There is an intricate connection between the mind, the body and the spirit. We as humans are complex to say the least and some of our complexity may forever be a mystery. However, as science has explored the intricacies and elaborateness of our various systems, much has been discovered and new thinking has replaced prior thinking in how we look at and treat the vastly complex system that is our mind, our body and our spirit.
The health of the body has a profound impact on our thoughts and our emotions. Anyone who has suffered a long bout of the flu can attest to getting mentally depressed and emotionally frustrated. An example of how physical health affects the emotions is a woman experiencing hormonal imbalances who will report her emotions are all over the board – she may feel happy one moment and angry the next.
Conversely, our thoughts and emotions affect the health of the body. Cellular biologist, Bruce Lipton, Ph.D. in his book, the “Biology of Belief” shares his research which shows that genes and DNA do not control our biology – instead DNA is controlled by signals outside the cell including energetic messages emanating from our positive and negative thoughts. Hence it is important to focus the mind on the positive. Since we have approximately 70,000 thoughts per day, this may seem like a daunting task but there are many tools like affirmations and meditation which can help focus the mind and change our thought patterns. Another challenge in addressing the mind is that 90% of the mind is the subconscious mind. Fortunately, there are a number of techniques and therapies which can be used to make the unconscious conscious thereby opening the door for transformation to begin.
Neuroscientist, Candace B. Pert, Ph.D., was a major contributor to the area of Mind-Body medicine and did a lot of research on how the emotions act like drugs in the brain and body and store memories. In her book, “Molecules of Emotion,” she states that “why we feel the way we feel is the result and harmony of our own molecules of emotion that affect every aspect of our physiology, producing good health or miserable disease. Consequently, it is important to heal the causes of our negative emotions as they will affect our physical health and our mental health. Again, there are many tools available to heal the emotions so we can enjoy good health on all levels.
The last aspect of the mind – body – spirit connection is spirit. The human spirit is stronger, more elegant and more resilient than anything else. This spirit is what enables us as humans to transcend our limitations and achieve the impossible; whether that be survive atrocities like the holocaust or swim from Cuba to Florida, like Diana Nyad did at the age of 64. You do not have to be religious or even spiritual to believe in the human spirit as we can all relate to a time when we had to connect with something greater than ourselves to survive a challenge or transcend the ordinary against all odds. Some people find this connection through religious beliefs and others find it through music, art, the mystery of nature, meditation, values and principles, science, exercise, dance, meditation, etc. Our connection may not only be the way we find meaning in life but the way we develop important tools like hope, faith, courage, strength, love, and inner peace. Tools we need to navigate the many twists and turns of life. Studies in the field of psychoneuroimmunology are demonstrating the effects of the mind and spirit in healing the body. Dr. H. Steven Greer conducted several studies; including a 15 year follow up on women with breast cancer and found evidence that attitude is linked to duration and survival of cancer. Research such as this has led the traditional medical community to acknowledge the importance of the human spirit in health and healing and to use a more holistic approach.
Now that science is proving what the ancients knew- the importance of addressing the mind-body-spirit connection in healing and transformation, many people are exploring and incorporating alternative and complementary therapies. If you are interested in learning more on how to address the mind-body-spirit connection using energetic medicine, click here.