<p> The high rates of obesity in the United States are alarming and the mind body link with hunger is a rich area for study. The purpose of this study was to identify overarching patterns in individuals&rsquo; relationships with hunger. The study findings touch on the fields of obesity, mind body medicine, and personal development.</p><p> The research methodology used for this study was classic grounded theory, which is a theory generating approach consisting of data collection and analysis. The process begins in an open-ended fashion and then becomes more refined as the theoretical patterns emerge from the process, at which point current literature is integrated.</p><p> The theory of hungering emerged from the analyzed data of eleven interviews, including adults who struggled with hunger, who had achieved mastery of physical hunger, and who were professionals in the fields of hunger and psychology. Two types of hunger&ndash;physical hunger and soul hunger&ndash;each require separate processes for simple nourishment and each include additional nuances beyond simple nourishment. The achievement of physical hunger mastery can include interoceptive awareness, hunger anticipation, hunger preparation, an eating schedule, and balanced nutrition. Nourishment can be interrupted at both the physical and the soul level, leading to hunger confusion and hunger suffering in some people. Interrupted nourishment can include lack of awareness, cognitive interference, emotional interference, family influence, and environmental influence. This tangled web can exacerbate food use, including binge eating and emotional eating, which can be related to food attachment, food language, dieting, and body image struggles. It may be possible for some people to escape this maze of confusion and interruptions through the process of self-awareness and personal development, which can include self-care, self-trust, effort to change, thought regulation, emotion regulation, social support, and structured nourishment.</p><p> While steps were taken to limit research bias, the lens through which the data was analyzed may have been impacted by personal interest, academic study, and professional experience. However, this substantive theory offers a unique perspective that may serve as a lens for future studies in the fields of obesity, weight loss, mind body medicine, and personal development.</p>

<p> Using hermeneutic and heuristic methodologies, this thesis explores the possibility of a psychedelic Amazonian plant medicine known as ayahuasca to be used in the treatment of depression and addiction. Incorporating a depth psychology approach, this thesis explores the similarities and differences between Peruvian shamanism and Jungian depth psychology. The author draws on depth psychological theory in analyzing her experiences with ayahuasca, highlighting the role of psychotherapy in integrating her experiences as part of her process of individuation and healing trauma. The research points to a positive correlation between ayahuasca use and the treatment of mood disorders such as major depressive disorder and substance use disorders such as alcohol use disorder. The thesis examines the role of spirituality and experiences with the numinous in helping one to heal from mood disorders and substance dependency and find a greater sense of empowerment and meaning in life.</p><p>

<p> This mixed method study examined the relative impact of virtual and classroom-based mindfulness training on the psychological capital (PsyCap) of leaders. The control group (n = 9) and the experimental group (n = 15) participated in an 8-week program and completed pre and post-assessments PsyCap levels. A virtual program was delivered to the control group. A classroom based program was delivered to the experimental group. The experimental group exhibited significant improvement in all four psychological traits which make up the PsyCap construct: efficacy, hope, resilience and optimism. The control group exhibited significant improvement only in self-reported hope scores. The qualitative results from the experimental group were encouraging, emphasizing key learnings from the classroom experience which made an impact at the personal and professional levels. Continued research in this area is anticipated to understand more antecedents to increasing PsyCap levels, leadership effectiveness and benefits of mindfulness based interventions, and enable organizations to better support leaders with mindfulness resources in the workplace. Keywords: Leadership Effectiveness, Mindfulness Based Interventions, PsyCap, Wellness in the Workplace</p><p>

There has been an upsurge in the use of Complementary and Alternate Medicines (CAMs) in both developed and developing countries. Although herbal medicines have been in use for many centuries, their quality, safety and efficacy are still of major concern. Many countries are in the process of integrating CAMs into conventional health care systems based on the knowledge and use of traditional medicines. The quality control (QC) of herbal products usually presents a formidable analytical challenge in view of the complexity of the constituents in plant material and the commercial non-availability of appropriate qualified reference standards. Sceletium, a genus belonging to the family Aizoaceae, has been reported to contain psychoactive alkaloids, specifically mesembrine, mesembrenone, mesembrenol and some other related alkaloids. Sceletium is marketed as dried plant powder and as phyto-pharmaceutical dosage forms. Sceletium products and plant material marketed through health shops and on the internet are associated with unjustified claims of specific therapeutic efficacy and may be of dubious quality. Validated analytical methods to estimate Sceletium alkaloids have not previously been reported in the scientific literature and the available methods have focused only on qualitative estimation. Furthermore, since appropriate markers were not commercially available for use as reference standards, a primary objective of this study was to isolate relevant compounds, qualify them as reference standards which could be applied to develop appropriate validated qualitative and quantitative analytical methods for fingerprinting and assay of Sceletium plant material and dosage forms. The alkaloidal markers mesembrine, mesembrenone and ∆⁷ mesembrenone were isolated by solvent extraction and chromatography from dried plant material. Mesembranol and epimesembranol were synthesised by hydrogenation of the isolated mesembrine using the catalyst platinum (IV) oxide and then further purified by semi-preparative column chromatography. All compounds were subjected to analysis by ¹H, ¹³C, 2-D nuclear magnetic resonance and liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectroscopy. Mesembrine was converted to hydrochloride crystals and mesembranol was isolated as crystals from the hydrogenation reaction mass. These compounds were analysed and characterised by X-ray crystallography. A relatively simple HPLC method for the separation and quantitative analysis of five relevant alkaloidal components in Sceletium was developed and validated. The method was applied to determine the alkaloids in plant material and dosage forms containing Sceletium. An LCMS method developed during the study provided accurate identification of the five relevant Sceletium alkaloids. The method was applied for the quantitative analysis and QC of Sceletium plant material and its dosage forms. This LCMS method was found to efficiently ionize the relevant alkaloidal markers in order to facilitate their detection, identification and quantification in Sceletium plant material as well as for the assay and QC of dosage forms containing Sceletium. The chemotaxonomy of some Sceletium species and commercially available Sceletium dosage forms were successfully studied by the LCMS method. The HPLC and LCMS methods were also used to monitor the bio-conversion of some of the alkaloids while processing the plant material as per traditional method of fermentation. Additionally a high resolution CZE method was developed for the separation of several Sceletium alkaloids in relatively short analysis times. This analytical method was used successfully to fingerprint the alkaloids and quantify mesembrine in Sceletium and its products. Sceletium species grown under varying conditions at different locations, when analyzed, showed major differences in their composition of alkaloids and an enormous difference was found to exist between the various species with respect to the presence and content of alkaloids. Sceletium and its products marketed through health shops and the internet may thus have problems with respect to the quality and related therapeutic efficacy. The QC of Sceletium presents a formidable challenge as Sceletium plants and products contain a complex mixture of compounds. The work presented herein contributes to a growing body of scientific knowledge to improve the QC standards of herbal medicines and also to provide vital information regarding the selection of plant species and information on the specific alkaloidal constituents to the cultivators of Sceletium and the manufacturers of its products.

<p> This dissertation research investigated the experience and the transformational impact of the Person-Centered Soul Retrieval (PCSR) shamanic healing method of Shaman Ross Bishop on personal healing and transformation. PCSR is 1 intervention in a larger shamanic healing process which was modified from Mayan shamanism specifically for use in the United States and potentially for use in other Western societies. The intended result of the shamanic healing is transformation of the self towards wholeness, or integration of the inner parts of an individual, which is a goal inherent to transpersonal psychology. The potential for the use of this shamanic healing process in psychotherapy today is promising, yet evidence for its efficacy and impact was only anecdotal. The purpose of this study then, was to describe, analyze, and interpret the experience and the transformational impact of the specific process of PCSR, 1 aspect of the larger healing system. The current research used a case study method appropriate for exploratory and descriptive research. Based on the logic of replication, a multiple case study design with 5 independent cases was conducted. Participants received the PSCR intervention in 1 or more sessions, the number of which depended on participants&rsquo; individual therapeutic needs. Multiple sources of data included transcripts of all intervention sessions; session notes taken during each session; semistructured participant journal entries after each session, as well as at the end of the treatment cycle; and transcripts of a semistructured final interview with the participants. Data analysis included thematic content analysis with an inductive process to identify themes, as well as to discover descriptive evidence for themes. Pattern matching was used within each case, then aggregated across cases in a cross-case analysis. Results of all 5 of the individual cases and cross-case analyses support the efficacy of the PCSR intervention by demonstrating a significant transformative impact on all participants in emotional, cognitive, and/or behavioral areas. </p>

<p> Alternative saline therapies are one way to provide supplemental treatment to patients with Cystic Fibrosis (CF); surfing represents one form of therapy that may increase health-related quality of life (HRQoL). To date, however, many assumptions about surfing&rsquo;s effectiveness are based only on trials with hypertonic saline solution (extra salty sterile water), thus warranting the need to test effectiveness with a group of CF patients who use surfing as part of their treatment. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the impact of Surf Experience Days (SEDs) on the HRQoL of participating youth; the secondary goal was to assess the presence of a dose-response relationship. Findings suggest indicators of HRQoL amongst youth with CF improved due to participation in the Mauli Ola Foundation (MOF) SED&rsquo;s. Greater frequency of participation in MOF SED&rsquo;s was not associated with greater improvements in HRQoL. Future studies with larger samples and additional measures are recommended </p>

<p> With a fast paced hectic environment, extensive work loads and decisions to make that affect countless lives, health administrators often experience high levels of stress. High stress levels can lead to burn out, negative work environment, poor inter-office relationships, reduced productivity and probable mental and emotional unease which can result in dismissal or quitting. </p><p> As employers are becoming increasingly aware that their businesses depend on the quality, efficiency and happiness of their employees, considerable efforts have been put into aiding them in reducing their stress and improving their well-being. Health-Hardiness Training Institute aims to utilize an all-encompassing approach that combines cognitive, behavioral and biophysical processes and change management training. With the tools taught by the Health-Hardiness Training Institute, healthcare managers will be better equipped to turn stressful circumstances into opportunities to thrive in.</p>

The World Health Organization estimates that 4 billion people use herbal medicine for some aspect of primary health care. These herbal products are however mostly used without the necessary clinical trial done to prove their pharmacological activities and, therefore, their quality, efficacy and safety. It was the objective of this study to review the current international guidelines for the evaluation of herbal medicine / to gain a perspective on the number, type and quality of clinical trials that have been done on herbal medicine and to adopt a set of guidelines that could be used to conduct trial on a traditional herbal medicine used in South Africa. To verify these guidelines, a protocol for a clinical trial was drafted and submitted for approval to the regulatory and ethical authorities in South Africa.

Dissertation submitted in partial compliance with the requirements for the Master's Degree in Technology: Homoeopathy, Durban Institute of Technology, 2007. / Group analysis of homoeopathic remedies is a relatively new methodology, linking naturally related substances via their common symptomatology. At its very basic level of understanding, it is an attempt to identify a mechanism for understanding groups of related remedies according to the natural classification of various sources used in homoeopathic practice (Scholten, 1993). This not only offers new aspects to well known remedies, but illuminates the smaller, less well known remedies, resulting in a more comprehensive and rounded understanding of the materia medica / M

Dissertation submitted in partial compliance with the requirements for the Master’s Degree in Technology: Homoeopathy, Durban University of Technology, 2007. / Until recently the most important method of studying homoeopathic remedies has been to look at each remedy separately and not in the context of a particular group to which it belongs. Group analysis, as defined by pioneering authors such as Sankaran (2002) and Scholten (1993), is an attempt to identify a mechanism for understanding groups of related remedies according to natural classification of the various sources used in homoeopathic practice. / M