Americans are great believers in self-help, and with good reason. There are more tools for personal growth today than ever before. Books, seminars, weekend workshops, and support groups of all kinds flourish in abundance. Cynics decry this as a symptom of narcissism, the navel-gazing of the Me Generation. Actually, self-help spans all generations, and according to studies, around 75% of people who improve their psychological state do so, not with a therapist’s help, but by themselves.

TEDMED 2009 – Dean Ornish and Deepak provide independent viewpoints on ways that everyone can heal and be healthier.

Dear  Friends,
In celebration of Mother’s Day I have just completed a project called the Biology of Love with thevisualMD. I’m very excited about ths project andI hope you enjoy it.
Love,
Deepak

Deepak discusses the biology of love

Of all the attributes that define human beings, our need to form strong emotional attachments to each other may be the most profound. And of these attachments, the bond between a mother and her infant is the most fundamental. It is a human being’s first attachment, a powerful bond that is formative in the broadest possible sense. – Mother-Baby Bond: The Biology of Love (VIDEO)

Q: No matter how much I am active about something, no matter how much I reach for others, no matter how I change, meditate, change the state of mind, no matter how much I work or contribute, everything in my material world remains the same. Nothing changes. I work on the inside, but on the outside all my circumstances and conditions are the same. What is wrong, and why I am stuck? Thanks.

Each week, spiritual teacher Deepak Chopra responds to Oprah.com users’ questions with enlightening advice to help them live their best lives.

Q: Honestly, I can’t imagine a more blessed life. Everything I’ve ever dreamed of, I asked, and here it is. I know that pain of the soul can manifest through illness and injury. It’s been a very long journey. Looking back, I can see why it all happened, when it happened and how it happened. It was all important to get me to where I am today. Oprah.com

Tara Stiles and Deepak in Times Square discussing Yoga.

Tara Stiles and Deepak on GMA to discuss yoga.

Oprah Radio host Dr. Mehmet Oz talks with mind-body expert Dr. Deepak Chopra about how to deal with stress. LISTEN

One piece of bad news that keeps getting repeated has to do with well- being. Americans are bombarded with advice about prevention and positive lifestyle choices. Yet as a population we continue to be more sedentary and obese, with unregulated stress, too little sleep, a high-fat, high-sugar diet, and so on.