Mind-Body Communication

Mind-Body Communication
Advances in identifying the biological mechanisms of mind-body communication confirm that the mind can affect health in powerful ways.

Joy, creativity and contentment lead to a state of mind-body harmony, which we experience as bodily health and subjective well being.

Fear, anxiety, stress and depression contribute to mind-body disharmony, which increase risks for a variety of illnesses, impedes healing and fosters a sense that life is difficult and unpleasant.

Nerve cells in the brain’s thought and feeling centers connect to other nerve cells in the brain and body, hormone-producing tissues and organs and immune cells throughout the body.

In this way, mental activity is able to influence many of the body’s physiological processes and maintain homeostasis.

A classic method for using the mind to later bodily functions is biofeedback.

This method employs a recording device to facilitate learned self-control of physiological activities.

The recording device is connected to a region of the body and information without biological activity in that region is “fed back” on a screen or by means of a sound to the person in whose body the activity is taking place.

Using this visual or auditory information about the activity, the person can learn to control the activity in a desired way.

Biofeedback has been used successfully to treat more than 150 medical conditions, including high blood pressure, back pain, panic attacks, and headaches.

Biofeedback also can be used to produce changes about a state of relaxation.
Mind-Body Communication

Positive Mind

Positive Mind
Many people believe that good health is related primarily to proper nutrition and physical fitness.

Whereas both are vital to health, the most important factor that determines your state of health is your mind.

Positive thoughts about yourself and others and positive emotions such as contentment and love contribute to vitality, optimism and joy which can motivate living healthfully, aid healing and recovery from illness and injury and increase longevity.

Negative thoughts and emotions contribute to depression, pessimism and decreased health and longevity.

In Western culture, they are accustomed to thinking of health and healing in terms of dugs, medical treatments and surgery.

In other cultures, past and present, health and healing are accomplished by mental processes such as faith, magic and spiritual practices.

Even in our culture we recognize that attitudes play an important role in promoting health and recovering from illness.

All physicians are aware that a person’s attitude greatly affects the probability of recovery from illness.

The mind affects health and well being because the mind and body make up a single, unified organism. No body exists without a mind; no mind exists without a body.

The mind and body communicate with each other by means of the nervous, endocrine (hormone), and immune systems, allowing thoughts, beliefs and feelings to change body chemistry and physiology.
Positive Mind

Beautiful Body Beautiful Mind

Healthy Mind

What is beauty? Is it the emaciated model strutting down the catwalk? The muscle-bound man flexing for the passing females, perhaps? Or the young woman who's overly made-up face testifies to the falsehood that beauty can be obtained from a jar?

The adage "Beauty is more than just skin deep" is, in fact, more than just an old saying; it's truth.

Beauty cannot be obtained simply by slapping on colors and textures to the skin. It is a reflection of health. And not just the health of the body, but of the mind and spirit, as well. In short, beauty is a reflection of total inner health.

Keeping up a positive attitude, helping others, and spreading joy has its own rewards. One of those is the beauty reflected in the countenance of such persons. But these qualities don't always come naturally, and must be worked at. Looking and feeling beautiful go hand in hand.

Sometimes, in order to feel more beautiful, one needs to look more beautiful. Yet some people are unable to look more beautiful until they feel more beautiful.

There is, however, a way to encourage inner beauty to the surface. True beauty comes from inner nourishment. A positive attitude and helping others nourishes the spirit. Education and higher learning nourishes the mind. And natural foods, herbs, and supplements nourish the body. In fact, there are a wide variety of nutrients that can bring out that inner beauty we all have, and make it shine like a beacon for all to enjoy.

Healthy Mind