Mindfulness and Eastern medicine/lifestyles have taken the US by storm in the last ten years, and I couldn't be happier. The power of the mind, or what I like to call the "Placebo Effect," is a vital part of holistic health care. Everyone should be doing some kind of meditation on a regular basis, whether it is sitting, standing, or moving. I have no doubt that the medical community will continue to discover far-reaching health benefits associated with practices like Tai Chi for years to come.

However, these Eastern traditions are not a cure-all. The key to holistic health is balance. Mindfulness has been linked to decreased anxiety and decreased depression symptoms, but if you are taking a medication for either or both of these issues, beginning a Tai Chi or meditation routine does not mean you can suddenly stop the prescription. Supplementing your treatments with mindfulness practice should mean being more involved with your physician about your health, not less.

The goal, of course, can be to wean yourself off of prescriptions. No one wants to take pills every day of their life! But you have to first build a foundation of effective mind-body prescriptions, to give you and your physician enough confidence to decrease your reliance on pharmaceuticals. Don't try moving all of your eggs to another basket at once!

I teach my students from the body first, and gradually, I teach them to add layers of mindfulness and meditation to their stretching and moving. The greatest, and longest lasting health benefits are achieved after the mind and the body are both fully involved.

After all, it is called Mind-Body medicine for a reason!