Body Mind Connection

Incongruency in mind and body can create dis-ease

1. Healthy Mind Healthy Body
Our Mind affects our Body

2. Quotes
•Romans: ‘mens sana in corpore
sano’ which means a healthy mind
in a healthy body’
•Dr. Norman Shealy: ‘The root cause
of 85% of illness is related to
emotional or psychological issues.’
•Irene Claremont de
Castillejo:’Emotion always has its
roots in the unconscious and
manifests itself in the body.’

3. BodyMind language
The language the bodymind uses is
surprisingly simple to understand.
Unearthing the inner conflict is the
first step; dealing with that inner
conflict and transforming it from
conflict to resolution and peace is
what enables healing to take place.
- Debbie Shapiro

4. Mind-Body Connection
In the past, studying of the mind is
mainly the province of religion
whereas study of the body is for the
science and medical profession.
But ancient healing practices, TCM
and Ayurveda have already
emphasized the important link
between Mind and Body.

5. Mind-Body Connection- contd
In 1954, the American Society of
Psychosomatic Medicine was founded.
Though psychosomatic can also be
termed as mind-body, it has been
considered by most to mean “all in the
head” and thus lost its favour. In the
1980s, George Solomon introduced
the field of psychoneuroimmunology
which set the stage for mind-body
medicine.

6. Stress affect our body
Reacting to stress, fight or flight
response, adrenaline and cortisol are
produced.
Constant high levels of cortisol will
affect our hippocampus, the part of
our brain where we store our memory,
and also weaken many types of body
tissues.

7. Stress affect our body-contd
Over secretion of adrenaline can result
in insomnia and jittery nerves.
Stress is also the one of the leading
cause of anxiety.

8. Thoughts affect our body
Dr. Candace Pert, a neurophysicist,
along with countless colleagues, has
been mapping the brain and pathways
of something called neuropeptides
through the body. After 15 years of
research, she and her colleagues form
one conclusion. The thoughts
themselves invoke chemical reactions
in the brain, called neuropeptides.

9. Thoughts affect our body - contd
The neuropeptides then flow to
different parts of the body, influencing
it on a physical level. Since the brain is
an equal opportunity employer, it
does not discriminate as to whether
the thought is useful or not. It will
process a beneficial thought just as
easily as one that is not.
‘Emotions are the currency of
exchange between mind and body’ –
Dr. Candace Pert

10. How emotions affect our body
Neuropeptides travel along the
nervous cells throughout the body.
This is how the brain ‘talks’ to the
body. Thus if our brain perceive anger,
fear or depression, every immune cell
of the body knows that very quickly.

11. How words affect our body
When a negative word is used, it
causes a negative reaction to the body
resulting in a range of chemical
reactions in the brain which then
triggers a response. Constant
repetition of negative words will instill
in our mind that we are failures,
worthless and stupid. Gradually, we
will begin to believe this with
manifestation in our body and life.

12. Examples of negative
words/emotions affecting body
A person with low self-esteem (either
being put down by others or self) tends
to have a stooped posture.
Someone who thinks his boss is a pain
in the neck, may soon acquire a neck
pain.
And a person who thinks s/he is
carrying too much burden or
responsibility, may have a constant
ache in the shoulders.

13. Resources
•Healing Mind, Healing Body – Debbie Shapiro
•Your body speaks your mind – Debbie Shapiro
•Deadly Emotions – Don Colbert
•Molecules of Emotion – Candace B. Pert
•Your body believes every word you say –
Barbara Hoberman Levine
•You can heal your life – Louise L. Hay