Christiane Northrup

The mother-daughter bond, the strongest biologic bond there is, is at the headwaters of woman's health because it sets the stage for how we think about and care for our bodies. This indelible bond is arguably the most significant relationship in our lives since our physical bodies were formed in an environment created by our mother's thoughts, emotions, and behaviors. Our immune, endocrine, and nervous systems were wired within our mother's womb and their function throughout life reflects this beginning. This is why the famous Swiss psychoanalyst Alice Miller said, "The truth about our childhoods is stored up in our bodies." This presentation explores the potent biology of the mother-daughter bond and provides strategies for improving it (and your health) at any stage of life.

For the past 5000 years, the female body has been seen as inferior to the male standard. For this reason, men and women both have been taught that the processes of the female body, such as menstruation, childbirth, and menopause, are at best major inconveniences and, at worst, curses visited upon women because Eve ate the apple and thus brought evil to mankind.

The practice of medicine is nothing more than an extension of the culture in which it is practiced. Hence, what we call women's health has focused mostly on disease screening and early diagnosis, not true prevention. As a board-certified OB/GYN, Dr. Northrup has spent the last 30 years articulating a new vision of women's health: a vision that appreciates the seamless unity of the mind and the body, and also the fact that the Divine comes to us through our bodies and the processes of our bodies. Making the connection between our bodies and our lives allows us to connect with empowered feminine energy—the source of life and nurturance, caring and connection—all the qualities that make life worth living. When we learn how to fuel our lives from this source, we are truly flourishing. By coming home to our own bodies in this way, we heal not only ourselves and our lives, but also become a source of wisdom and joy that holds the potential to uplift everyone around us. This presentation will focus on how women can begin, right now, to flourish, regardless of their past or current state of health.

Do you dread getting older? Do you worry about unbearable hot flashes, sleep deprivation, and the end of your sex life? Are you considering hormone replacement, but you aren't sure what the controversy is all about? There are 40 million American women who are 50 or older, and 20 million more who will reach menopause within the next decade. If you're one of these women, New York Times best-selling author and today's leading expert on women's health issues Dr. Christiane Northrup wants to dispel these myths and let you in on the good news! The second half of your life is designed to provide you with more pleasure, prosperity, and fulfillment than you have ever dreamed possible. In this upbeat and eye-opening lecture, Dr. Northrup will share her cutting-edge ideas, reveal the latest research on topics such as hormone replacement, and tell you how to have the best sex of your life. Most importantly, she will provide you with a blueprint for making sure that your menopausal years are the happiest and most vibrantly healthy years of your life.

The state of our outer world, moment to moment, is a direct reflection of our inner reality including our beliefs, thoughts, and emotions. By the law of attraction, we draw toward us that which most closely matches this inner reality on all levels—regardless of what we say we believe. The power to change our environments, both inner and outer, lies first in acknowledging how we keep recreating our lives and bodies by our thoughts, beliefs, and emotions, and second, by choosing to access our inner wisdom to change our beliefs and emotions to those that support health, freedom, and joy for ourselves and for those around us.

In over 20 years of medical practice, Dr. Northrup has observed ten principles for approaching medical care—or life in general—that can, when applied consciously, enhance one's ability to heal or remain healthy, while also living a joyous and fruitful life. Although originally articulated as the "ten principals for becoming an exceptional doctor" when Dr. Northup addressed the graduating University of Vermont College of Medicine Class of 1997 at their commencement ceremony, she later realized that whether we are doctors or patients or both, we all must embrace our common humanity if we are to experience optimal health and healing. These ten principles form a roadmap for this adventure.