Mind - Body Connection!!!

“It is the mind that makes the body.”

Imagine your feeling after you win a jackpot of $10 million? Then Imagine you lose that check. How do you feel now? At first you were happy, smiling, jumping out of joy with the thought of being a millionaire. Then the inevitable happened and you lost the check. And the smile faded, you were upset and some may have even cried. What caused this reflection of your mental state onto your body? and what is this Mind-Body connection?

I read a book “Why zebras don’t get ulcers?” (yes, the title is weird and the cover page was hilarious, the two reason why I chose this book) as part of an assignment for one of my psychology classes in college. The author concluded that any kind of emotion like anger, sadness, fear, jealousy, etc which is perceived to be negative, stimulate the release of glucocorticoids, which in excess can cause problems to your heart, digestive system, reproductive system, and other systems as well. An extreme example would be a person with major depression. He will exhibit symptoms like headache, joint pains, fatigue, appetite problems, digestive problems, sleep problems etc. But this falls under psychiatric category and can be treated using prescription drugs and psychological counselling.

What about the negative emotions that arise in a person who is not an extreme case. He is still going to feel the physical symptoms to an extent where his performance might be affected. How can a person function well if his body is not? As an example, Consider you have an important test, and you have done all the required preparation. As the day approaches closer, pressure starts building up, and all kinds of negative thoughts creep up into your mental domain. You get anxious and the physical symptoms like lack of appetite, lack of sleep, tiredness, etc. start showing up. The day arrives and the test does not go as well as you would have hoped. After the test, you go back home, sit down, relax a bit, drink a cup of coffee, and while glancing through the question paper you miraculously recollect all the answers. Unfortunately its a bit too late.

What would have happened if you were not being bothered by the negative emotions before the test, but instead you were confident, positive, and relaxed like you were at home? The result would have been so different.

The point is, one of the ways our mental state can have an effect on the events in our life is through the Mind-Body connection. So, if you are positive, with good feelings, you are going to reflect that through your body, and attract people and subsequently events to yourself. (Nobody is going to hire you for a job if you have  a lousy body language, frown on the face, or if you lack confidence, etc.). This mind- body connection is no magic, but basic physiology regulated by our conscious mind. Start making a conscious attempt to regulate your thoughts into the positive direction from this moment onward and begin the process of change before we master the magic. In my next blog I will be writing about the magic box inside of us. Till then, PEACE and LOVE!!!!