The Healing Power of Prayer
Doctors increasingly recognize the mind/body connection

The next time you feel lousy, in addition to aspirin and antacids you might want to try a Hail Mary, Shema Yisroel or say ''Om,'' medical experts say. The integration of mind/body medicine and prayer into mainstream medicine is becoming increasingly popular among medical professionals, according to an article from ABC News (1). Even agnostics can benefit, since the mere repetition of the same phrase, whether a prayer or not, can have a calming and healing effect.

''We are addressing God and belief through the language of the day, which is science,'' explains Dr. Herbert Benson, president of the Mind/Body Medical Institute at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston.

Pointing to more than 1,200 studies that have been done on the subject, the experts say people who regularly attend religious services live longer, don't smoke as much, get more exercise, have more friends and stay married longer than those who don't.

Meditation also can have beneficial effects, experts say. Hypertension, depression, anxiety and infertility are among the conditions that respond positively to meditation, according to the article.

Benson says that 60 percent of visits to the doctor are related to stress, and can be dealt with, in part, by chanting or meditation. He says patients who have a belief system can reduce visits to the doctor by 35 percent to 50 percent a year.

To find out more about the role that the mind/body connection plays in helping to heal cancer, you can read this from Cancer Online (2). To find out more about how the mind/body connection actually shapes your body, you can read this article on pyschoanatomy from Idea Health and Fitness Source magazine (3). And to learn more about how to keep both your mind and body in good shape and good health, you can read this article from Natural Health magazine (4).

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The Healing Power of Prayer
http://health1.infospace.com/_1_4OPUUKE0497M2K5__info/health?op=health_qad&otmpl=health/hlt-story.htm&qid=106581&qt=4

1
ABCNEWS.com : Medical Science Meets Spirituality
http://www.abcnews.go.com/sections/living/DailyNews/prayerpower001214.html

2
CancerOnline:?  Evidence for the Mind-Body Connection
http://www.canceronline.com/mind-body/evidence.html

CancerOnline - Resources and Support for Patients and Caregivers
http://www.canceronline.com/index.html

3
IDEA Health & Fitness Source: Understanding Psychoanatomy.(mind-body relationship through psychological body part representa
http://www.findarticles.com/cf_0/m0BTW/5_18/62893657/p1/article.jhtml

4
Natural Health: The Ultimate Mind-Body Workout.
http://www.findarticles.com/cf_0/m0NAH/2_29/53929989/p1/article.jhtml

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By Bulldog