience their true nature- which they described as sat-chit-ananda- truth, pure awareness and bliss. The rishis believed that from this center of relaxed allowing naturally springs forth well-being and abundance on all levels in our lives.

Scientific research shows that the mind and emotions play a huge role in the majority of illnesses. Modern medicine is also beginning to view the human body not just as a biomachine but as a living, integrated and dynamic energy system. In this vibrational- medicine model, negative emotions can influence illness via dysfunctional energy patterns. Similarly, positive emotions such as joy, love and appreciation can create and support health and wellness.

What is mind/body medicine & how does it work?
Mind/body medicine focuses on the way the brain, mind, body and behavior interact. It also looks at the powerful ways that emotional, mental social, spiritual and behavioral factors affect health.

How are infants and children affected by stress?
Children are affected by stress as much as adults. Even infants can sense ambient stress levels in their caretakers. Children gauge their environment by the responses of their caretakers. If a parent is not able to deal with stress in a skillful fashion, his or her stress level can adversely affect a child’s mood, behavior, play activity, sleep and appetite. Stress can also have an impact on children’s overall immunological functioning, making them more susceptible to illnesses such as colds, upper respiratory infections and ear infections. Children with chronic illnesses may have more exacerbations of their illness when they face increased environmental stress levels.

What medical conditions can mind/body medicine be used to treat?
Mind/body medicine can be used to treat many illnesses and diseases. The mind affects everything in our life, so most diseases can benefit from mind/body interventions as adjunctive therapies.

How does Dr. Khaneja use mind/body medicine to empower clients to manage daily emotional reactions more skillfully? Dr.Khaneja assists children and adults in cultivating greater awareness of their emotions. She then offers tools such as meditation, yoga, relaxation, guided visualization and imagery to gently guide her clients to access their own inner resources for peace, joy, clarity and well-being.

What is Dr. Khaneja’s background in mind/body medicine?
Dr. Khaneja has trained mind/body medicine at Harvard Medical School with Dr. Herbert Benson and his colleagues. She has also trained in Qigong as well as clinical hypnosis and also is a certified hatha yoga instructor. She offers both individual consults as well as group workshops in mind/body medicine.