New York Open Center Blog

By Bernie Siegel, MD

As doctors we are not trained to communicate and understand the power of our words as they relate to a patient’s ability and desire to survive. It is also not only doctors but all the authority figures in our patient’s lives that affect their ability to survive and the outcome of their disease. Parents, teachers, clergy and physicians change lives with their words. It is hypnotic for a child or patient to hear an authority figures words. As I am always sharing, wordswordswords  can become swordswordswords and we can kill or cure with either words or swords. Read More

First off, I am not impartial or unbiased when I say, “I love Reiki.” I have been practicing the Reiki System for 16 years and teaching for 14 years, and earn my livelihood this way. Just so you know that upfront. Read More

Chocolate took the world by storm as soon as it emerged from Meso-America in the Renaissance. It has always been loved for its flavor, its romantic associations, and its enduring status as the champagne of foods. But now we are coming to realize that chocolate has both a health-giving and sacred dimension. For the indigenous peoples of Meso-America it was, of course, the drink of the gods and played a major role in many sacred ceremonies. But it is also packed with anti-oxidants and other elements highly beneficial to good health. The story below reveals that at last, thankfully, chocolate can join red wine as a pleasure, a sacrament, and a delightful source of well-being.  - Ralph White Read More

We are, of course, over the moon about our impending move into a magnificent and centrally located new home in the heartland of Manhattan. Recently we sat down with our Board Chair, Walter Beebe, to get his thoughts on the process leading up to the Open Center’s impending  move in early summer. Read More

Fundamentalist Christians living in the United States must live with some serious cognitive dissonance. People who are ideologically like the former president really intrigue me. I am not speaking of neo-cons per-say, but specifically those who believe it is their duty, bestowed upon them by the Almighty, to spread democracy around the globe. Read More

I was in the shower this morning  thinking:  “Oh, when the markets come back and the business world revives, I’ll have more money.  I’ll feel more at ease.  I’ll be happier.”  Of course, three years ago my clients and I had more money.  And I remember that my clients and I were upset about various world events, our elected officials, our jobs, our commutes.  And we were worried about our money, too.   We were no happier back then than we are now.  The opportunity for today is to let go of the myth that more money will make us happy. Read More

More and more people are turning to alternate therapies today. Whereas, integrated therapies combine mainstream medical treatments with complementary or alternative therapies, for which some high-quality scientific evidence of safety and efficacy now exists. The alternative therapies are known to provide certain types of services that aren’t available within conventional medicine. Read More

Esther Perel will join Amy Sohn, Leonore Tiefer, Ian Kerner, and Cory Silverberg for a conversation called “Sex in America: Can The Conversation Change?” The symposium is co-sponsored by the Huffington Post and Open Center and will take place in New York City on Friday, February 20th.  
Click to Register.  

Read More

Adapted from Dr. Judith Orloff’s new book “Emotional Freedom: Liberate Yourself From Negative Emotions and Transform Your Life” (Harmony Books, 2009)

In my new book Emotional Freedom, I emphasize the importance of learning how to stay centered in a stressful, highly emotionally charged world. Since emotions such as fear, anger, and frustration are energies, you can potentially “catch” them from people without realizing it. If you tend to be an emotional sponge, it’s vital to know how to avoid taking on an individual’s negative emotions or the free-floating kind in crowds. Another twist is that chronic anxiety, depression, or stress can turn you into an emotional sponge by wearing down your defenses. Read More