Mind-body healing describes a powerful system for self-transformation based on our universally shared experience of the connection between our minds and our bodies. When we are nervous about an upcoming deadline, or the illness of a family member, our anxious thoughts are accompanied by anxious bodily sensations: tension in the neck or back, butterflies in the stomach, or perhaps a headache. When we are mentally frustrated over a difficult project or irritated with someone, we also feel our frustration as a clenched jaw, tight chest, or some other sensation. When we are deeply focused, our body also feels peaceful. There is a constant interplay between what we think in our minds and the sensations or feelings that our bodies register.
Mind-body healing utilizes this connection to enable you to heal at deep levels by helping you experience how mind and body interact with each other, and using what you learn to change your physical, mental and emotional reactions to life. You may need to heal from serious physical illness or stress; you may need to heal from a vague sense of unease and frustration; or you may simply want to improve your current level of functioning. Whatever your goal, working the mind-body connection can become your most powerful and rewarding ally on the journey to greater health and life fulfillment.
Many people do not understand how transformative mind-body healing can be because they have a limited or even mistaken view of what mind-body work is. They may think of it as involving things like relaxation techniques, visualizations, and affirmations. These are mostly ways of influencing the body through the mind. While they are one aspect of mind-body healing, they barely scratch the surface of what mind-body healing is really about.
Mind-body healing is the process by which you become more connected to your body and use that connection to make choices that really work for you. For one person, that might mean learning how to use body awareness to let go of chronic physical tension related to anxiety. As a result of learning how to let go of the physical tension, the person will be able to let go of the mental anxiety as well. For another person, mind-body healing might mean learning how to reduce low back pain by becoming more aware of how she uses her body in standing, sitting, or walking. For another person, it might mean improving a golf or tennis swing by learning to breathe deeply while playing, something that automatically relaxes the muscles and improves focus. For another person, mind-body healing can mean learning how to speak assertively through controlling his body language
For someone else, mind-body healing might involve learning to get in touch with deeper feelings hidden from the conscious mind. A person doing this kind of work might learn, through connecting more to her bodily feelings that while she thought she was happy in her job, she really is not, and therefore wants to move on. In a case like this, a person recognizes that it is really the body that holds the core truths of our lives, and not the conscious mind. And this example reveals the true depth and power of mind-body healing: when we find guidance into getting more in touch with the unconscious wisdom of our bodies, we find a way to true healing. This is why, for example, some people conquer life-threatening diseases like cancer or long-term pain or neurological problems by contacting submerged feelings of fear, anger or resentment that are stored in the body, and that, if they are not recognized, owned, and transformed, contribute to a physical disease process. In cases like this, the disease is actually the deeper wisdom of the body sharing itself with you and asking you to look for your inner truth: something that most of us tend to be out of touch with until life forces us into deeper self-awareness.Every case of mind-body healing is different. What makes them all similar, however, is that in each case, a person becomes more empowered by listening more closely to how her body feels, and then working with that body awareness to make better decisions about her life. If we can get in touch with our body, we can master our life. Mind-body holistic healing teaches you how to transform your life by becoming more present to your body, and then using that sense of presence and heightened self-awareness to bring greater vitality, peace and power into your everyday experience.
Written by: Ingrid Bacci PhD, CST, an internationally recognized healer, bodyworker, author and teacher of self-empowerment.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/879914
Mind-body healing utilizes this connection to enable you to heal at deep levels by helping you experience how mind and body interact with each other, and using what you learn to change your physical, mental and emotional reactions to life. You may need to heal from serious physical illness or stress; you may need to heal from a vague sense of unease and frustration; or you may simply want to improve your current level of functioning. Whatever your goal, working the mind-body connection can become your most powerful and rewarding ally on the journey to greater health and life fulfillment.
Many people do not understand how transformative mind-body healing can be because they have a limited or even mistaken view of what mind-body work is. They may think of it as involving things like relaxation techniques, visualizations, and affirmations. These are mostly ways of influencing the body through the mind. While they are one aspect of mind-body healing, they barely scratch the surface of what mind-body healing is really about.
Mind-body healing is the process by which you become more connected to your body and use that connection to make choices that really work for you. For one person, that might mean learning how to use body awareness to let go of chronic physical tension related to anxiety. As a result of learning how to let go of the physical tension, the person will be able to let go of the mental anxiety as well. For another person, mind-body healing might mean learning how to reduce low back pain by becoming more aware of how she uses her body in standing, sitting, or walking. For another person, it might mean improving a golf or tennis swing by learning to breathe deeply while playing, something that automatically relaxes the muscles and improves focus. For another person, mind-body healing can mean learning how to speak assertively through controlling his body language
For someone else, mind-body healing might involve learning to get in touch with deeper feelings hidden from the conscious mind. A person doing this kind of work might learn, through connecting more to her bodily feelings that while she thought she was happy in her job, she really is not, and therefore wants to move on. In a case like this, a person recognizes that it is really the body that holds the core truths of our lives, and not the conscious mind. And this example reveals the true depth and power of mind-body healing: when we find guidance into getting more in touch with the unconscious wisdom of our bodies, we find a way to true healing. This is why, for example, some people conquer life-threatening diseases like cancer or long-term pain or neurological problems by contacting submerged feelings of fear, anger or resentment that are stored in the body, and that, if they are not recognized, owned, and transformed, contribute to a physical disease process. In cases like this, the disease is actually the deeper wisdom of the body sharing itself with you and asking you to look for your inner truth: something that most of us tend to be out of touch with until life forces us into deeper self-awareness.Every case of mind-body healing is different. What makes them all similar, however, is that in each case, a person becomes more empowered by listening more closely to how her body feels, and then working with that body awareness to make better decisions about her life. If we can get in touch with our body, we can master our life. Mind-body holistic healing teaches you how to transform your life by becoming more present to your body, and then using that sense of presence and heightened self-awareness to bring greater vitality, peace and power into your everyday experience.
Written by: Ingrid Bacci PhD, CST, an internationally recognized healer, bodyworker, author and teacher of self-empowerment.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/879914