Debbie Shapiro: The body reflects everything that happens in the mind. © Debbie Shapiro from The Mind Heals the Body The Mind Heals the Body read online

FROM THE BOOK "THE MIND HEALS THE BODY":

Human health is the result of a complex complex mutual influence of the spiritual and bodily "parts" of the body. The book tells in detail and intelligibly how their interaction takes place at different levels, what can and what needs to be done in order to maintain or correct it, and therefore ensure a happy longevity without illness and decrepitude.

I dedicate this book to all my teachers,
both past and present, including
to my husband, Eddie Brahmananda Shapiro.
Thank you.

Chapter 1
A RESERVOIR OF GREAT WISDOM

Any stubborn thought responds in the human body.
Walt Whitman

In virtually all of the excellent writings on medicine and healing, one basic concept is often omitted, apparently as irrelevant. It is the relationship between the mind and the body that probably directly affects the state of health and our ability to recover. The fact that these relationships do exist and are very important is only now beginning to be recognized; deeper than their true meaning for man, we still have to know and accept. Only when we study the unusual relationships between all aspects of our personality (our needs, unconscious reactions, repressed emotions, desires and fears) and the functioning of the physiological systems of the body, their ability to self-regulate, only then will we begin to clearly understand how great is the wisdom of our body. . Having extremely complex systems and functions, the human body shows boundless intelligence and compassion, constantly giving us the means to further self-knowledge, confront unforeseen situations and go beyond our subjectivity. The unconscious energies underlying our every action manifest in the same way as conscious thoughts and feelings.

To understand this body-mind connection, we must first understand that the body and mind are one. Usually we consider our own body as something that we carry with us (often not quite what we would like). This "something" is easily damaged, needs training, regular food and water intake, a certain amount of sleep and periodic checks. When something goes wrong, it gets us into trouble and we take our body to the doctor, believing that he or she can "fix" it faster and better. Something broke - and we fix this "something" motionlessly, as if it were an inanimate object, devoid of reason. If the body functions well, we feel happy, cheerful and energetic. If not, we become irritable, frustrated, depressed, overwhelmed with self-pity.

This view of the body seems to be annoyingly limited. He denies the complexity of the energies that determine the integrity of our organism - energies that are continuously communicated and flow into each other, depend on our thoughts, feelings and physiological functions of various parts of our being. There is no difference between what goes on in our minds and what goes on in our bodies. Therefore, we cannot exist apart from the body in which our life is contained. Please note: in English language to refer to someone significant, the word “somebody” is used, which means both “someone” and “important person”, while an insignificant person is defined by the word “nobody”, that is, “nobody”, or “insignificant stvo". Our bodies are us. The state of our being is the direct result of the interaction of the many aspects of existence. The expression "My hand hurts" is equivalent to the expression "The pain inside me manifests itself in my hand." What expresses pain in the hand is no different from the verbal expression of dysphoria or embarrassment. To say that there is a difference is to ignore an integral part of the whole human being. To treat only the hand means to ignore the source of the pain that manifested itself in the hand. To deny the body-mind connection is to deny the opportunity that the body gives us: to see, acknowledge and eliminate inner pain.

The effect of body-mind interaction is easy to demonstrate. It is known that the feeling of anxiety or anxiety for any reason can lead to indigestion, constipation or headache, to accidents. It has been proven that stress can lead to stomach ulcers or heart attacks; that depression and longing make our bodies heavy and lethargic—we have little energy, we lose our appetite or eat too much, we feel back pain or tension in our shoulders. Conversely, the feeling of joy and happiness increases our vitality and energy: we need less sleep and feel alert, we are less prone to colds and other infectious diseases, as our bodies become healthy and, therefore, better resist them. One can better understand the "mind of the body" if one tries to see all aspects of physical and psychological life. We must learn to understand that everything that happens to our physical body must be controlled by us, that we are not just victims and should not suffer at all until the pain passes. Everything that we experience within the body is an integral part of our total existence.

The concept of the "mind of the body" is based on the belief in the unity and integrity of every human being. Although the integrity of the individual is due to many different aspects, they cannot be isolated from each other. They are in constant interaction with each other, knowing everything about each other at any moment. The “mind of the body” formula reflects psychological and somatic harmony: the body is just a crude manifestation of the subtlety of the mind. “The skin is inseparable from emotions, emotions are inseparable from the back, the back is inseparable from the kidneys, the kidneys are inseparable from the will and desires, the will and desires are inseparable from the spleen, and the spleen is inseparable from sexual intimacy,” wrote Diana Conelli in the book “Traditional acupuncture: The Law of the Five Elements” (Dianne Connelly “Traditional Acupuncture: The Law of the Five Elements”).

The complete unity of body and mind is reflected in states of health and disease. Each of them is a means by which the "mind of the body" informs us about what is happening under the bodily shell. For example, an illness or an accident often coincides in time with significant changes in life: moving to new apartment, a new marriage or a change of job. Internal conflicts during this period easily unbalance us, resulting in a feeling of uncertainty and fear. We become open and defenseless against any bacteria or viruses. At the same time, illness gives us a respite, the time needed to rebuild and adapt to changing circumstances. Illness tells us to stop doing things: it gives us space in which we can reconnect with the parts of ourselves that we have lost touch with. It also puts into perspective the meaning of our relationships and communication. This is how the wisdom of the mind of the body in action is manifested, the mind and body constantly influence each other and work together. The transmission of signals from the mind to the body is carried out through a complex system that includes the blood circulation, nerves, and many hormones that are produced by the endocrine glands. This extremely complex process is regulated by the pituitary gland and hypothalamus. The hypothalamus is a small area of ​​the brain that controls many bodily functions, including thermoregulation and heart rate, as well as the activity of the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems. Numerous nerve fibers from all over the brain converge in the hypothalamus, whereby psychological and emotional activity is associated with bodily functions. For example, the vagal nerve from the hypothalamus goes straight to the stomach - hence the stomach problems caused by stress or anxiety. Other nerves run to the thymus and spleen, organs that produce immune cells and regulate their function.

The immune system has a huge potential for protection, rejecting everything that can be harmful to us, but it is also subordinated to the brain through the nervous system. Therefore, she directly suffers from mental stress. When we are exposed to severe stress of any kind, the adrenal cortex releases hormones that destroy the brain-immunity communication system, suppressing the immune system and leaving us vulnerable to disease. Stress is not the only factor that can trigger such a reaction. Negative emotions - repressed or prolonged anger, hatred, bitterness or depression, as well as loneliness or bereavement - can also depress the immune system by stimulating the hyper-secretion of these hormones.

The limbic system is located in the brain, represented by a set of structures, including the hypothalamus. It performs two main functions: it regulates autonomic activity, for example, maintains the body's water balance, the activity of the gastrointestinal tract and the secretion of hormones, and in addition, it integrates human emotions: sometimes it is even called the "nest of emotions." Limbic activity connects our emotional state with the endocrine system, thus playing a leading role in the relationship between body and mind. Limbic activity and the functioning of the hypothalamus are directly regulated by the cerebral cortex, which is responsible for all forms of intellectual activity, including thinking, memory, perception and understanding.

It is the cerebral cortex that begins to “sound the alarm” in case of perception of any life-threatening activity. (Perception does not always correspond to a true threat to life. For example, stress is perceived by the body as a mortal danger, even if we think it is not). The alarm signal affects the structures of the limbic system and the hypothalamus, which, in turn, affect the secretion of hormones, the functioning of the immune and nervous systems. Since all this warns of danger and prepares for a meeting with it, it is not surprising that the body does not have time to rest. All this leads to muscle tension, nervous confusion, spasm of blood vessels, disruption of the functioning of organs and cells.

In order not to fall into a state of anxiety when reading these lines, one should remember that such a reaction is not caused by the event in itself, but by our attitude towards it. As Shakespeare said, "Things in themselves are neither good nor bad, they are only in our imagination." Stress is our psychological reaction to an event, not the event itself. The alarm system is triggered not by a wave of anger or despair that quickly and easily disappears from memory, but by the accumulating action of constant or long-term suppressed negative emotions. The longer the unreacted mental state persists, the more harm it can cause, depleting the resistance of the "mind of the body" and continuously spreading flows of negative information.

However, there is always an opportunity to change this state, because we can always work on ourselves and move from simple reactivity to conscious responsibility, from subjectivity to objectivity. For example, if we are constantly exposed to noise at home or at work, we may respond with increased irritability, headaches, and increased blood pressure; at the same time, we can objectively assess the situation and try to find a positive solution. The message that we convey to our body - irritation or acceptance - is the signal to which it will respond. The repetition of negative mental patterns and attitudes, such as anxiety, guilt, jealousy, anger, constant criticism, fear, etc., can cause us much more harm than any external situation. Our entire nervous system is under the control of the "central regulating factor," the control center which in man is called the personality. In other words, all situations in our life are neither negative nor positive - they exist in their own right. And only our personal attitude determines their belonging to a particular category.

Our bodies reflect everything that has happened and experienced by us, all movements, satisfaction of needs and actions; we contain everything that happened to us. The body really captures everything that has been experienced before: events, emotions, stresses and pains are locked inside the body shell. A good therapist who understands the mind of the body can read the entire history of a person's life, looking at his physique and posture, observing his free or constrained movements, noting areas of tension, as well as the features of past injuries and illnesses. Our bodies become a walking autobiography, body features reflecting our experiences, traumas, worries, anxieties, and relationships. The characteristic posture - when one stands humbled, the other stands upright, ready to defend - is formed in early youth and is "embedded" in our primordial structure. To think that the body is a mechanical system acting in isolation is to miss the point. It means denying yourself the source of great wisdom that is available at all times.

Just as the body reflects everything that happens in the mind of a person, so the mind experiences pain and discomfort when the body suffers. The universal law of karma of cause and effect cannot be avoided. Every phenomenon of human life must have its cause. Each manifestation of human physicality must be preceded by a certain way of thinking or emotional status. Paramahansa Yogananda says:

There is a natural connection between mind and body. Whatever you hold in your mind will be reflected in your physical body. Any hostile feelings or cruelty towards another, strong passion, persistent envy, tormenting anxiety, outbursts of ardor - all this really destroys the cells of the body and causes the development of diseases of the heart, liver, kidneys, spleen, stomach, etc. Anxiety and stress led to new deadly diseases, high blood pressure, damage to the heart and nervous system, and cancer. The pains that torment the physical body are secondary diseases.

FROM THE BOOK “THE MIND HEALS THE BODY”

Human health is the result of a complex complex mutual influence of the spiritual and bodily "parts" of the body. The book tells in detail and intelligibly how their interaction takes place at different levels, what can and should be done in order to maintain or correct it, and therefore ensure a happy longevity without illness and decrepitude.

***

Chapter 1
A RESERVOIR OF GREAT WISDOM

Any persistent thought responds in the human body.
Walt Whitman

In virtually all the fine writings on medicine and healing, one basic concept is often omitted, apparently as irrelevant. It is the relationship between the mind and the body that probably directly affects the state of health and our ability to recover.

The fact that these relationships do exist and are very important is only now beginning to be recognized; deeper than their true meaning for man, we have yet to learn and accept.

Only when we study the unusual relationships between all aspects of our personality (our needs, unconscious reactions, repressed emotions, desires and fears) and the functioning of the physiological systems of the body, their ability to self-regulate, only then will we begin to clearly understand how great is the wisdom of our body.

With extremely complex systems and functions, the human body shows boundless intelligence and empathy, constantly giving us the means to further self-knowledge, confront unforeseen situations and go beyond our subjectivity.

The unconscious energies underlying our every action manifest in the same way as conscious thoughts and feelings.

To understand this body-mind connection, we must first understand that the body and mind are one. Usually we consider our own body as something that we carry with us (often not quite what we would like). This "something" is easily damaged, needs training, regular food and water intake, a certain amount of sleep and periodic checks.

When something goes wrong, it gets us into trouble, and we take our body to the doctor, trusting that he or she can "fix" it faster and better. Something has broken - and we fix this "something" motionlessly, as if it were an inanimate object, devoid of reason.

If the body functions well, we feel happy, alert and energetic. If not, we become irritable, frustrated, depressed, overwhelmed with self-pity.

This view of the body seems to be annoyingly limited. He denies the complexity of the energies that determine the integrity of our organism - energies that are continuously communicated and flow into each other, depend on our thoughts, feelings and physiological functions of various parts of our being.

There is no difference between what goes on in our minds and what goes on in our bodies. Therefore, we cannot exist apart from the body in which our life is contained.

Please note: in English, the word “somebody” is used to refer to someone significant, which means both “someone” and “important person”, while an insignificant person is defined by the word “nobody”, that is, “no one”, or "nothing".

Our bodies are us. Our state of being is the direct result of the interplay of the many aspects of existence. The expression "My hand hurts" is equivalent to the expression "The pain inside me manifests itself in my hand."

What expresses pain in the hand is no different from the verbal expression of dysphoria or embarrassment. To say that there is a difference is to ignore an integral part of the whole human being.

To treat only the hand means to ignore the source of the pain that manifested itself in the hand. To deny the body-mind connection is to refuse the opportunity that the body gives us: to see, recognize and eliminate inner pain.

The effect of body-mind interaction is easy to demonstrate. It is known that the feeling of anxiety or anxiety for any reason can lead to indigestion, constipation or headache, to accidents.

It has been proven that stress can lead to stomach ulcers or heart attacks; that depression and longing make our bodies heavy and sluggish - we have little energy, we lose our appetite or eat too much, we feel back pain or tension in the shoulders.

Conversely, the feeling of joy and happiness increases our vitality and energy: we need less sleep and feel alert, we are less prone to colds and other infectious diseases, as our bodies become healthy and therefore better able to resist them.

One can better understand the "mind of the body" if one tries to see all aspects of physical and psychological life.

We must learn to understand that everything that happens to our physical body must be controlled by us, that we are not just victims and should not suffer at all until the pain passes. Everything that we know inside the body is an integral part of our integral existence.

The concept of the "mind of the body" is based on the belief in the unity and integrity of every human being. Although the integrity of the individual is due to many different aspects, they cannot be isolated from each other.

They are in constant interaction with each other, knowing everything about each other at any moment. The "mind of the body" formula reflects psychological and somatic harmony: the body is just a crude manifestation of the subtlety of the mind.

“The skin is inseparable from emotions, emotions are inseparable from the back, the back is inseparable from the kidneys, the kidneys are inseparable from the will and desires, the will and desires are inseparable from the spleen, and the spleen is inseparable from sexual intimacy,” wrote Diane Connelly in Traditional Acupuncture: The Law of Five elements"

(Dianne Connelly "Traditional Acupuncture: The Law of the Five Elements").

The complete unity of body and mind is reflected in states of health and disease. Each of them is a means by which the "mind of the body" informs us about what is happening under the bodily shell.

For example, an illness or accident often coincides with a major life change: a move to a new apartment, a new marriage, or a job change. Internal conflicts during this period easily unbalance us, resulting in a feeling of uncertainty and fear.

We become open and defenseless against any bacteria or viruses.

At the same time, illness gives us a respite, the time needed to rebuild and adapt to changing circumstances. Illness tells us to stop doing things: it gives us space in which we can reconnect with the parts of ourselves that we have lost touch with.

It also puts into perspective the meaning of our relationships and communication. This is how the wisdom of the mind of the body in action is manifested, the mind and body constantly influence each other and work together.

The transmission of signals from the mind to the body is carried out through a complex system that includes blood circulation, nerves and many hormones that are produced by the endocrine glands.

This extremely complex process is regulated by the pituitary and hypothalamus. The hypothalamus is a small area of ​​the brain that controls many bodily functions, including thermoregulation and heart rate, as well as the activity of the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems.

Numerous nerve fibers from all over the brain converge at the hypothalamus, linking psychological and emotional activity to bodily functions.

For example, the vagal nerve from the hypothalamus goes straight to the stomach - hence the stomach problems caused by stress or anxiety. Other nerves run to the thymus and spleen, organs that produce immune cells and regulate their function.

The immune system has a huge potential for protection, rejecting everything that can be harmful to us, but it is also subordinated to the brain through the nervous system. Therefore, she directly suffers from mental stress.

When we are exposed to severe stress of any kind, the adrenal cortex releases hormones that disrupt the brain-immunity communication system, suppressing the immune system and leaving us vulnerable to disease.

Stress is not the only factor that can trigger such a reaction. Negative emotions - repressed or prolonged anger, hatred, bitterness or depression, and loneliness or bereavement - can also depress the immune system by stimulating the hypersecretion of these hormones.

In the brain is the limbic system, represented by a set of structures, which include the hypothalamus.

It performs two main functions: it regulates autonomic activity, for example, maintains the body's water balance, the activity of the gastrointestinal tract and the secretion of hormones, and in addition, it integrates human emotions: sometimes it is even called the "nest of emotions."

Limbic activity connects our emotional state with the endocrine system, thus playing a leading role in the relationship between body and mind. Limbic activity and the functioning of the hypothalamus are directly regulated by the cerebral cortex, which is responsible for all forms of intellectual activity, including thinking, memory, perception and understanding.

It is the cerebral cortex that begins to “sound the alarm” in case of perception of any life-threatening activity. (Perception does not always correspond to a true threat to life. For example, stress is perceived by the body as a mortal danger, even if we think it is not). The alarm signal affects the structures of the limbic system and the hypothalamus, which, in turn, affect the secretion of hormones, the functioning of the immune and nervous systems.

Since all this warns of danger and prepares for a meeting with it, it is not surprising that the body does not have time to rest. All this leads to muscle tension, nervous confusion, spasms of blood vessels, disruption of the functioning of organs and cells.

In order not to fall into a state of anxiety when reading these lines, it should be remembered that such a reaction is not caused by the event itself, but by our attitude towards it.

As Shakespeare said, "Things in themselves are neither good nor bad, they are only in our imagination." Stress is our psychological reaction to an event, not the event itself. The alarm system is triggered not by a wave of anger or despair that easily disappears from memory, but by the accumulating action of constant or long-term suppressed negative emotions.

The longer an unreacted mental state persists, the more harm it can cause, depleting the resistance of the "mind of the body" and continuously spreading flows of negative information.

However, there is always an opportunity to change this state, because we can always work on ourselves and move from simple reactivity to conscious responsibility, from subjectivity to objectivity.

For example, if we are constantly exposed to noise at home or at work, we may respond with increased irritability, headaches, and increased blood pressure; at the same time, we can objectively assess the situation and try to find a positive solution.

The message that we convey to our body - irritation or acceptance - is the signal to which it will respond. The repetition of negative mental patterns and attitudes, such as anxiety, guilt, jealousy, anger, constant criticism, fear, etc., can cause us much more harm than any external situation.

Our entire nervous system is under the control of the "central regulating factor," the control center which in man is called the personality.

In other words, all situations in our life are neither negative nor positive - they exist in their own right.And only our personal attitude determines their belonging to one category or another.

Our bodies reflect all that has happened and experienced by us, all movements, satisfactions of needs and actions; we contain everything that happened to us. The body really captures everything experienced before: events, emotions, stresses and pains are locked inside the body shell.

A good therapist who understands the mind of the body can read the entire history of a person's life, looking at his physique and posture, observing his free or constrained movements, noting areas of tension, as well as the features of past injuries and illnesses.

Our bodies become a walking autobiography, body features reflecting our experiences, traumas, anxieties, anxieties and relationships. The characteristic posture - when one stands humbled, the other stands upright, ready for defense - is formed in early youth and is "embedded" in our primordial structure.

To think that the body is a mechanical system acting in isolation is to miss the point. It means denying yourself the source of great wisdom, which is available at any time.

Just as the body reflects everything that happens in the mind of a person, so the mind experiences pain and discomfort when the body suffers. The universal law of karma of cause and effect cannot be avoided.

Every phenomenon of human life must have its cause. Each manifestation of human physicality must be preceded by a certain way of thinking or emotional status. Paramahansa Yogananda says:

There is a natural connection between mind and body. Whatever you hold in your mind will be reflected in your physical body. Any hostile feelings or cruelty towards another, strong passion, relentless envy, tormenting anxiety, outbursts of ardor - all this really destroys the cells of the body and causes the development of diseases of the heart, liver, kidneys, spleen, stomach, etc.

Anxiety and stress led to new deadly diseases, high blood pressure, damage to the heart and nervous system, and cancer. The pains that torment the physical body are secondary diseases.

****

Neck

At the level of the neck we enter from the abstract into physical conception; therefore, here we let in breath and food, which support us and provide physical existence.

The neck is a "two-way" bridge between body and mind that allows the abstract to come into form and the form to express itself.

Through the neck, thoughts, ideas and concepts can move into action; at the same time, inner feelings, especially those coming from the heart, can be released here. Crossing this "bridge" at the neck level requires involvement and full participation in life; lack of involvement can lead to severe separation of body and soul.

Through the throat we "swallow" reality. Therefore, difficulties in this area may be associated with resistance or unwillingness to accept this reality and include oneself in it.

Food is what sustains us and keeps us alive; it is a symbol of nutrition in our world, which is often used to replace its corresponding manifestations. Weren't we often told as children, "Swallow your words," and thus swallow your own feelings? Serge King wrote in his book Imagine for Health:

We tend to associate food with ideas, which manifests itself in expressions such as “food for thought”, “do you think this can be digested?”, “served with sauce”, “that unappetizing idea”, or “he was stuffed with false ideas”.

Therefore, when suppressing reactions to unacceptable ideas, swelling and pain may appear in the throat, tonsils, and adjacent organs.

A similar reaction may develop in response to the feelings of others or situations that we are offered to "swallow" when we find them "inedible".

Since the throat is a “two-way bridge”, problems in this area can equally reflect both resistance to the need to “swallow” unacceptable phenomena of reality, and the inability to release emotions, be it love, passion, pain or anger.

If we believe that the expression of these emotions is unacceptable for some reason, or we fear the consequences of their expression, we block them, and this leads to the accumulation of energy in the throat. This "swallowing" of one's own feelings can cause severe tension in the neck and the tonsils located there.

It is easy to trace the connection between the neck and the fifth chakra as the center of divine communications.

The neck also serves as a means of allowing us to look around, that is, to see all aspects of our world. When the neck becomes stiff and stiff, it limits its mobility, which, in turn, limits the outlook.

This indicates that our views are becoming narrow, that our thinking is also becoming narrow, that we recognize only our own point of view, we see only what is directly in front of us.

It also indicates self-centered stubbornness or rigidity. Such bondage restricts the flow of feelings and communications between mind and body. Blockage or tightness in the neck quite obviously separates us from experiencing the reactions and desires of our body, as well as from the influx of experience from the outside world.

Since the neck refers to conception, it also represents the feeling that we are entitled to be here, the feeling of belonging, the feeling of being at home. If this feeling is lost, then the whole feeling of confidence and presence is destroyed, resulting in a spasm or constriction of the throat.

In such cases, it can be very difficult to swallow something, the energy stops flowing to our physical being. This creates a "hippie syndrome" ("avoidance syndrome"), which is triggered by feelings of rejection and resentment.

Appetite

Our appetite depends entirely on the attitude towards ourselves and our essence, from feelings of emotional hunger or satiety. Insufficient saturation leads to deep inner hunger, to a lack of not only food, but also love, emotional arousal, in other words, to inner emptiness ....

A voracious appetite indicates an unwillingness to seek answers to difficult questions within oneself, as if the unrestrained absorption of food can bring some kind of satisfaction and liberation. When we are satisfied emotionally (we gain love for ourselves and the ability to love others), then our appetite becomes normal.

bulimia

This condition is mainly due to the same internal causes as anorexia and obesity, but is manifested by the absorption of a huge amount of food, followed by forced vomiting. In this case, self-dislike is so great that vomiting is preferred over health, further reinforcing self-disgust.

Eating and then getting rid of food does not give any pleasure. All this points to obvious depression and despair. It is important to show unselfish love and acceptance, because behind the desire to get rid of food lies the need to get rid of despair.

hypoglycemia

Low level sugar is a sign that we give too much to others, leaving nothing for ourselves. It testifies that you need to start loving yourself, do justice to yourself, and only then love others. Hypoglycemia can also develop with increased stress or excessive stress, when blood sugar stores are depleted faster than we can restore them.

Depression

Depression implies a deep inner sadness and desire for another life, a contradiction between the ideal and the real, between who we would like to be and who we really are. Of course, this condition is determined by a chemical or hormonal imbalance, but the cause of it can be found in the underlying attitudes and emotional problems. What difficulties did we experience as children?

Have we experienced wars in which life is worthless? Perhaps we have lost the purpose and meaning of life, having lost a loved one? Depression quite frankly demonstrates the relationship between mind and body: when the mind is suppressed, the body loses its vitality and healthy functions. In this situation, it is important to achieve deep relaxation and reconnect with reality.”

Stomach

Here the process of digestion begins, and this applies equally to the digestion of food, and to the digestion of reality, events and emotions. If reality is "indigestible" or "nauseous," then it can indeed cause indigestion or nausea. The stomach is emotionally connected to food, love, and the mother. A "sucking" emptiness in the stomach often means a need for love and emotional support, as well as a need for food. Stomach problems occur when life does not live up to our expectations, and we react negatively to this - the formation of acid in the stomach.

Indigestion

What or whom do we “not digest”? The stomach is the place where we take in food, reality, thoughts, feelings and events from the outside in order to digest, assimilate and integrate them into our systems. If something has disturbed digestion, it means that somehow the reality with which we are dealing and which we have accepted into ourselves causes disorder and disharmony.

Nervousness

It is manifested by a heightened reaction to other people, indicating a lack of contact with one's own inner essence. This is a very egocentric state in which we perceive all things only subjectively, that is, according to how they relate to us. At the same time, we live in constant fear of attacks or insults; we are not able to relax and free ourselves from our selfish attitudes. There is no trust. Relaxation is of great importance.

Obesity

This state is often regarded as a payment for success: now we are so good that we can afford to eat whatever we want. Food is a wonderful means of relaxation and emotional fulfillment because it is associated in our minds with love and motherhood.

However, if it is used to replace emotional emptiness or as compensation for emotional isolation, then obesity develops. At the same time, we place a layer of fat between our inner self and the outside world, assigning it the role of a defensive moat, which should protect us from attack, from our own vulnerability and possible resentment. But with the same success, it interferes with our free expression. Obesity often develops after a severe emotional upheaval or loss, as the feeling of emptiness becomes unbearable.

We lose the purpose and meaning of life, and our attempt to fill this void actually only makes it worse. Excessive flesh indicates that we are holding on to rigid mental attitudes and stereotypes, although in reality they have long been embarrassing. Obesity in children may reflect their difficulty in the process of understanding reality or self-expression and often manifests itself after the divorce of the parents or after the death of one of them.

puffiness

Edema may be swelling, as occurs with a bruise or inflammation. It means emotional resistance or restraint of emotions. Edema is the accumulation of fluid, the accumulation of emotions that we hold back, considering their expression unacceptable. It is also a way of self-protection, and we can ask ourselves, what is it that we feel that we need to protect ourselves from? In more severe cases, generalized edema may develop.

Pathological addictions

These are attempts to find satisfaction in something outside of oneself, since the ability to satisfy needs from within has been lost. Pathological addictions to food, cigarettes, drugs, alcohol, sex, and so on can develop. Whatever they are, they fill the void, dull the feeling of hopelessness, the meaninglessness of life, which, like a whirlpool, draws us in and requires sacrifice.

This is an unresolved issue of our relationship with ourselves, resentment and anger at a world that does not fulfill our desires; the inability to love yourself in a growing way and to perceive your loneliness without fear. We all retain our ego in one way or another. Some demonstrate it and the fears and neuroses associated with it externally, through addiction to something material, while others hide it inside, become afraid of the dark or attacks. To get rid of these addictions, you need strength and personal courage, you need to strive towards the unknown, gain confidence that everything will be fine, and most importantly, cultivate self-love.

Stress

It can be both positive, play a stimulating and creative role, and negative, life-threatening. The stress factor itself is much less important than our response to it: how we respond to situations, events, feelings, and predicaments affects the changes in the body associated with stress. Instead of blaming external circumstances for your troubles, you need to look inside yourself and examine your own reactions, motives and attitudes. Deep relaxation is of great importance.

The Ecology of Health: This book remains a compelling tale of the intimate relationship between the mind and body of man...

The book remains fresh and moving, a thrilling and gripping tale of the intimate relationship between mind and body. It clearly shows how conflict situations, fears, feelings of melancholy or depression can directly negatively affect your body and cause more or less persistent disorders of its activity, interfere with the normal implementation of the functions of various organs - from the heels to the hair roots.

In virtually all the fine writings on medicine and healing, one basic concept is often omitted, apparently as irrelevant. It is the relationship between mind and body that may have a direct impact on health and our ability to recover.

The fact that these relationships do exist and are very important is only now beginning to be recognized; deeper than their true meaning for man, we have yet to learn and accept.

Only when we study the unusual relationships between all aspects of our personality (our needs, unconscious reactions, repressed emotions, desires and fears) and the functioning of the physiological systems of the body, their ability to self-regulate, only then will we begin to clearly understand how great is the wisdom of our body.

With extremely complex systems and functions, the human body shows boundless intelligence and empathy, constantly giving us the means to further self-knowledge, confront unforeseen situations and go beyond our subjectivity. The unconscious energies underlying our every action manifest in the same way as conscious thoughts and feelings.

To understand this body-mind connection, we must first understand that body and mind are one. Usually we consider our own body as something that we carry with us (often not quite what we would like). This "something" is easily damaged, needs training, regular food and water intake, a certain amount of sleep and periodic checks. When something goes wrong, it gets us into trouble, and we take our body to the doctor, trusting that he or she can "fix" it faster and better. Something has broken - and we fix this "something" motionlessly, as if it were an inanimate object, devoid of reason. If the body functions well, we feel happy, alert and energetic. If not, we become irritable, frustrated, depressed, overwhelmed with self-pity.

This view of the body seems to be annoyingly limited. He denies the complexity of the energies that determine the integrity of our organism - energies that are continuously communicated and flow into each other, depend on our thoughts, feelings and physiological functions of various parts of our being. There is no difference between what goes on in our minds and what goes on in our bodies. Therefore, we cannot exist apart from the body in which our life is contained.

Please note: in English, the word “somebody” is used to refer to someone significant, which means both “someone” and “important person”, while an insignificant person is defined by the word “nobody”, that is, “no one”, or "nothing".

Our bodies are us. Our state of being is the direct result of the interplay of the many aspects of existence. The expression "My hand hurts" is equivalent to the expression "The pain inside me manifests itself in my hand." What expresses pain in the hand is no different from the verbal expression of dysphoria or embarrassment. To say that there is a difference is to ignore an integral part of the whole human being. To treat only the hand means to ignore the source of the pain that manifested itself in the hand. To deny the body-mind connection is to refuse the opportunity that the body gives us: to see, recognize and eliminate inner pain.

The effect of body-mind interaction is easy to demonstrate. It is known that the feeling of anxiety or anxiety for any reason can lead to indigestion, constipation or headache, to accidents. It has been proven that stress can lead to stomach ulcers or heart attacks; that depression and longing make our bodies heavy and sluggish - we have little energy, we lose our appetite or eat too much, we feel back pain or tension in the shoulders. Conversely, the feeling of joy and happiness increases our vitality and energy: we need less sleep and feel alert, we are less prone to colds and other infectious diseases, as our bodies become healthy and therefore better able to resist them.

One can better understand the "mind of the body" if one tries to see all aspects of physical and psychological life. We must learn to understand that everything that happens to our physical body must be controlled by us, that we are not just victims and should not suffer at all until the pain passes. Everything that we know inside the body is an integral part of our integral existence.

The concept of the "mind of the body" is based on the belief in the unity and integrity of every human being. Although the integrity of the individual is due to many different aspects, they cannot be isolated from each other. They are in constant interaction with each other, knowing everything about each other at any moment.

The formula of the "mind of the body" reflects the psychological and somatic harmony: the body is just a gross manifestation of the subtlety of the mind. “The skin is inseparable from emotions, emotions are inseparable from the back, the back is inseparable from the kidneys, the kidneys are inseparable from the will and desires, the will and desires are inseparable from the spleen, and the spleen is inseparable from sexual intimacy,” wrote Diane Connelly in Traditional Acupuncture: The Law of Five elements” (Dianne Connelly “Traditional Acupuncture: The Law of the Five Elements”).

The complete unity of body and mind is reflected in states of health and disease. Each of them is a means by which the "mind of the body" informs us about what is happening under the bodily shell.

For example, an illness or accident often coincides with a major life change: a move to a new apartment, a new marriage, or a job change. Internal conflicts during this period easily unbalance us, resulting in a feeling of uncertainty and fear. We become open and defenseless against any bacteria or viruses. At the same time, illness gives us a respite, the time needed to rebuild and adapt to changing circumstances. Illness tells us to stop doing things: it gives us space in which we can reconnect with the parts of ourselves that we have lost touch with. It also puts into perspective the meaning of our relationships and communication. This is how the wisdom of the mind of the body in action is manifested, the mind and body constantly influence each other and work together.

The transmission of signals from the mind to the body is carried out through a complex system that includes blood circulation, nerves and many hormones that are produced by the endocrine glands. This extremely complex process is regulated by the pituitary and hypothalamus. The hypothalamus is a small area of ​​the brain that controls many bodily functions, including thermoregulation and heart rate, as well as the activity of the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems. Numerous nerve fibers from all over the brain converge at the hypothalamus, linking psychological and emotional activity to bodily functions. For example, the vagal nerve from the hypothalamus goes straight to the stomach - hence the stomach problems caused by stress or anxiety. Other nerves run to the thymus and spleen, organs that produce immune cells and regulate their function.

The immune system has a huge potential for protection, rejecting everything that can be harmful to us, but it is also subordinated to the brain through the nervous system. Therefore, she directly suffers from mental stress. When we are exposed to severe stress of any kind, the adrenal cortex releases hormones that disrupt the brain-immunity communication system, suppressing the immune system and leaving us vulnerable to disease. Stress is not the only factor that can trigger such a reaction. Negative emotions - repressed or prolonged anger, hatred, bitterness or depression, and loneliness or bereavement - can also depress the immune system by stimulating the hypersecretion of these hormones.

In the brain is limbic system, represented by a set of structures, including the hypothalamus. She performs two main functions:

• regulates autonomic activity, for example, maintains the body's water balance, the activity of the gastrointestinal tract and the secretion of hormones,
• unites human emotions: sometimes it is even called the “nest of emotions”.

Limbic activity connects our emotional state with the endocrine system, thus playing a leading role in the relationship between body and mind. Limbic activity and the functioning of the hypothalamus are directly regulated by the cerebral cortex, which is responsible for all forms of intellectual activity, including thinking, memory, perception and understanding.

It is the cerebral cortex that begins to “sound the alarm” in case of perception of any life-threatening activity. (Perception does not always correspond to a true threat to life. For example, stress is perceived by the body as a mortal danger, even if we think it is not). The alarm signal affects the structures of the limbic system and the hypothalamus, which, in turn, affect the secretion of hormones, the functioning of the immune and nervous systems. Since all this warns of danger and prepares for a meeting with it, it is not surprising that the body does not have time to rest. All this leads to muscle tension, nervous confusion, spasms of blood vessels, disruption of the functioning of organs and cells.

In order not to fall into a state of anxiety when reading these lines, it should be remembered that such a reaction is not caused by the event itself, but by our attitude towards it. As Shakespeare said: “Things themselves are neither good nor bad, they are only in our imagination”. Stress is our psychological reaction to an event, not the event itself. The alarm system is triggered not by a wave of anger or despair that easily disappears from memory, but by the accumulating action of constant or long-term suppressed negative emotions. The longer an unreacted mental state persists, the more harm it can cause, depleting the resistance of the "mind of the body" and continuously spreading flows of negative information.

However, there is always an opportunity to change this state, because we can always work on ourselves and move from simple reactivity to conscious responsibility, from subjectivity to objectivity. For example, if we are constantly exposed to noise at home or at work, we may respond with increased irritability, headaches, and increased blood pressure; at the same time, we can objectively assess the situation and try to find a positive solution. The message that we convey to our body - irritation or acceptance - is the signal to which it will respond.

The repetition of negative mental patterns and attitudes, such as anxiety, guilt, jealousy, anger, constant criticism, fear, etc., can cause us much more harm than any external situation. Our entire nervous system is under the control of the "central regulating factor," the control center which in man is called the personality. In other words, all situations in our life are neither negative nor positive - they exist in their own right. And only our personal attitude determines their belonging to one category or another.

Our bodies reflect all that has happened and experienced by us, all movements, satisfactions of needs and actions; we contain everything that happened to us. The body really captures everything experienced before: events, emotions, stresses and pains are locked inside the body shell. A good therapist who understands the mind of the body can read the entire history of a person's life, looking at his physique and posture, observing his free or constrained movements, noting areas of tension, as well as the features of past injuries and illnesses. Our bodies become a walking autobiography, body features reflecting our experiences, traumas, anxieties, anxieties and relationships.

The characteristic posture - when one stands humbled, the other stands upright, ready for defense - is formed in early youth and is "embedded" in our primordial structure.

Just as the body reflects everything that happens in the mind of a person, so the mind experiences pain and discomfort when the body suffers. The universal law of karma of cause and effect cannot be avoided. Every phenomenon of human life must have its cause. Each manifestation of human physicality must be preceded by a certain way of thinking or emotional status. Paramahansa Yogananda says:

"There is a natural connection between mind and body. Whatever you hold in your mind, everything will be reflected in your physical body. Any hostile feelings or cruelty towards another, strong passion, persistent envy, tormenting anxiety, outbursts of ardor - all this is real destroys the cells of the body and causes the development of diseases of the heart, liver, kidneys, spleen, stomach, etc. Anxiety and stress have led to new deadly diseases, high blood pressure, damage to the heart and nervous system, cancer.Pains that torment the physical body, are secondary diseases. published

From Debbie Shapiro's "The Mind Heals the Body"

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