Integrative Health Services

Mind-Body Techniques

Mind-body approaches enhance the connection between your brain, your spirit, your emotions, and your body. At Integrative Health and Wellbeing at NewYork-Presbyterian, we offer a variety of techniques—individually and in combination—to promote your relaxation response and to help you reduce stress and better manage other conditions. These approaches may improve your mind-body connection, attention, and resilience.

The benefits of mind-body techniques

Mindfulness-based stress reduction techniques can help you breathe more slowly, lower your blood pressure and heart rate, and promote a feeling of calmness and relaxation. Many studies have shown that these approaches can have significant benefits, such as:

• Less stress and anxiety
• Reduced pain
• Better sleep
• Improved brain function
• Relief of symptoms in people with heart disease, irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), depression, and other disorders
• Better coping skills and enhanced resilience

Our mind-body services

When you meet with our mind-body practitioner, she will spend time with you to understand your lifestyle, personal habits, and any prior mind-body techniques you may have tried. She’ll use this information to suggest the techniques that may be most beneficial for you. We offer:

• Mindfulness meditation. This form of meditation involves focusing on the present moment through breathing and attention to your body, mind, and surroundings. With regular practice, you can achieve a sense of calm. Relaxation can improve mental clarity, concentration, and coping skills; reduce stress and anxiety; lower your blood pressure and heart rate; improve sleep; and decrease perception of chronic pain.
• Guided meditation. This form of meditation may involve music, verbal instructions, or both. You can do it with the guidance of a practitioner. Studies have shown that guided meditation reduces stress, depression, and anxiety and can improve your overall wellbeing.
• Breathing techniques. Mindful breathing with slow, even breaths can promote relaxation and reduce anxiety, stress, and fear. Diaphragmatic breathing can help strengthen your abdominal muscles, slow your breathing rate, reduce your need for oxygen, and improve your posture. You may incorporate breathing techniques into meditation or other mind-body practices.
• Aromatherapy for stress reduction. Aromatherapy can produce a positive emotional response. We commonly use essential oils such as lavender, ylang-ylang, bergamot, and mandarin to help you relax, recharge, and energize. Some essential oils such as peppermint may decrease symptoms such as nausea.
• Yoga therapy and rehabilitation. Yoga integrates breath, sequenced movements, and postures. By entering and maintaining certain poses, yoga can help you achieve benefits such as deep relaxation, the release of muscle tension, enhanced flexibility, heightened mindfulness, and improved posture. We offer one-on-one therapeutic and restorative yoga on a mat, as well as chair yoga. Learn more »

What you can expect

Depending on the services you receive, you may lie on your back or sit comfortably. Your practitioner will ask you about your preferences and tailor your session to your needs. You may experience a sense of relaxation and calm.

At the end of your session, your practitioner will discuss your experience and provide recommendations on how you can practice mind-body techniques on your own. Our clients achieve the most success when they learn how to integrate mind-body therapies into their daily lives—such as doing chair yoga at work, or meditation at the beginning and end of each day. Our practitioner will show you how to build a foundation of mind-body practices that can support you for the rest of your life.

What sets us apart

We know you have many choices in New York City to take part in mind-body classes such as yoga and meditation. At NewYork-Presbyterian, you receive one-on-one mind-body instruction from a trained and licensed practitioner. Should you have any medical needs during your visit, the doctors on our staff are physically present in our facility and available to help.

Contact

Call us to make an appointment. We are located in the David H. Koch Center, with the entrance located on 69th Street.