Why focus on your mind-body connection?

Our mind and body are a powerful duo, prepared to play our life’s melody. When we focus on our mind-body connection, we improve the harmony of this melody.

When I say “harmony” I don’t mean “easy” or “always smooth”. Life is meant to be an experience and in order to grow and learn we need ALL kinds of them. With “harmony” I mean “in consonance” or aligned. On purpose, I don’t want to differ between “positive” and “negative”. I’ve come to understand through psychoanalysts (eg. Gabriel Rolon, who I admire for his sensitive explanations) that even during or after the most amazing experience, we often think “What if…” or we miss someone who we would have loved to be with us that day. This human reflection involves – again – all kinds of feelings, sensations, thoughts. We can improve the process and our awareness – to our feelings, sensations, thoughts – when we focus on our mind-body connection.

I’m currently reading the book “The Body keeps the score. Brain, Mind and Body in the Healing of Trauma.”, as it was recommended during my Trauma-sensitive yoga training this summer. Bessel van der Kolk, M.D., describes in a fascinating way how our organism deals with stress and trauma and – based on his vast experience and research with trauma patients – that we need a holistic approach: The spoken, psychological treatment, the emotional and physical stimulation as well as our connection to others – our social network (which is why group therapy can be very helpful). He shares different, heartbreaking stories of patients – from war veterans to survivors of terrific accidents to abused children and adults – where the brain might have blocked their conscious memories as a protection, but they are still there somewhere, in the subconscious and in the physical tissues. He explains the process during which he uses different techniques until they start to remember, work through them, learn to “feel again” and slowly “re-establish” their life.
It’s a book that shows the importance of connecting the top and the bottom both after a traumatic event and as prevention:
“If you want to learn to regulate your emotions better, your brain gives you two options: You can learn to regulate them from the top down or from the bottom up. (…) Top-down regulation involves strengthening the capacity of the watchtower (the medial, prefrontal cortex) to monitor your body’s sensations. Mindfulness and yoga can help with this. Bottom-up regulation involves recalibrating the autonomic nervous system (ANS). We can access the ANS through breath, movement or touch. Breathing is one of the few body functions under both conscious and autonomic control.” (The body keeps the score, p. 63, 64)

To foster a better mind-body connection, I recommend you to take at least 15 minutes for these 4 areas every day:

• Reflect: How do I feel? What can I do for my wellbeing today? If you don’t know then stop for a moment: Sit down for 5 minutes, breathe consciously, exhale longer than you inhale (that way you activate your parasympathetic/relaxing nervous system). Ask yourself: What do I need? Try to answer honestly, even if you can’t give that to yourself in that moment. It’s important to reflect and listen. Once you know your needs, it’s crucial you create space in your calendar. How to do that? Maybe this article helps: https://littlehealthyhabits.com/taking-the-time-for-your-priorities/
• Move: Have I already moved? If not: Get up and start moving. 5 minutes are better than nothing. Focus on the experience during the movements: Stretch your whole body, move to all sides, roll your shoulders, etc. Walk the stairs wherever you go. Or put on your favourite music and dance for yourself. It’s a great way to connect to your body and release tension.
• Nourish: What have I eaten? What do I actually want to eat? Take 5 minutes to think about how you want to nourish your body. What meals or snacks do you like where you can include proteins, plants, healthy fats, carbohydrates, vitamins, minerals throughout your day? If you want some further health hacks, I recommend you to follow Jessé Inchauspé, a biochemist that explains in a very easy and visual way how our body reacts to what we eat: https://www.instagram.com/glucosegoddess/
• Rest: The best preparation for our wellbeing is a healthy sleep. If you get at least 7-8 hours of profound rest at night, the 3 areas above will probably be a lot easier. And the other way around: If you reflect, move and nourish your body, your sleep quality will most likely improve. (You find more tips around bedtime routine and setting in this article: https://littlehealthyhabits.com/how-to-sleep-better/). Additionally, you can nap or practice meditation (Yoga Nidra) to re-set during the day.

To sum up: To achieve a balanced, harmonious melody (= health), we need to include all parts of our wellbeing orchestra: Brain, mind, body and spirit. The practice of Yoga focuses on their union, of bringing them all together in the “here and how”. Having a better connection with ourselves helps us to improve both our emotional intelligence and our connection to others, our relationships. And that improves our human being communities. It all plays together.