Have you ever wondered why when times are tough,
people often seem to get the flu? Why is it that a day behind the phone gives
you a neck ache, but a day of irritating or antagonistic phone calls seems to
make your neck so much worse? The fact is that there is an undeniable
connection between the mind and the body.
Both mind and body are continuously affecting one another. As that phone call proceeds, swarms of electrical impulses whiz down nerves at break neck speed, creating a flood of hormones that are absorbed by the cells in our body. We don't just think that we are irritated; we physically feel that we are irritated. Similarly, our body is constantly subjected to attack from hosts of microscopic invaders, some of us malnourished, and some of us need more exercise. Bodies that are well nourished and exercised have better capacity to produce more of the brain chemicals that make us feel good. The further you delve into the mind-body connection, the more you are inclined to realize that by developing effective physical and mental coping mechanisms the better chance you have of functioning as a well adjusted person in a constantly stressful society.
If you exclude the fact that your medicine cabinet my be inundated with supplements and vitamins, and you try to eat the mandatory one item of fruit per day, while attempting a few glasses of water and confronting the daunting prospect of going to the local cacophonic gym in order to wind down your day; you may be asking what else can be done to further your quest for good health. Clearly we have not addressed the mind side of the mind-body continuum yet. I am not including your monthly dose of therapy, or the attempt to follow the advice of our many new age gurus that implore us to think positively. In many instances all this does is to put a plaster over a well of stress and worry, or at worse produces a flood of guilt, driven by the fact that you know you should think positively, but are too overwhelmed by the life that dominates your conscious mind. I am talking about a genuine attempt to address the deep seated emotional triggers that activate the health damaging chemical storm that affects our bodies, especially under times of stress.
A first simple step is simply to acknowledge that it is possible. It is possible to address the various aspects of the mind to make a significant impact on the health of your body – I can do this too. In fact there is a growing school of scientific evidence to say that it is possible to achieve this. Scientists call this science Psychoneuroimmunology (PNI), the link between the psyche, the neurological system (brain and central nervous system) and the immune system. This science is often illustrated best, by the capacity of people suffering from so called auto immune related disorders to drive the disease into remission, or in some cases to live in harmony with the disease. There are cases of tumors disappearing in the absence of chemotherapy. Likewise there are individuals that have managed to come to terms with the fact that the HI virus has found a home in their body and are commonly regarded as long term survivors, all things considered there people are more like long term thrivers. But PNI, need not only apply to diseases like cancer, HIV or Chronic fatigue syndrome. Many people suffer from more common day to day mind-body related ailments: neck aches, head aches, migraines and ulcers - ailments that are far less daunting but also have a direct relationship with stress and lifestyle. The message is simple: It's possible.
It's possible, but do you know how the so called ailment operates in your body? What triggers it, where does it reside and what switches it off? While you are reading this, STOP, don't move a muscle! Take stock of how you are sitting, how do your toes feel, can you feel the pressure of your backside on the seat, what angle is your shoulder at, how about your neck? Is there is one place where tension in you body is at its highest? If you examine that exact place, which part of it carries the most tension, the middle to the left, to the right, deep inside or on the surface? Can you pin point the exact spot? Now what does it need to let go? If you imagine it, what characteristics would it have? Would it be a specific colour, a specific shape or temperature? Does it have a name? You may notice that the mind has graphic or auditory representations of feelings within our body. Now think back to various times of the day, when is this feeling the strongest? If it had an on/off switch what event would switch it on immediately?
We have not explored the importance of breathing, posture or the importance of spiritualism in your life. Nor have we considered the impact of having a true life purpose, and its effect on your body. For now get curious and play and enjoy.
Should you be interested in exploring this topic further Fevertree is proud to announce that we are now offering training in this field for individuals, groups and corporates.
Click here to see products that assist the immune system.
Also coming soon: Living with Ease a workshop, which creates everyday self regulating tools for common occupational ailments, stress, posture and the immune system. this workshop has been designd specifically for companies and large groups in the workplace.
Read about the mind, body herb connection