Mindfulness to shorten the duration of cold sores

There are many ways to deal with a cold sore--dietary changes, supplements, Chinese medicine and Western anti viral medicines but Andrew Weil, MD, has a mind/body view wherein he recommends talking to your cold sore--which is caused by the herpes simplex virus and affects 80 million Americans--when it appears by using affirmations or talking to the cold sore, letting the virus know that it is welcome to stay as long as it doesn't show itself. See below from his website:

• Mind/Body: For either kind of herpes, try taking advantage of the mind-body connection by seeing a practitioner of interactive guided imagery or clinical hypnosis or by learning these techniques through self-training. The goal is to use visualizations and mental affirmations to let the herpes virus know that it is welcome in your body only if it stays in its dormant state.