Many people tell us they enjoy the hypnotherapy aspect of My Way Out and they ask us for recommend-ations about headphones for their sessions. They’re typically listening to the recordings on an MP3 player or iPod and doing so while reclining in a chair or bed.

There are a number of excellent choices. You’re probably familiar with conventional headphones, so I’m going to cover three you may not have tried but are particularly useful when listening to audio in this setting: 

1) In-the-ear buds
2) Pillow speakers
3) Cordless headphones

In-the-ear buds can provide remarkably high quality sound considering their size. When properly seated, they seal and block out external sounds. Apple ships a bud headphone with their iPod Nano but I have to admit I’ve blown through two sets and have not been impressed with the quality.

However, they also sell a number of other buds, including In-Ears, a $39 version that some customers say are quite good. However, they’ve gotten mixed reviews; people seem to love ‘em or hate ‘em. They come with three bud sizes and a relatively short cord (handy under the sheets), as well as a nice little storage case.

For $30 to $40 you can buy Sony’s MDR-EX71SL Ear Buds. They’re reported to have good sound and adequate fit. But if you’re willing to spend a little more, you may want to consider Shure’s in-ear ‘phones for about $100. They’ll also shield you a bit better from external noise. Excellent if using at night with someone who snores.

By the way, if the buds don’t fit quite right, some people say to put them in upside down and loop the wires over your ears. Heck, no one will notice if you’re using them for hypno - it’s not as if you’re on the subway. One fella claims to have gone to a hearing aid shop to have a custom ear mold made to replace the ear bud’s rubber. Says it works great. Clever, huh? The advantage of in-ears is that they’re comfortable to use in bed. But they’re not a very good choice if you don’t have a quality pair.

Moving on to talking pillows. They didn’t have these when I started out and believe it or not, I fantasized about inventing one a couple years ago. They’re now available from a number of vendors and you can find a variety of them on Amazon. For $24.95 PillowSonic sells the Pillow Speaker which lays over a flat device. No wires, no tangles and it even comes with its own relaxation CD.

There’s also Pillow Talk’s Memory Foam Stereo Pillow for $39.99. It works with both CD players and iPods. Dreamy. Pillow speakers are a natural solution to a relaxing hypnotic experience. You can easily move your head about without any worries about headphone shift.

And finally: wireless headphones. I love mine. They’re made by Macally and have an innocuous name like mTUNE-N but mine have always been “The Muffs”. They cost $35 and are designed specifically for the iPod, which slides into a slot on the outside of one of earphones (see above). I waited quite a while before investing in wireless headphones because I’d read that most of them sounded awful, were uncomfortable, or cost too much.

But I adore my Muffs. I know I look like a dork wearing them, but I really don’t care. As I wrote earlier, my teenagers wouldn’t be caught dead in them. In fact, they clear out when I put them on, that’s how ugly they are. But what they lack in kewl they make up for in functionality. They don’t need batteries so they never run out. They have no wires, so they never get tangled. They fit so securely, they never fall off. Technology at its finest, that’s what I think.

Whatever you decide, do consider investing in a decent pair of headphones if you can. You’ll probably use them when you exercise, too, and it can make listening to music much more enjoyable. You shouldn’t have to pay too much, either, as there’s a lot of competition out there for your business!

For hundreds of years practitioners of Traditional Chinese Medicine have prescribed kudzu to help reduce alcohol craving. Animal studies over the past two decades here in the West have shown it effective, as well.  But it wasn’t until last year’s double blind clinical trial at the Harvard Medical Center and McLean University that many addiction specialists took note.

According to lead researcher Dr. Scotty Lucas of McClean Hospital, subjects treated with kudzu root consumed approximately half the amount of alcohol as those who were administered a placebo. 

I’d been following kudzu research for quite a while and it’s why I recommended the herb as an important supplement when I published My Way Out a year and a half ago. More recently, working with a highly regarded herbalist, we developed our own proprietary blend because we could not find a product that matched the exact concentrated extract and isoflavanoid levels as those in the Harvard/McLean study. Many US brands are comprised of fillers or other benign ingredients. We introduced our product several months ago and it’s been selling like crazy - our customers rave about it.

For more about the kudzu study, listen to this interview with Dr. Lucas by NPR’s Michelle Norris. And for details about the study, see this article on our research site. To learn more or to purchase our Kudzu Rescue, visit our health store.

This just in from BBC News:

Horses Used to help drug addicts (including alcoholics)

An innovative drug and alcohol programme using horses is being trialled at a hospital in the Borders.

Recovering addicts at the Castle Craig Hospital are taking part in treatment known as equine-assisted psychotherapy.

Patients are encouraged to carry out simple tasks, which require them to successfully communicate with a horse.

More here.

Hey, does this mean I can finally take those riding lessons I’ve been wanting and write it off??

Granted, we should all be bubbling up a brew of loose green tea from the health food store to reap the rewards of the anti-oxidant, anti-craving, super-energy-inducing benefits. In fact, we’re working on developing our own blend here at MWO.

But I also believe that sometimes, in the real world, all we want to do is stuff a teabag in a cup and pour instant hot water over it.

I’ve think I’ve finally found the perfect solution to a user friendly, quality quick tea in Traditional Medicinals.  I’m not kidding when I tell you this is the most delicious brew I’ve ever tasted–and it’s made with medicinal grade herbs.  I love it, my kids love it (who woulda thunk), even my fuddy duddy tea-begrudging hubby has to admit it’s good!

It works, too, I swear. A cup or two of “Easy Now” and the tension seems to melt away. My kids are nuts for the “Gypsy Cold Season”–they drink it even when healthy. I’m convinced it helped speed the process.

Cracks me up: the description of each tea on the company’s high end website reads something like the back of a wine label. My recent favorite is described as “an aromatic balance of flowers and mints-pleasantly bitter and sweet”. Gosh, kinda reminds me of that 1996 Black Muscat from the San Joaquin Valley.

You can probably find these teas at your local health food store, but if not, try it out for free at their website!

This is my kind of addiction.