Our minds and bodies have a unique and essential link called the mind-body connection. It means that what we think, believe, feel, and even our general attitude can all have an impact (either positive or negative) on our physical well-being. As well as this, how we look after our physical body through our diet, exercise, even our posture, can have a similar impact on our mental health. If you are feeling unwell either spiritually, mentally, or physically, then these useful mind-body therapies may be able to help you heal. Remember, though, seeing your doctor if symptoms persist is always an important thing to do.
- Acupuncture
Acupuncture is the practice of inserting extremely fine needles into strategic parts of the body. These are called acupuncture points. Although the science behind acupuncture is still relatively unknown, it is thought that the needles stimulate muscles and nerves, forcing them to release painkilling chemicals. Acupuncture comes from the belief that your ‘qi’ (your life energy) can become blocked due to negative thinking. As well as stimulating the body’s natural pain relievers, acupuncture is thought to be able to unblock your life energy, creating more positivity in your mind, which is said to speed up the healing process. Some people use acupuncture to alleviate chronic pain, and others use it for the symptoms of anxiety and depression.
- Meditation
Meditation is about quieting your mind so that you are no longer thinking of anything at all and allowing your mind and body to rejuvenate in this quiet, peaceful state. You will feel calm and rested. Being able to meditate can help to reduce the symptoms of stress, for example, because you are no longer focusing on the problems that are causing your mind and body pain, it is easier to come up with solutions for them. You will be looking at them more objectively when you do start to think of them again. Many people fit meditation into their daily routines because it makes them feel better and happier, allowing them to be as stress-free as possible.
- Mindfulness
Mindfulness is often linked to meditation because the two can be practiced together, but they are different techniques in reality. Mindfulness is the practice of just being and living in the moment and becoming more aware of your thoughts and feelings. Understanding those thoughts and feelings can help you to be more relaxed and calm in life, giving you a better ability to respond to the events that are unfolding around you. It is wonderful for your mental and physical health because the calmer you are and the more able you are to deal with what is happening, the less stress you are placed under.
It can be challenging to become mindful at first, especially if you live a particularly hectic life. However, the more you try it, the easier it will get, and the more you will get out of it too.
- Hypnosis
Hypnosis and hypnotherapy are interesting concepts. The process involves putting you into a very relaxed state so that you can access your subconscious. It means that your beliefs and feelings can be utilized to heal your mind and even your body in some cases. Hypnosis helps you to change behaviors such as bad habits, for example. Remember, when you are hypnotized, you are still in complete control, and you will never be able to do anything you wouldn’t want to do. To find out more about hypnosis, take a look at this website. Hypnosis can help with phobias, stress, addiction, anxiety, anger problems, and much more.
- Yoga
Yoga is a spiritual and physical practice that helps you to feel calmer and to understand your body and mind more. It offers training on posture and exercises, and can also be used as part of your meditation techniques to help make your mind clearer. If you want to understand yourself better and have more self-awareness, yoga is an excellent way to do it and is recommended by many healers (both traditional and more spiritual and holistic) as a way of de-stressing. As it is low impact exercise, it is also excellent for those with slight mobility issues.
There are dozens of different types of yoga, which means you should easily be able to find the version that suits you and your needs the best. There is Hatha yoga which is all about creating different shapes with your body, Bikram which is practiced in a hot room, and Iyengar which requires those partaking to wear straps and blocks to help their balance. The best way to find out which type of yoga is the one that will help you the most is to try some trial classes with a professional instructor.
- Homeopathy
Homeopathy is the practice of using naturally occurring substances to treat both mental and physical conditions. These substances are watered down to very low levels because this way there is less chance of any side effects occurring. Another reason for this dilution is that in homeopathy it is believed that the more water is mixed with the natural substance, the more effective it will be.
Although many people who try homeopathy do say that their stress levels are reduced and that they feel less anxious afterward, the medical profession is still skeptical. Studies have shown that in some cases a placebo works just as effectively as the homeopathic medicine itself. However, even if this is the case, it does show how powerful the mind is in relation to keeping the body healthy. Simply believing that medicine is being taken can be enough to make the person feel much healthier.
- Reiki
Reiki is a Japanese type of mind-body therapy. It requires the practitioner to lay their hands on their patient in order to increase the flow of the life force within the body. It is thought that when this life force is low or flowing slowly, we begin to feel unwell. Reiki is believed to quicken the flow to make us feel healthy again. The practitioner will lay their hands on various parts of the body such as the head, shoulders, feet, and stomach in order to restore the life force. Whether this is exactly how it works or not is often the subject of much debate, but what can’t be denied is the feeling of peace and calm that the patient feels when there are undergoing Reiki. It is certainly a great de-stressor, and when the mind is less stressed, the body is healthier.
- Reflexology
Reflexology is similar to Reiki in that it requires an expert practitioner to touch various parts of their patient’s body. However, it differs in that the reflexology practitioner also needs to exert a small amount of pressure; not as much as would happen in a massage, but enough that the patient can feel it. The idea behind reflexology is that every part of the body is connected to the rest through the central nervous system. By applying gentle pressure to specific points on the feet, hands, ears, and even face, other parts of the body can be healed and feel healthier.
- Aromatherapy
Essential oils are extracted from natural plants and are used in the process of aromatherapy in order to aid healing. Many people enjoy this particular mind-body therapy as it is so relaxing and pleasant. The essential oils can be used to bring a specific scent to a room where the patient can lie undisturbed (this is an ideal time to also practice meditation, for example), or they can be used in massage. You might choose to add a few drops to a warm bath and relax that way or rub aromatherapy cream into your skin.
Aromatherapy is a versatile mind-body therapy that can either be done by a professional or at home, depending on the way you want to use the oils. Many patients find that they are able to sleep better, that their mood is improved, and that they generally feel more relaxed. Some even find that general aches and pains lessen.
10. Massage
When you think of massage, you might at first think only of the physical aspect. It is ideal for muscle injuries, and many sportspeople use it to bring them back to fitness after an injury such as a muscle strain.However, massage is also fantastic for the mind since it is found to be so relaxing and it enables the person being massaged to block out many negative thoughts and feelings and simply focus on the massage itself.In this way, it can be the perfect accompaniment to meditation and mindfulness amongst other things.
Depending on what you want to get out of your massage, there are different techniques to try. Some of the most popular include Indian head massage, hot stone massage, aromatherapy massage, and Shiatsu which is linked to acupuncture but uses the hands rather than needles.
Conclusion
The mind is a mysterious thing, and there is still so much we don’t know about it that new information is being discovered all the time. However, the link between the mind and the body when it comes to healing is clear, and for many people, using these mind-body therapies can certainly help.