Registration is now open for the Herbert Benson, MD Course in Mind Body Medicine, BHI’s celebrated continuing medical education (CME) course. The course will be held via live stream October 21-23, 2020.

Participants will get

• The latest clinical approaches and integrative models of care
• Cutting-edge research into the linkages between the brain and the body
• Education on genomics, transcriptomics, metabolomics ad how to leverage recent advances in the neuroimaging of contemplative states
• Current data on stress, stress management and resilience enhancement, and their impacts on patient health and treatment options

Keynote speakers are world-renowned meditation teacher and loving kindness guru Sharon Salzberg and emotional intelligence researcher and expert Daniel Goleman, PhD.  Both of these celebrated speakers have storied careers in the field and multiple New York Times bestsellers to their credit.

For course scheduling, information and to register, please visit mindbody.hmscme.com. This program is among the highest-rated Harvard Medical School CME course and it sold out last year.

The Harvard Medical School is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME) to provide continuing medical education for physicians. The Harvard Medical School designates this live activity for a maximum of 21.75 AMA PRA Category 1 Credits™. Physicians should claim only the credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.

Harvard Medical School is accredited as a provider of nursing continuing professional development by the American Nurses Credentialing Center’s Commission on Accreditation. This activity is approved for 21.75 contact hours. Contact hours are awarded commensurate with participation and completion of the online evaluation and attendance attestation. We suggest claiming your hours within 30 days of the activity date, after this time, the attendance attestation will still be required to claim your hours.

This program has been approved for 21.5 Social Work Continuing Education hours for re-licensure, in accordance with 258 CMR. Collaborative of NASW and the Boston College and Simmons Schools of Social Work Authorization Number D 81744.

This course has also been submitted for continuing education credits for psychologists. For more information, contact jmeek@partners.org.

About our Keynotes

Sharon Salzberg, a pioneer in the field of meditation, a world-renowned teacher, and best-selling author, has played a pivotal role bringing meditation and mindfulness into mainstream American culture since 1974. She is cofounder of The Insight Meditation Society, in Barre, Massachusetts, and has authored 11 books, including the New York Times best-seller, Real Happiness, her seminal work, Lovingkindness, and Real Love: The Art of Mindful Connection. Her latest book, launching in June of 2020 is, Real Change: Mindfulness to Heal Ourselves and the World. Acclaimed for her down-to-earth and relatable teaching style, Sharon offers a secular, modern approach to Buddhist teachings, making them instantly accessible. Her writing can be found on Medium, On Being, the Maria Shriver blog, and Huffington Post. Sharon is also the host of her own podcast, The Metta Hour, with more than 90 episodes featuring interviews with the top leaders and voices in the meditation and mindfulness movement.

 

Daniel Goleman is an internationally known psychologist who lectures frequently to professional groups, business audiences, and on college campuses. As a science journalist Goleman reported on the brain and behavioral sciences for The New York Times for many years. His 1995 book, Emotional Intelligence was on The New York Times bestseller list for a year-and-a-half, with more than 5,000,000 copies in print worldwide in 40 languages and has been a best seller in many countries. Apart from his books on emotional intelligence, Goleman has written books on topics including self-deception, creativity, transparency, meditation, social and emotional learning, ecoliteracy and the ecological crisis.

The Benson-Henry Institute (BHI) for Mind Body Medicine at MGH is pleased to announce it is now accepting applications for its 2022 Watts Scholarship program.  Launched in 2017, the Watts Scholarship fully funds two clinicians in earning Stress Management and Resiliency Training (SMART) Certification for Healthcare Practitioners.

BHI’s copyrighted SMART program is research validated and has been shown to have far-reaching positive effects on overall health and wellness, teaching self-care skills that are especially as we reemerge from the COVID19 pandemic.

Through the generous support of Mr. Randy Watts, an enthusiastic benefactor of BHI’s work, two training scholarships will be available to cover the total training costs of scholarship awardees who work with underserved populations.  One scholarship will be awarded to an MGB employee, and the other to a non-MGB clinician.  Applications are due July 1, 2022.

“Stress is a leading cause of many health conditions, and our research clearly shows we can improve our own health outcomes by reducing stress through self-care,” said BHI Director Gregory L. Fricchione, MD.  “We believe spreading SMART – especially to those who are at greatest stress risk – is critical to the health of our country.  We are so grateful to Randy Watts for helping us bring this important work to those who need it most.”

Watts Scholarship Information

Licensed healthcare clinicians who would like to become certified to provide the Stress Management and Resiliency Training (SMART) program to their Partners patients are eligible to apply.  Full details and training requirements for becoming a BHI SMART-Certified Healthcare Practitioner can be found here.

Applications are due July 1, 2022 and eligibility requirements include:

1. Applicants must be a practicing healthcare clinician licensed in one of the following categories:

• Doctor (MD, DO)
• Nurse (RN, NP)
• PhD/EdD/PsyD
• Master’s-level social worker
• Master’s-level mental health counselor
• Physician’s Assistant

2. Applicants must demonstrate their work with underserved patient populations who will benefit from SMART training.
3. Applicants must be able to complete all training activities within the course of one (1) year.

 

Application Instructions

Application Form

 

Questions? Email jmeek@partners.org.

Katherine Rosa, PhD, CNP, FNP-BC, was honored with a prestigious grant award as part of Massachusetts General Hospital’s (MGH) annual Nursing Research Day celebration May 9^th.  Dr. Rosa won the 3^rd annual Jeannette Ives Erickson Research Institute Grant award honoring research that is “innovative, caring, grounded in scientific principles and guided by the goal of improving nursing practice.”

Dr. Rosa joined BHI in 2018 as a clinician researcher; she sees patients in the clinic and leads Stress Management and Resiliency Training (SMART) groups at the institute.  The award is accompanied by a $5,000 grant that will fund her research: Psychometric testing of a tool to measure Patients PeRception of NursE Patient ReLationship as HeAling Transformations ScalE (RELATE Scale).

“I am honored and thrilled to have received the Jeanette Ives Erickson research award. This grant enables me to test the reliability and validity of Rosa’s RELATE scale. I’m excited for the opportunity to further this research on nurses caring for patients with chronic illness,” Dr. Rosa said.

The award is named for Jeannette Ives Erickson, RN, DNP, chief nurse emerita at Massachusetts General Hospital, Instructor at Harvard Medical School, and Professor at MGH Institute of Health Professions. Ms. Erickson, who helped present the award, also serves as the chair, Chief Nurse Council, Partners HealthCare System and as Chair on the MGH Institute Board of Trustees.

“Katherine is an excellent clinician and a talented researcher.  We are truly excited to have her on the BHI-MGH team,” said Darshan Mehta, MD, MPH, BHI’s Medical Director.  “This award speaks to her standing and professionalism in the nursing community.”

MGH has the largest hospital-based nursing research program in the United States, said Susan A. Slaugenhaupt, PhD, Scientific Director of the Mass General Research Institute and a Professor of Neurology (Genetics) at Harvard Medical School.

“You see a problem, ask a research question and very quickly your work is translated into improving care for our patients,” Dr. Slaugenhaupt said to the scores of nurses and hospital administrators gathered in the O’Keefe Auditorium.

Nursing Research Day is held in May during Nurse Recognition Week at MGH.  Organized by the Yvonne L. Munn Center for Nursing Research, the day provides a forum for nurses to network with other nurse researchers and national scholars to exchange ideas around advancing nursing practice through research and quality improvement.

The Benson-Henry Institute (BHI) for Mind Body Medicine at Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) is pleased to announce it is now accepting applications for the 2019 Watts Scholarship program.  Launched in 2017, the Watts Scholarship fully funds two clinicians in earning Stress Management and Resiliency Training (SMART) Certification for Healthcare Practitioners.

The BHI’s copyrighted SMART program has been shown to have far-reaching positive effects on overall health and wellness – a 2015 preliminary study showed patients who participated in BHI programs reduced their medical visits on average by 43% in the year after taking part.

Through the generous support of Mr. Randy Watts, an enthusiastic benefactor of BHI’s work, two training scholarships will be available to cover the total training costs of scholarship awardees who work with under-served populations.  This year, Mr. Watts has stipulated that one scholarship be awarded to a Partners employee, and the other be available to non-Partners clinicians, as well.

“Stress is a leading cause of many health conditions, and our research clearly shows we can improve our own health outcomes by reducing stress through self-care,” said BHI Director Gregory L. Fricchione, MD.  “We believe spreading SMART – especially to those who are at greatest stress risk – is critical to the health of our country.  We are so grateful to Randy Watts for helping us bring this important work to those who need it most.”

In its first year, the Watts Scholarship funded two Boston-based clinicians: Mary Susan Convery, MSW, LICS, a clinical social work specialist and member of the Social Service Leadership team at MGH and Sarah Wettenstein, LICSW, a behavioral health clinician in the Office-Based Addiction Treatment Program of the Boston Health Care for the Homeless. 

In 2018, the program supported studies for Paul Arnstein, PhD, RN, PhD, FNP-C, ACNS-BC, Director of MGH Cares about Pain Relief at Massachusetts General Hospital and a leading researcher on the value of nurse-led interventions for chronic pain patients.  The Watts Committee also selected Dr. Irma Torres-Rivera, who is using SMART to help residents of San Juan, Puerto Rico build resilience and manage stress as the entire island works to rebuild from the devastating effects of Hurricane Maria.

 

Watts Scholarship Information

Licensed healthcare clinicians who would like to become certified to provide the Stress Management and Resiliency Training (SMART) program to their patients are eligible to apply.  Full details and training requirements for becoming a BHI SMART-Certified Healthcare Practitioner can be found here.

Applications are due July 12, 2019 and eligibility requirements include:

1. Applicants must be a practicing healthcare clinician licensed in one of the following categories:

– Doctor (MD, DO)
– Nurse (RN, NP)
– PhD/EdD/PsyD
– Master’s-level social worker
– Master’s-level mental health counselor

2. Applicants must demonstrate their work with under-served patient populations who will benefit from SMART training.
3. Applicants must be able to complete all training activities within the course of 1 year.

Application Instructions

SMART Scholarship Application

If you have questions or require further information, please contact Jocelyn Meek at jmeek@partners.org.

 

November 9-11, 2023, In-Person AND Live Streaming

Registration is now open for The Herbert Benson, MD Course in Mind Body Medicine, the Benson-Henry Institute’s celebrated continuing medical education (CME) course offered in partnership with Harvard Medical School.

The course will be held live, in-person November 9-11, 2023, at the Renaissance Waterfront Hotel in Boston, MA and live-streamed to participants around the world.  Video recordings of all talks will be available to all conference-goers for up to 60 days. BHI is also pleased to offer an optional online pre-course workshop, Group Medical Visits to Guide Patients to Healthier Lifestyle Behaviors.

“The Herbert Benson Course in Mind Body Medicine is an opportunity for clinicians, researchers, scientists and mind body enthusiasts to explore the latest research and learn the best techniques in mind body medicine. Our work – providing patients with skills to build resilience and improve wellbeing – are essential as we rebound from the pandemic and face a multitude of other stressful challenges at home and abroad. We are so pleased to be able to meet each other again in person this fall, and to provide online streaming to participants around the world. The course provides a wonderful opportunity to connect and collaborate with colleagues around the world,” said BHI Director Gregory Fricchione, MD.  “We have an impressive line-up of keynotes and experts in the field, and this year we are offering an exciting new optional half-day course on delivering mind body medicine in group visits.”

Keynote speakers are  renowned social scientist and best-selling author Nicholas Christakis, MD, PhD, MPH of Yale University; Lisa Feldman Barrett, PhD, psychology and neuroscience researcher and author of How Emotions are Made; Fr. Laurence Freeman, OSB, the worldwide leader of the World Community for Christian Meditation and a Benedictine monk; Thupten Jinpa, PhD, founder of The Compassion Institute and principal translator to H.H. the Dalai Lama; and Jacque Salomon, co-founder of the Seeds to Inspire Foundation of Arizona and an advocate for plant-based nutrition and education in marginalized communities.

This program is among the highest-rated Harvard Medical School CME courses. The Harvard Medical School is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME) to provide continuing medical education for physicians. The Harvard Medical School designates this live activity for a maximum of 23.00 AMA PRA Category 1 Credits™. Physicians should claim only the credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity. For additional accreditation information, please see below. Register before September 30th to receive an early bird discount.

Participants will get

• The latest clinical approaches and integrative models of care
• Cutting-edge research into the linkages between the brain and the body
• Education on genomics, transcriptomics, metabolomics ad how to leverage recent advances in the neuroimaging of contemplative states
• Current data on stress, stress management and resilience enhancement, and their impacts on patient health and treatment options

For course scheduling, information and to register, please visit mindbody.hmscme.com.  Register by September 30^th for an early bird discount.

About our Keynotes

Nicholas Christakis, MD, PhD, MPH, is a social scientist and physician at Yale University who conducts research in the fields of network science, biosocial science, and behavior genetics. His current work focuses on how human biology and health affect, and are affected by, social interactions and social networks. He directs the Human Nature Lab and is the Co-Director of the Yale Institute for Network Science. He is the Sterling Professor of Social and Natural Science, appointed in the Departments of Sociology; Medicine; Ecology and Evolutionary Biology; Biomedical Engineering; and the School of Management.

Dr. Christakis received his BS from Yale in 1984, his MD from Harvard Medical School and his MPH from the Harvard School of Public Health in 1989, and his PhD from the University of Pennsylvania in 1995. He was elected to the National Academy of Medicine in 2006; the American Association for the Advancement of Science in 2010; and the American Academy of Arts and Sciences in 2017.

One body of work in his lab focuses on how health and health behavior in one person can influence analogous outcomes in a person’s social network. This work involves the application of statistical and mathematical models to understand the dynamics of diverse phenomena in longitudinally evolving networks. A related body of work uses experiments to examine the spread of altruism, emotions, and health behaviors along network connections online and offline, including with large-scale field trials in the developing world directed at improving public health (e.g., in Honduras and India). His lab has also examined the genetic and evolutionary determinants of social network structure, showing that social interactions have shaped our genome, with related projects that have mapped networks of populations in Tanzania and Sudan who live as all humans did 10,000 years ago. His most recent work has used artificial intelligence (AI) agents (“bots”) to affect social processes online.

Dr. Christakis is the author of over 200 articles and several books. His influential book, Connected: The Surprising Power of Our Social Networks and How They Shape Our Lives, documented how social networks affect our lives and was translated into twenty foreign languages. His most recent book, Blueprint: The Evolutionary Origins of a Good Society, was published in March 2019 and is slated to appear in German, Chinese, Dutch, and Greek, and other languages.

In 2009, Christakis was named by Time magazine to their annual list of the 100 most influential people in the world. In 2009 and in 2010, he was listed by Foreign Policy magazine in their annual list of Top 100 Global Thinkers.

Lisa Feldman Barrett, PhD, is a University Distinguished Professor of psychology at Northeastern University with appointments at the Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) and Harvard Medical School. Dr. Barrett is among the top 1% most-cited scientists worldwide for her research in psychology and neuroscience, having published over 270 peer-reviewed scientific papers.

She has received numerous awards, including a Director’s Pioneer Award for transformative research from the US National Institutes of Health, a Guggenheim Fellowship in neuroscience, Mentor Awards from the Association for Psychological Science (APS) and the Society for Affect Science (SAS), and the Distinguished Scientific Contribution Award from the American Psychological Association (APA). Dr. Barrett is an elected fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, the Royal Society of Canada, and a number of other honorific societies.

She has testified before the US Congress, is the Chief Science Officer for the Center for Law, Brain and Behavior at MGH, has served as president of the Association for Psychological Science, co-founded the Society for Affective Science, and actively engages in informal science education for the public via popular books, articles and public lectures. She has authored two best-selling popular science books, How Emotions are Made: The Secret Life of the Brain and Seven and a Half Lessons About the Brain. Her TED talk has been viewed more than 6.5 million times to date. Colleagues have called Dr. Barrett “the most important affective scientist of our time” and “the deepest thinker on <the nature of emotion> since Darwin.”

Fr. Laurence Freeman, OSB – is currently the worldwide leader of the World Community for Christian Meditation.  He was born in England in 1951 where he was educated by the Benedictines and studied English Literature at New College, Oxford University. Before entering monastic life, he had experience with the United Nations in New York, banking and journalism.

In the monastery, his spiritual teacher was Fr. John Main. He helped Fr. John establish the first Christian Meditation Centre in London. At the invitation of the Archbishop of Montreal, in 1977, he accompanied Fr. John to establish a Benedictine community of monks and laypeople dedicated to the practice and teaching of Christian meditation. Fr. Laurence studied theology at the Universite de Montreal and at McGill University. He made his solemn monastic profession in 1979 and was ordained to the priesthood in 1980.  After the death of John Main in 1982, he continued the work of teaching meditation that had already begun, and to develop a global community.

In 1991, Fr Laurence returned to England to establish the International Centre of the World Community for Christian Meditation, with groups now present in more than a hundred countries and which has become a ‘monastery without walls’, as Fr. John envisioned it.  He travels regularly in North and South America, Europe, Australia and Asia. He is involved in the contemplative inter-religious dialogue and led The Way of Peace dialogue with the Dalai Lama. He is the author of a number of books, among others: Jesus the Teacher Within,  Light Within, A Short Span of Days and The Selfless Self.

Thupten Jinpa, PhD – Thupten Jinpa, Ph.D. is the Founder and Chairman of Compassion Institute, and the principal author of Compassion Cultivation Training™ (CCT©), the Institute’s flagship compassion education offering, developed while Jinpa was at Stanford University.

Jinpa trained as a monk at the Shartse College of Ganden Monastic University, South India, where he received the Geshe Lharam degree. Jinpa also holds a B.A. in philosophy and a Ph.D. in religious studies, both from Cambridge University.

Jinpa has been the principal English translator to H.H. the Dalai Lama since 1985 and has translated and collaborated on numerous books by the Dalai Lama including the New York Times Bestsellers Ethics for the New Millennium and The Art of Happiness, as well as Beyond Religion: Ethics for a Whole World. His own publications include A Fearless Heart: How the Courage to be Compassionate Can Transform Our Lives and translations of major Tibetan works featured in The Library of Tibetan Classics series.

A frequent speaker at various international conferences on mindfulness, compassion, and contemplative practice, Jinpa also serves as an adjunct professor at the Faculty of Religious Studies at McGill University, Montreal and is the founder and president of the Institute of Tibetan Classics. He has been a core member of the Mind and Life Institute and its Chairman of the Board since January 2012.

 

Jacque Salomon – Jacque Salomon is the co-founder of Seeds to Inspire Foundation of Arizona and an advocate for plant-based nutrition and education in marginalized communities.

Born and raised on the ancestral lands of the Lenape people (Manhattan, NY), Jacque lives on the home of the Akimel O’odham and Piipaash people (Phoenix, AZ).  She is an American College of Lifestyle Medicine (ACLM) Health Equity Achieved through Lifestyle Medicine (HEAL) Initiative Committee Member, collaborator/supporter to Let Our Ancestors Rest Campaign, Founding Board Member of SimpleVeg, Board Member for Eat for the Earth 501(c)(3), former Pod Advisory Committee Member for PlantPure Communities and proud former Community Liaison to Stand Up ASU student club. She shares her work and healing journey as a Speaker and supports individuals as a Transformational Coach.

Jacque received her Certificate in Plant-Based Nutrition from the T. Colin Campbell Center for Nutrition Studies, is a Certified Conscious Parenting Coach and studied in collective and racialized trauma resilience. She uses these modalities to support individuals and communities arrest and reverse the consequences of the imposed colonial lifestyle on Mind, Body and Spirit and achieve their multidimensional health goals.
Through a Whole Plant Foods Lifestyle, meditation, yoga, and psycho-spiritual remediation, she arrested and reversed her own chronic diseases — such as Type 2 Diabetes, Hypertension, and GERD — and shed 164 lbs. Realizing the profound power we have over our own health, as well as the autonomy she regained over her own body and well-being, Jacque is determined to bring her story and support to communities most at-risk for future pandemics and climate destabilization.

Jacque’s gratitude and health are channeled into her work as a Lifestyle Medicine Practitioner and Intersectional Activist supporting historically marginalized communities in the Phoenix metropolitan area and surrounding reservations. Her work is focused on bringing Whole Plant Food Nutrition literacy, whole plant food access and affordability and trauma-resiliency and support to underfinanced, underserved communities by collaborating with grassroots organizations devoted to healing our most distressed zip codes.

​

 

ADDITIONAL ACCREDITATION INFORMATION:

In support of improving patient care, Harvard Medical School is jointly accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME), the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE), and the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC), to provide continuing education for the healthcare team.

Physicians

The Harvard Medical School designates this live activity for a maximum of 22.25 AMA PRA Category 1 Credits™. Physicians should claim only the credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.

• Main 3-day course, Mind Body Medicine 2023 (Nov. 9–11): 20.25 AMA PRA Category 1 Credits™
• Optional online pre-course, Group Medical Visits (Nov. 8): 2.75 AMA PRA Category 1 Credits™

Nurse Practitioners and Registered Nurses

Harvard Medical School designates this live activity for a maximum of 23.00 ANCC contact hours.

Psychologists

Continuing Education (CE) credits for psychologists are provided through the co-sponsorship of the American Psychological Association (APA) Office of Continuing Education in Psychology (CEP). The APA CEP Office maintains responsibility for the content of the programs.

Social Workers

As a Jointly Accredited Organization, Harvard Medical School is approved to offer social work continuing education by the Association of Social Work Boards (ASWB) Approved Continuing Education (ACE) program. Organizations, not individual courses, are approved under this program. Regulatory boards are the final authority on courses accepted for continuing education credit. Social workers completing this course receive 23.00 general continuing education credits.

 RISK MANAGEMENT

This activity meets the criteria of the Massachusetts Board of Registration in Medicine for 2.00 credits of Risk Management Study. This includes:

• 1 credit of Medical Marijuana Training

Please check your individual state licensing board requirements before claiming these credits.

PHYSICIAN ASSISTANTS

The National Commission on Certification of Physician Assistants (NCCPA) states that AMA PRA Category 1 Credits™ are acceptable for continuing medical education requirements for recertification. We would also suggest that learners check with their state licensing board to ensure they accept reciprocity with AMA PRA Category 1 Credit™ for re-licensure.

CANADIAN ACCREDITATION

The Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada recognizes conferences and workshops held outside of Canada that are developed by a university, academy, hospital, specialty society or college as accredited group learning activities.

EUROPEAN ACCREDITATION

The American Medical Association (AMA) has an agreement of mutual recognition of continuing medical education (CME) credit with the European Union of Medical Specialties (UEMS). Additional information regarding this agreement may be found here: https://www.ama-assn.org/education/ama-pra-credit-system/agreement-european-union-medical-specialties-uems

ABMS/ACGME COMPETENCIES

This course is designed to meet the following American Board of Medical Specialties and Accreditation Council of Graduate Medical Education competencies:

• Interpersonal and Communication Skills
• Medical Knowledge

 

IOM COMPETENCIES

This course is designed to meet the following Institute of Medicine competencies:

• Provide Patient-Centered Care
• Employ Evidence-Based Practice

Disclosure Policy

In accord with the disclosure policy of the Medical School as well as standards set forth by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME), course planners, speakers, and content reviewers have been asked to disclose any relationships they have to companies whose primary business is producing, marketing, selling, re-selling, or distributing healthcare products used by or on patients. In addition, faculty have been asked to list any off-label uses of pharmaceuticals and/or devices for investigational or non-FDA approved purposes that they plan to discuss.

Disclaimer

CME activities accredited by Harvard Medical School are offered solely for educational purposes and do not constitute any form of certification of competency. Practitioners should always consult additional sources of information and exercise their best professional judgment before making clinical decisions of any kind.

Note: AMA PRA Category 1 Credit™ is calculated based on submission of a preliminary agenda and may be subject to change. 

 

 

Researchers identified genes and biological pathways linked to immune regulation, metabolism, and circadian rhythm in people who reduced their hypertension after eight-week relaxation response training.

BOSTON – High blood pressure – or hypertension – is a major risk factor for heart attack and stroke that affects as many as 100 million Americans and 1 billion people worldwide. Decades of research have demonstrated that the relaxation response – the physiological and psychological opposite of the well-known fight-or-flight stress response that can be achieved through relaxation techniques like yoga or mediation – can reduce blood pressure in people with hypertension. Exactly how these interventions act on the body to lower blood pressure remains unclear.

A new study led by investigators at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center (BIDMC), Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH), and the Benson-Henry Institute for Mind Body Medicine at MGH identified the genes associated with the body’s response to relaxation techniques and sheds light on the molecular mechanisms by which these interventions may work to lower blood pressure. The findings were published today in the Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine.  Read the study here.

“Traditionally, hypertension is treated with pharmacologic therapy, but not all patients respond to drug therapy, and many experience treatment-limiting side effects,” said co-senior author Randall Zusman, MD, Director of the Division of Hypertension at MGH. “In these patients, alternative strategies are invaluable. In this study, we found that the relaxation response can successfully help reduce blood pressure in hypertensive patients who are not taking medication.”

Towia Libermann, PhD, Director of the Genomics, Proteomics, Bioinformatics, and Systems Biology Center at BIDMC said, “To our knowledge, this is the first study to test such a mind-body intervention for a population of unmedicated adults with carefully documented, persistent hypertension, and this is the first study to identify gene expression changes specifically associated with the impact of a mind-body intervention on hypertension. Our results provide new insights into how integrative medicine – especially mind-body approaches – influences blood pressure control at the molecular level.”

First described more than four decades ago by Herbert Benson, MD, Director Emeritus of the Benson Henry Institute and a co-author of the current study, the relaxation response is characterized by a set of measurable changes to the body, including decreased respiration rate and heart rate, all of which can be induced by mind-body techniques including meditation and yoga. Long-term relaxation response practice has been associated with increased brain cortical thickness and specific changes in gene expression.

In this study, Libermann, Zusman and colleagues enrolled 58 people with Stage 1 essential hypertension – defined as having a systolic (top number) blood pressure between 140-159mm Hg and diastolic (bottom number) between 90-104mm Hg. Participants were either not taking medications to control their blood pressure or had tapered off them for five weeks prior to the outset of the study. Participants also filled out standardized questionnaires about stress, depression and anxiety.

Over the next eight weeks, participants attended eight weekly training sessions at which they were guided through mind-body interventions designed to elicit the relaxation response – including diaphragmatic breathing, mantra repetition and mindfulness meditation –while passively ignoring intrusive thoughts. Participants were also given an audio CD that guided them through the same sequence for use at home once a day.

After the eight weeks of training, patients filled out the same stress, depression and anxiety questionnaires and had blood drawn for gene expression testing along with blood pressure measurement. Overall, 13 of the 24 participants who completed the eight-week intervention experienced a clinically relevant drop in blood pressure – that is, specific reductions in both systolic and diastolic blood pressure readings that moved participants below 140/90 mm Hg, the clinical definition of stage 1 hypertension.

Patients who demonstrated significant reductions in both systolic and diastolic blood pressure – enough so that their blood pressure was below the definition of Stage I essential hypertension – were classified as “responders.” Those whose blood pressure still fell within the definition of Stage I hypertension – and those who did not see reduction in both numbers – were classified as “non-responders.”

When Libermann and colleagues ran gene expression analyses comparing blood samples from the two groups, they found that specific gene expression changes had occurred in the responders over the course of the eight-week relaxation response intervention that were not observed in the non-responders. Specifically, among responders the expression of 1,771 genes differed between the baseline blood tests and those taken after the eight weeks of relaxation response practice. Further, Libermann and colleagues determined that the reduction in blood pressure was correlated with genes linked to immune regulatory pathways, metabolism and glucose metabolism, cardiovascular system development and circadian rhythm.

“Interactive network analysis of the gene signature identified several molecules, particularly immune system-linked genes, as critical molecules for blood pressure reduction,” said first author Manoj Bhasin, PhD, Co-Director of the Genomics, Proteomics, Bioinformatics, and Systems Biology Center at BIDMC.

“Our results suggest that the relaxation response reduced blood pressure – at least in part – by altering expression of genes in a select set of biological pathways,” co-first author John Denninger, MD, PhD, Director of Research at the Benson-Henry Institute, noted. “Importantly, the changes in gene expression associated with this drop in blood pressure are consistent with the physical changes in blood pressure and and inflammatory markers that one would anticipate and hope to observe in patients successfully treated for hypertension.”

​ In addition to Zusman and Libermann, investigators included co-first author Manoj Bhasin and Marie Joseph of Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center; co-first author John Denninger, Jeffrey Huffman, Halsey Niles, Emma Chad-Friedman, Roberta Goldman, Beverly Buczynski Kelley, Barbara Mahoney, Gregory Fricchione and Herbert Benson of Massachusetts General Hospital and Benson-Henry Institute for Mind Body Medicine at MGH; and Jeffery Dusek of Abbott Northwestern Hospital, Institute for Health and Healing.

This study was funded by a grant from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (R01 DP000339).

About Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center

Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center is a patient care, teaching and research affiliate of Harvard Medical School and consistently ranks as a national leader among independent hospitals in National Institutes of Health funding.

BIDMC is in the community with Beth Israel Deaconess Hospital-Milton, Beth Israel Deaconess Hospital-Needham, Beth Israel Deaconess Hospital-Plymouth, Anna Jaques Hospital, Cambridge Health Alliance, Lawrence General Hospital, MetroWest Medical Center, Signature Healthcare, Beth Israel Deaconess HealthCare, Community Care Alliance and Atrius Health. BIDMC is also clinically affiliated with the Joslin Diabetes Center and Hebrew Rehabilitation Center and is a research partner of Dana-Farber/Harvard Cancer Center and the Jackson Laboratory. BIDMC is the official hospital of the Boston Red Sox. For more information, visit www.bidmc.org.

Massachusetts General Hospital

Massachusetts General Hospital, founded in 1811, is the original and largest teaching hospital of Harvard Medical School. The MGH Research Institute conducts the largest hospital-based research program in the nation, with an annual research budget of more than $900 million and major research centers in HIV/AIDS, cardiovascular research, cancer, computational and integrative biology, cutaneous biology, genomic medicine, medical imaging, neurodegenerative disorders, regenerative medicine, reproductive biology, systems biology, photomedicine and transplantation biology. The MGH topped the 2015 Nature Index list of health care organizations publishing in leading scientific journals and earned the prestigious 2015 Foster G. McGaw Prize for Excellence in Community Service. In August 2017 the MGH was once again named to the Honor Roll in the U.S. News & World Report list of “America’s Best Hospitals.”

 

The Benson-Henry Institute for Mind Body Medicine in the Department of Psychiatry at MGH was established in 2006 to improve the clinical care of MGH patients through the application of mind body integrative medicine approaches and to improve our understanding of the mechanisms involved through basic and clinical research.

In celebration of International Yoga Day, the Benson-Henry Institute for Mind Body Medicine at MGH is pleased to invite the entire community to hear Jeffery Dusek, PhD present “Kripalu’s RISE: A Yoga-Based Mindfulness Program for Healthcare Professionals, Educators and Frontline Professionals.”  This presentation will be held Thursday, June 21^st from 1 PM to 2:15 PM in the MGH Ether Dome.

Since its inception in 2015, the International Day of Yoga has served as an opportunity to study and celebrate the physical, mental and spiritual practice of yoga.  In Massachusetts, the celebration precedes the 3^rd International Conference on Integrative Medicine: Role of Yoga and Ayurveda in Cancer and Palliative Care, which will be held June 22-24, 20198 at the Joseph Martin Conference Center at Harvard Medical School.

Dr. Dusek, the Chief Research Officer at Kripalu Center for Yoga & Health in Stockbridge, MA, will discuss the ways in which mindfulness and yoga practices can help healthcare providers balance life and work.  Dr. Dusek has been a longtime research collaborator with the Benson-Henry Institute for Mind Body Medicine (BHI) at Massachusetts General Hospital, is a recent appointee of MGH’s Department of Psychiatry.

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The holidays can be the best of times and the worst of times, but we can manage our response to stress and find joy in small things to build resiliency. BHI’s John Denninger, MD, PhD, has some ideas for how to make the holidays a little lighter and brighter for those who may be feeling stressed, lonely or overwhelmed during this second pandemic holiday season.

By focusing our intentions on the following, Dr. Denninger says, we can reframe our thoughts and bring positivity to a stressful season or event: optimism, flexibility, social connection, creativity and kindness, and mindfulness.

 

Optimism

Focusing on optimism in an intentional way is a good way to reduce pandemic-related stress.

“We should be reminding ourselves that things are likely to continue to improve,” Dr. Denninger says. “We can expect the best, while preparing for the worst and build a sense of empowerment by doing our part to lessen the impact of the pandemic: getting vaccinated, wearing masks, limiting our exposure and, when we gather together, doing so in small groups and in safe, ventilated spaces.”

Gratitude is another important thing factor.

“Gratitude has been shown to be helpful in maintaining mood and preventing depression. Although it may seem like a difficult time to generate gratitude—with everyone weary from all we’ve been through—it is a time to focus on how grateful we are for what we’ve come through, what we’ve survived.”

Dr. Denninger recommends keeping a gratitude diary—on paper, on your phone or other device, or just as a daily reflection.  Bringing to mind one to three things, people, or activities we appreciate each day can be a wonderful way to maintain gratitude and build a positive outlook.

 

Flexibility

Flexibility in the face of adversity is a trait we can all benefit from cultivating.

“You may be thinking, ‘Here we are—even in highly vaccinated Massachusetts—and we’re still seeing an upswing in infection rates!’ Practicing flexible thinking will help us see that this doesn’t mean we can’t celebrate with friends and family, but just have to think about shifting things a little: having smaller gatherings, making sure all are vaccinated—and preferably boosted—and paying to attention to what local COVID rates are.”

Recognize that we can’t control the pandemic, just our response to it.

“Practice acceptance. Acceptance is not saying that you like the situation—it’s just coming to a point where you can admit, ‘This is the reality, I have to deal with it,” and then figure out where to go from there,” Dr. Denninger says.

“We’ve all had things we’ve needed to accept—things beyond our control—and we’ve all experienced the peace that comes from accepting a situation as opposed to just being angry or hurt by it.  We are in the midst of a pandemic, and, sure, the holidays are going to be somewhat different. But they can still be joyous.”

 

Social Connection

Many people report feeling isolated or lonely at the holidays, and even more so during the pandemic.

“One thing is to take stock of who you give support to and who you get support from—both now and in the past. Especially during this holiday season it may be a good time to reach out to people you think may need your support or to those who have no one to spend the holidays with and may be feeling lonely,” Dr. Denninger says.

And it doesn’t just have to be to individuals; we can reach out (even virtually) through religious organizations, support groups, clubs and peer-led organizations like Alcoholics Anonymous, all of which can be wonderful ways to connect.

It’s also a good idea to gather with others who love the things you do: if you are an art lover, go to a museum. You’ll find others who share your passion. Like music? Try a concert (but wear a mask). Even if you’re going to something by yourself, it can be a way to feel connected to the people around you when you’re sharing in things you all enjoy.

“Human beings are social creatures, and if we feel that our connection to our family or work group has been damaged, there are many others who are looking for similar connections. It can feel difficult to reach out, but we often find that that difficulty is easily overcome. Especially at the holidays, and during a pandemic.”

 

Creativity & Kindness

Kids are great at expressing creativity, but somewhere along the line many adults stop finding time to be “makers.”  Find time pick up an old knitting project, get back to your woodworking tools, get out some pencils and find some time to draw or color.  Dr. Denninger and his family like to make gingerbread houses during the holidays.

“it’s not about the finished product, it’s about finding time to do something you enjoy.”

People draw satisfaction and purpose from helping others; so, while you’re being creative, you can bake some cookies for a neighbor and drop them off.  Take the extra food in your cupboards to the local pantry, donate toys or coats to those less fortunate.

“We can improve our own outlook by knowing we are useful and helpful to those around us.  Think of who in your life could use a little boost, and find a way to make that happen—whether it’s going through old photos and sending them to a friend or shoveling an elderly relative’s driveway, there are plenty of things we can do to make ourselves and those around us feel valued and seen.”

 

Taking a Mindful Moment

If something is stressful, stop, breathe, reflect, and choose:

• Stop for a moment
• Take time to do some mindful breathing or a longer guided meditation
• Reflect on how you want to proceed in the face of the stressor
• Choose a path forward.

“We’re all in the same boat together.  One could view that as something to be despairing about, but it’s also an opportunity for us to come together,” Dr. Denninger says.  “The holidays are a potential time for unity and wouldn’t it be nice if we were all working together toward unity and compassion?”