The day-long program began with optional morning meditation or yoga stretch at 7:30 a.m., followed by opening remarks by Richard Belitsky, M.D., deputy dean of education at Yale School of Medicine.

Topics included, among others: the history of complementary/alternative medicine in America; the effects of therapeutic touch on growth and differentiation of bone-making cells; therapeutic massage; yoga; increased cortical thickness linked to meditation; the psychology of illness and the art of healing; traditional Chinese medicine; acupuncture for post-operative nausea and low back pain in pregnancy, and potential applications of traditional Chinese medicine in cancer.

The conference was sponsored by Integrative Medicine@Yale, a new program designed to provide a forum for interdisciplinary, inter-institutional, and international collaboration, research, and education in complementary, alternative, and integrative medicine. The goal is to improve awareness and access to the best in evidence-based, comprehensive medical care available worldwide. The organization also hopes to optimize health and healing for patients and health care providers through open-minded exploration and rigorous scientific inquiry.

Healing-health-wholeness was embraced as a continuum, with the individual being more than capable and even mandated to be a co-health creator, especially when it comes to nutrition, exercise, and spiritual development.

Click on the play arrows to watch extensive segments from the conference.