Shout Out Health

MIND BODY: AIDS Researcher Pert Showcases Meditation CD

Can guided meditation/visualization or other relaxation techniques really enhance overall health, reverse illness or even slow the progression of HIV?  In previous blog entries, interviews and podcasts, we’ve pointed to experts and even research that indicates growing confidence in meditation as a viable health tool.

So when famed scientist, author, and AIDS researcher Candace Pert, CSO of RAPID Laboratories in Rockville, Maryland--which is developing a drug treatment and vaccine against HIV--releases her own guided meditation CD, attention must be paid.

But don’t let the mouthful of a title--“Healing the Hurting, Shining the Light, Chakras and Modern Neuroscience”—scare you; Pert’s soft-spoken approach of hard science and spirituality should relax and
inspire even the most cynical listener.

The centerpiece of the 5 track CD is the lecture/guided meditation “Chakra Lecture, A Musical Relaxation Process.” in which Pert blends “the facts of science with the latest thinking of…some of the most avant-garde healers in the world.”

Here are some highlights:

Over the Rainbow, Indeed! The colors of the rainbow all have corresponding sound waves, such as red and the musical note F, and each note can bypass informational substances and activate cellular receptors directly. What does this mean, exactly? Says Pert, “For me it’s enough to know, that music, spoken words, the colors of the rainbow, human brain waves and our molecules of emotion are all resonating together, in synchronous relationship.”

Have a Heart: The crown of the head is the place that has the most neuronal connections of anywhere in the brain. The heart contains every peptide neural information substance that’s ever been measured, and leads the electrical activity of the entire body. Thus, living from a loving, happy heart can be a very soothing place to be. Physiologically speaking, maybe that’s why gratitude, love and compassion feel so good.

Mind Really Does Matter: Think your mind doesn’t directly affect your body? During the meditation, Pert asks the listener to imagine cutting a bright, yellow lemon in half, and then imagine chewing that lemon in your mouth. Try it yourself and see if the resulting shivers and/or saliva filling your mouth isn’t very real.

For insight into Pert's AIDS research, check out our Q & A here. -- Mitch Rustad

PODCAST: Aleta St. James - Relax and Rejuvenate!

Aleta St. James Relax and Rejuvenate

Close your eyes, take a deep breath, relax and be fully in the present moment.

According to a stunning study, meditation may slow the worsening of AIDS in just a few weeks, most likely by affecting the immune system, according to researchers from the University of California Los Angeles. In a statement lead researcher David Creswell said: "This study provides the first indication that mindfulness meditation stress-management training can have a direct impact on slowin HIV disease progression."  

If larger studies back up these findings, researchers say meditation could offer a cheap and pleasant way to help HIV-positive people stay healthier and delay the onset of the disease, according to Reuters.

Researchers tested a stress-lowering program called mindfulness meditation, defined as practicing an open and receptive awareness of the present moment, avoiding thinking of the past or worrying about the future.

The more often the volunteers meditated, the higher their CD4 T-cell counts--a standard measure of how well the immune system is fighting the AIDS virus. The CD4 counts were measured before and after the two-month program.

"It just makes intuitive sense that reducing stress is inherently a good thing," says Dr. Susan Ball, Medical Director of ShoutOutHealth.com. "Relaxing and lowering stress is good for everyone, not just HIV patients."

In an exclusive for ShoutOutHealth.com, renowned energy healer Aleta St. James, author of Life Shift, who has worked with many HIV-positive clients, has created a powerful guided meditation (to listen, use the audio player below) to enhance relaxation and overall wellbeing. Be sure to find a safe, quiet place where you will be undisturbed and can focus solely on your own health and wellness.

Enjoy!

by Mitch Rustad