The link between the mind and the body is undeniable but, sometimes, we ourselves are in charge of separating these two elements. This dichotomy is often so radical that, at times, we can almost feel our mind floating above our body, completely absent.
The most common thing is that this happens when we pay more attention to our mind, since it is the container of our emotions (and no less important, our decisions) and it is difficult not to succumb to all the storms that are unleashed in it. However, while we are alive, the mind is still inescapably linked to the body: the worst disorders and links to the body come precisely from forgetting this, and from allowing the separation between the two to become greater and greater.
The best thing is, then, that we restart the dialogue between the mind and the container that contains it. There are hundreds of ways to do this, but here we want to show you ways to achieve it based on syncretic knowledge: that is, practices that do not exclude the spirit, but that are based on knowledge linked to neuroscientific research and that contribute to attacking the problem. . That way you will be able to guide yourself in the paths of this reconnection and you will know what you have to modify.
We are nothing but a bunch of neurons. (Abhijit Naskar)
A group of American neurologists found, in a 2016 study, the bases of the mind-body neuronal connection. This is the neural network that connects the cerebral cortex with the adrenal medulla (responsible for the body responding quickly in times of stress), a link that demonstrates how depression, stress and other mental states directly alter bodily function. .
Studies like this have led neurologists to delve deeper into these links and how, by understanding them, we can find new ways of living. According to many scientists, it is possible to have greater cognitive control. An example is poor posture, which we can correct with exercises, but it is essential that we are aware beforehand that there is a lack of understanding between the cerebellum and the muscles (both responsible for the balance of our body), which is causing the imbalance. , as posturologist Mat Boulé explains. If we do not know that bad posture is not only due to posture but also to poor communication between mind and body, we will not be able to fix it.
That’s why yoga, Pilates, and other practices are so useful for connecting the mind with the body. By requiring physical work and concentration, they help us collect the fragments of the broken bond between us.
Embodied emotions
The above lays the foundations for another relevant question. Indeed, emotions seem to develop through the complex relationship between various elements that are linked in the brain, such as hormones, neurotransmitters and the neurons themselves. In turn, these elements affect the body directly; for example, by regulating processes such as metabolism or those developed by the adrenal medulla.
Therefore, stress (as this beautiful animation shows) is part of mental states that can cause various physical disorders. But not all of them are negative: the benefits of stress have recently been studied.
Thus, the body and its balance with the mind is more complex than we might think. Various neurologists, such as Alex Korb, have also raised the importance of knowing why the brain generates certain emotions. Korb found that the feeling of shame is generated in the amygdala, but that it is also stimulated when we achieve something.
In this way, it is demonstrated that regulating our emotions is not easy, since to begin with they are not bad or good a priori. If we add to this that emotions transform our reality (since the way we feel inside is something that can shape the outside), there is no doubt that there is a connection between the mind and the body, which involves internal and external planes, that we should know in greater depth.
But once we have taken a look at these psychic and physical implications, there will be steps to take to know what language to use to engage in mind-body dialogue again.
just relax
In truth, you won’t be able to change anything if you don’t first get the energy to flow again in other ways. The tension in your body is largely caused because your mind sends stress to various parts of the body; and if there is tension there is resistance, something that will not allow the dialogue to flow.
You’ve probably already heard the solution to this, but we won’t tire of saying it: learn to breathe. Do it at different times of the day: inhaling, holding the breath and exhaling, as you can last: maybe 5 seconds each step. Repeat for several minutes, and you will notice the change.
Relax your body, and the rest of you will light up. (Haruki Murakami)
Reconnect
As we said at the beginning, we live most of the time in the mind. Therefore, just giving your body a few minutes can help you know what it wants to tell you. You can try to pay attention to it once a day, and notice how much attention you can pay and what changes this simple step leads to. You will surely notice a greater connection between your body and your mind.
Invisible threads are the strongest knots. (Friedrich Nietzsche)
Locate the stress
Once you have done the first two, you will begin to locate where the stress is. When you are aware of the knots of tension in the body, you can investigate their origin: be the detective in search of your inner wisdom, to undo those knots once and for all. Think: what emotions provoke them, and why? Remember that they are your embodied emotions, and that everything you feel you can regulate by working with yourself.
I admit. I confess. I confront. These are my three phrases to live without stress. (Bhavik Sarkhedi)
Your body is on your side, you just have to want to understand it. So learn his language and communicate with him.
*Main photography: Laura Makabresku