Informative

Exploring the Mind-Body connection

I am doing great. I am doing fine. I am awesome. These are a few of the standard replies you give to your friends when they ask you, ‘how are you?’ 

But what if your counselor or your therapist is asking the same question? The answer might be different. If the same question is asked by your mother, father, brother, or partner, the responses vary as per the questioner. This indicates you were not sure of how you are, and that is the first signal that you need to look at the connection between your mind and body.

How we feel emotionally has a significant impact on how we feel physically. In other words, our body tries to tell us something when something is wrong emotionally. Even science supports the fact that emotional conditions have a considerable impact on the recovery of a patient suffering from chronic illness. In this blog, we will be exploring the connection between the mind and the body and how it affects our progress in spirituality. At the end of this blog, we will be sharing a few tips to strengthen the bond between your mind and body.

What is the mind-body connection?

A healthy body means being free of ailments and pain. It is possible when one is in a state of mind to do regular exercise and eat right. We can call it a healthy mind when the mind is free from stress, worry, doubts, and anxiety. Gratitude, positivity, joy, and the ability to stay present point towards a sound mind.

Whether it be exercise, eating junk food, or even how we sit, whatever we decide to do with our body, positively or negatively impacts our mental state. Whatever we think, feel, and believe has a long-lasting impact on our bodies. Our mind affects how healthy our bodies are, and our physical health depends upon the state of mind because they are tightly knitted.

Examples of mind-body connection:

World healthy world does not mean one with great muscles and physical strength. It means achieving a perfect balance between body and mind. Let’s see examples of some mind-body connections.

-When we are stressed, many of us feel an acute headache. This is how our mind affects our bodies.

 -Jogging, weight lifting, yoga or swimming, all are great stress busters, and many physicians suggest physical exercise as a part of treating depression. 

 -Many of us tend to eat our feelings whenever we feel depressed. During this pandemic, many of us must have experienced weight gain due to the stress of the pandemic and due to working from home, which is the indication of saying we are what we eat. 

 -When you have a massage or haircut or a simple pedicure, it makes you happy and feels good about yourself subconsciously because your mind and bodies are interconnected.

 -Devotees, who offer their services to the religious institutions, or people who volunteer, often experience an enormous surge of internal strength when they make a difference in the world, serving others. The surge in endorphins or happy hormones is secreted due to righteous physical hardships underlying the relationship between body and mind.  

 -Among us, who hasn’t experienced an upset stomach during exams in childhood? Whenever we feel stressed, it releases hormones called cortisol and adrenaline. In colloquial terms, stress aggregates fight or flight response. A prolonged stressful state of mind creates long-term effects on the body, such as digestive problems, weakened immune response, and a slower healing rate, indicating a troubled state of mind.

How can we keep the connection between mind and body alive?

When we are born, our mind is in complete sync with our body, but as time passes and as we get engulfed in the materialistic world, that connection deteriorates. Many things happen in our life, which disrupts our emotional well being, causing stress, sadness, or anxiety. Spirituality repairs that broken bridge between mind and body. There are various spiritual options you can explore to improve this bond.

 -Yoga is an excellent option for gaining balance, flexibility, stamina, and stamina. 

 -Reiki acupuncture helps with energy clearing.

 -Deep breathing helps to reconnect your body with your mind.

 -Praying and practice gratitude

 -Keeping a journal to record emotions.

 -Practice Tai Chi to regain the perfect balance in your muscles and gain better control over them. 

 -Try a new recipe, hike along with your friends or watch a comedy movie you love. This will generate endorphins within you, making you feel good.  

  

Meditation: Whenever people suggest practicing meditation, they always have tons of excuses, like being on a tight schedule, being preoccupied with things, or not sitting idle for just ten minutes. But meditation not only improves your mood, relaxes you, sharpens your senses, but it’s also considered as one of the best practices to reconnect with your body. All you need to do is follow these simple steps, and within a few weeks, you will be able to hear what your body and emotions are trying to signal you.

1. Get in comfortable clothes and sit in a cross-legged position in a quiet corner of your home.

 2. Close your eyes gently and take deep breaths. Inhale and exhale through your abdomen.

 3. Concentrate on your breathing. Experience how your abdomen is rising and falling as you take those deep breaths. 

 4. Starting from the toes, and going upwards, try to understand how your body is feeling. Is there tension on your shoulders? Do your legs hurt? Try to comprehend what your body is trying to say.

 5. Imagine a positive force entering your body as you are breathing, and it’s spreading it across your body. Do not prevent the thoughts that appear to you, but at the same time, do not engage with them. Let them pass without any judgment.

 6. Imagine an orange Chakra located just below the naval area on your spine. This Chakra is called Sacral Chakra or Swadhishthana Chakra. This is the center of emotions, pleasure, and balance.  

 ‘VAM NAMAH’ is the seed mantra for this Chakra. 

 7. Incorporate this Mantra chant in your meditation routine, and experience a rise in mind-body awareness.

We hope this blog helps you to gain some insight into the importance of mind–body awareness. 

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