There is a growing appreciation of the potential power of the mind body connection. Organizations such as the Australian Institute of Sport (AIS) invest a significant proportion of their training of their elite athletes to ensure a strong mindset under duress, getting in the zone and maintaining mental acuity during to unexpected setbacks.
We see the mind body relationship play out in our daily lives. We watch a suspenseful movie and our heart starts racing, we watch a sad movie and we shed a tear, we think of the taste of a sour lemon and our mouth waters.
It makes sense that the body and mind are finely attuned to each other to ensure our survival. It’s instinctive, innate and accessible to all of us.
Our mind body intelligence system is inextricably linked
The earlier part of my career was focused on providing nurturing support in the form of Remedial Massage. There was a time that I considered becoming an acupuncturist to augment the efficacy of my treatments but I was so enthralled by the transformative power of touch. With physical contact people seemed to be able to let go of some of the external pressures, they would feel tension in areas that they were previously unaware of and over time form a more respectful bond with their body.
They would be kinder to their bodies, nourish themselves with good food, strengthen it with exercise and rest more. Seemingly unrelated they became happier, experienced improved confidence, managed stress better, had less conflict and greater clarity.
When the body’s needs are positively attended to the mind is likewise nourished
When I began delving into the mental health arena I immediately noticed that the processes that netted faster progress for people incorporated the physical. Things like dance therapy, breathwork, chanting and experiential processes seemed to integrate the knowledge gained with greater permanence.
As I formalised my academic qualifications I came across the Bio-Psycho-Social Model of mental health that encourages practitioners to gain a foundational understanding of what is happening in the body, mind and social environment of the client. It is expected that a significant imbalance in any of these areas may seriously compromise a clients progress.
So while we pump up the power music to get ourselves motivated at the gym or do a boxing class to rid ourselves of stress lets start to deliberately build a mind body plan to minimise stress and maximise happiness.
“…the rhythm of the body, the melody of the mind, and the harmony of the soul create the symphony of life.”
B.K.S. Iyengar
I will get you started and I would love to hear your suggestions too
The Mind
- Meditate daily. Start with 3 minutes and build from there
- Reflect upon your achievements to build a success mindset
- Count your blessings
- Feed your mind with the wisdom of great leaders
- Choose a focus and follow through. Whether it be a puzzle, a crossword or a project following things through from conception to completion will lead to improved confidence
- Be your word. It builds self trust and reliability
- Breathe deeply, it has a direct and immediate calming effect
The Body
- Move it daily. Even five to ten minutes is a valuable investment
- Take a bath, preferably with Epsom salts to ease physical and emotional tension
- Jiggle! It sounds silly and you may want to do this alone. It stimulates the lymphatic system thereby improving physical well being and gives your nervous system a mini massage
- Feed it with healthy and nourishing foods, think soups, smoothies and bone broth
- Nurture it with a massage, facial or sauna
- Supplement with good quality vitamins and minerals
- Thank it! Our bodies work often tirelessly for us and it’s easy to forget how lucky we are to have fully functioning healthy bodies
It has been said that if you want to heal the body work on the mind and to heal the mind you need to work on the body. By nurturing both you have the greatest opportunity to free yourself up to enjoy life mind, body and soul.
If your mind or body is in need of some nurturing call 0419 101 665 for a free 15 minute consultation.
