Today, the World Health Organization recognizes depression as one of the top four disabling diseases in the world! Clinical depression is much more than a case of the blues. Depression is both a mental and emotional state, a feeling of being in a box that you can’t escape. It’s closely tied to illness; over 80% of terminal cancer patients have a history of chronic depression.

Feeling stressed? Stop and smell the roses. Or perhaps get a good whiff of lavender, lemon, mango, mint, coriander or other fragrant plants.

We`ve all heard the old adage that we should take breaks and "stop and smell the roses" to relieve stress. Now, scientists in Japan have reported the first scientific evidence that inhaling certain fragrances does indeed alter gene activity and blood chemistry in ways that can reduce stress levels.

In today’s medicine it is psychoneuroimmunology, or PNI, that has begun to examine the mind-body connection and its relationship to disease. PNI has established this link through scientific studies in laboratories around the world.

Flower essences are a part of what may now be called "vibrational remedies"...

Essential oils were used in ancient Egypt, Sumeria and in earlier times. In this truly holistic therapy the mind and body are inseparable. Plato is to have said that the source of most illness has its roots in the soul. There may be no better way to influence the mind and spirit, than through a physical medium that includes nature's essences; essential oils provide this.

You don’t have to go through life constantly drained and fatigued — or rely on artificial stimulants to get you through the day.  Very often simple lifestyle changes can break long-standing negative habits that will recharge your batteries.  Here are some tips from my fatigue-busting program, Triple Your Endurance, to help you get started.

Nature is full of rhythms: the rising and setting of the sun, the tides, the ebb and flow of the seasons. Animals hibernate, migrate, rest and renew. Not surprisingly, humans too are subject to rhythms. Also not surprisingly, we ignore them, since we believe we are unique and have risen above Nature.

Not surprisingly then, we are sick and inefficient a great deal of the time!

Insomnia has a way of taking control of your life quickly.

There’s nothing like a few nights in a row with no sleep to instantly change someone’s personality.

And I guess that’s why so many people turn to powerful prescription meds so quickly – because they’re looking for a quick fix and a chance to finally get some much-needed sleep.

But if you’re not getting enough sleep, don’t be so quick to reach for that pill bottle.

What does a poet know about blood pressure? About 300 years ago, William Congreve wrote, “Music has charms to soothe a savage breast / To soften rocks, or bend a knotted oak.”

I’m not sure what music Bill was listening to that could soften rocks or bend an oak (were there heavy metal bands in 1697?), but it turns out he may have been on the right track about soothing the savage breast.

So many people depend on their computers. They text with their phones, and are seen bent over their laptops in the oddest places. How did we get to be this dependent with technology? We have become so attached and fused to these devices that we look like Linus and his blanket.