The mind body connection is something that I utilise in all my work and I take it for granted to the extent that I often forget to talk about it, even though it’s at the heart of everything I do. People can think that as a ‘Thought Gardener’ my work is all about helping people to cultivate healthy ways of thinking and overcome issues such as overwhelm, doubt, low confidence or anxiety. Whilst that is part of what I do, a lot of my work also helps with people’s physical health issues (and pet’s health issues too).
So, what IS the mind body connection?
To me, mind body connection is the acknowledgement that the mind and body are connected, that our thoughts can affect our physical body and physical well-being. For example, it’s become widely acknowledged that mental or emotional stress e.g. from work stress, can affect our physical health and make us more susceptible to stress related diseases, such as heart conditions.
To explore the history of how people became aware of this connection and how our mind and emotions play a critical role in our health, this is a useful article.
http://www.bravewell.org/integrative_medicine/philosophical_foundation/mind_and_body_connection/
In a nutshell, our patterns of thoughts and beliefs can affect our physical well-being and can either inspire us greater health or drag us into poor health.
I first became aware of this when in my early 20s I developed IBS (Irritable Bowel Syndrome), which was stress related … and was brought on by the stress of recent changes in my work and living situation at the time.
It took me a while to make the connection between my physical symptoms and my mental and emotional state of mind, yet I began to see a pattern emerging and noticed that stress triggered my physical symptoms.
Why is it useful to know about?
As I explain in this week’s video, when we realise that we have the power to affect our physical well-being and health conditions by using the power of our minds, it opens up amazing possibilities for our healing and health. Great examples of this are the placebo and nocebo effects (see this week’s video for a very quick explanation of them).
Our minds can play a key role in accelerating physical healing, in warding off stress related conditions, in bouncing back quickly from illness or injury. You don’t always even have to focus on the physical condition. By soothing your emotional response to the issue you can reduce the physical impact, as I share about in the video, when I talk about how using EFT tapping for my partner’s flashbacks from an accident helped him re-gain his range of movement as well as eliminating his flashbacks.
Once you ‘get’ the idea that you can help yourself to better health (and wealth and success too) by changing how you think, feel and respond to what’s going on in your life, you’ll never look back.
How can I use it to my advantage?
It really is a case of mind over matter, of not buying into your current issues or limitations.
We can utilise a variety of techniques, such as meditation, visualisation, EFT tapping and mind set exercises (such as positive thinking) to consciously improve our health and situations. I have may examples of EFT tapping and positive thinking techniques in my blog posts and videos. (My free Positive EFT video series is also a great resource that demonstrates how to use the power of your mind and energy to help you feel great.)
Here’s a quick example of mind over matter. If I do ever get digestive upset now, I use the EFT tapping to soothe it away and to soothe any upset or frustration around it. I get relief in a matter of minutes, how great is that?
Even just taking a minute to consciously focus your attention on something positive can be effective, as I demonstrate in the exercise below.
Mind body Exercise:
1.Take a moment to notice your body.
Are there areas of tension or is it totally relaxed?
Is your breathing shallow or deep?
Are there any areas of discomfort?
Now check to see if your mind is racing or quiet?
Are you feeling neutral or do you have positive or negative emotions?
2. Now think of a really happy memory, one that instantly brings a smile to your face.
Really tune into that memory, the sights, the smells, the sounds and how it felt.
Keep that memory active for at least 30 seconds, playing it over in your mind and re-living that experience.
3. Now tune back into your body.
Does it feel any different than before you thought of the happy memory?
Are there still of tension or is it totally relaxed?
Is your breathing now shallow or deep?
Are there still some areas of discomfort?
Is your mind now racing or quiet?
Are you feeling neutral or do you have positive or negative emotions?
Many people find that even 30 seconds of focusing their mind positively is enough to affect their mood and the state of their body, reducing stress and tension and promoting positive feelings.
How did you get on?
Let me know in the comments section below this post.
Video
In this week’s video I share about my fascination with the mind body connection, including one fact that really amazed me and a reminder about nurturing your body directly too.
Click here or on the image below to watch.
Over to you
If you tried the exercise, let me know how you got on.
I’d also love to hear your stories about how you use the power of your mind to improve your health.
I just adore showing people how to use the power of their minds and energy to improve their lives. If you would like my personal assistance in overcoming your health challenges, so you can truly thrive, contact me and we’ll see how I can help. I work with clients worldwide via skype and phone.
Thank you.
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