Why is Mind-Body Connection important for our wellbeing?

Traditional western health care systems have always treated the mind and body as separate entities. For example, if you were struggling with a physical condition, then it is likely that you were treated without taking into account the impact it had on your mental health and visa versa.

Take a moment to reflect and ask yourself: When I was going through a difficulty with my health, did it affect my whole being?

In most cases I can imagine the answer to this is yes. Nowadays, we are moving towards a more holistic approach to health treatment. In this approach there is an understanding of the interconnection between your physical and mental health.

Let’s start by exploring a physical ailment such as chronic pain in your body. A Mind-Body approach would spend time exploring your emotional response to the pain and when it first started. Often pain in the body is linked to an unprocessed emotional response to something that’s happened. When the body undergoes a traumatic event, it will trigger the fight, flight or freeze response as a way of keeping you safe. When the body can’t activate the response, the sensations get trapped in your nervous system. The body’s trauma response is usually to disconnect and dissociate in a way of protecting itself. This can alienate you even further from your body and make it difficult to manage your emotions. For those that have experienced trauma, starting to build a relationship with your body can be a terrifying and challenging process.

My journey into the Mind-Body connection was through experiencing burnout at work. I was feeling physically unwell, at times feeling dizziness and generally exhausted. My body was telling me I needed to slow down, take a break. I continued, without taking much notice. I wasn’t practising self-care; I was too focused on the tasks ahead and prioritising the things I thought I needed to do. After months of my body trying to send me a message, when my mental health deteriorated, I finally got this message loud and clear: I needed to make some lifestyle changes to support myself. I started doing self-care regularly and prioritised my health. This led me to practising yoga and mindfulness, which has been deeply healing for me, through building my own resilience.

I am sure some of you can relate to feelings of burnout or not yet prioritising your health. Maybe you have felt the signs but have not yet listened. Through my work at Mind To Movement, I help support you to become aware of your body. Working in this way is where the transformation takes place. It helps you to feel more grounded, more balanced and more in control of your life. My mission is to help you gently start to form this relationship. To help you connect with your body, to see it as a home; to carry you through this journey of life.

The easiest way to access your body is through the breath. When you are stressed or anxious the muscles tighten making it harder to breathe. Slowing down your breathing stimulates the parasympathetic nervous system, which helps to calm your body. Through becoming aware of your breath, you can use it as a tool when over-thinking to connect to your body. Start by finding a comfortable place to sit, away from the noise and distractions of outside world. I find it helpful to close my eyes to connect even deeper within myself. Bring awareness to your inhale; feel the breath moving in through your nostrils, feel your belly expand as you take the full inhale; it sometimes helps to place a hand on stomach to really feel into this. As you exhale slowly release the breath through your nostrils, feeling your belly soften and the muscles relax. Try this for a few minutes staying with your breath. Staying with your inhale, following it all the way down to your belly and staying with the exhale as you feel the breath leave. After a few minutes, ask yourself: how am I feeling now? Can I notice any physical or emotional changes?

Now more than ever is a time for us to really focus on connecting with ourselves and find new ways to cope. It is a challenging time for all; many of us are feeling overwhelmed, stressed and burnout. No matter where you are now, that’s okay. I believe in the body being our best teacher; when you are ready - your body will let you know.