The Power of Mindfulness, Dr. Shauna Shapiro

I've got a very special treat for you with this week's post.

If you have been following along with me for a little while and have read a few of these posts, then you know that my goal as a physician is to help patients get to wellness.

That will surely be defined differently for everyone, but it has at least these components: eating well to nourish your body, some physical activity to strengthen your body, and some mental practice to grow your mind.

I have done a little extra training to learn about these components of wellness. I've had the privilege of completing a fellowship in Integrative Medicine under Dr. Andrew Weil at the University of Arizona. That experience completely changed my practice and my approach to patient care.

One of the many lessons I took away from that training was how important it is for everyone to have some sort of relaxation practice. You may have heard people talk about meditation or mindfulness and wondered if their feet were firmly planted on the ground.

Well, this may surprise you, but if you don't have some sort of mindfulness practice, then it is likely that you are the one with your feet not planted on the ground.

You see, being in the present moment takes practice, and it is a skill that everyone can develop.

This week I wanted you to hear from one of the adjunct professors of the Program in Integrative Medicine at the University of Arizona, Dr. Shauna Shapiro.

In this outstanding and moving TEDx talk, Dr. Shapiro shares some of the science behind mindfulness and a simple way to begin a practice.

I hope you enjoy this talk as much as I did.