The Body-mind Connection

Today, let’s consider how physical experiences can influence the mind:

Think of lying down in the sand, the morning sun gently warming your skin, the ocean lapping at your feet, a rustle of pine needles somewhere behind you, a light summer breeze blowing, 78 degrees and not a cloud in the sky. Take your time and savor the experience.

The warmth of your skin is comfortable. Your breathing is easy, unimpeded by any resistance in the chest or the throat. Your muscles are so relaxed that you can not sense any pull. The sand supports all your joints. The body feels light, grounded but airy. You have the energy to move, but you prefer to remain quiet. The pleasure of the moment is felt in the body, but the sensations are so diffuse that it is difficult to describe precisely where it is happening. You have a desire to get up, but instead just stay put and savor the stillness.

Warmth passes sweetly through your blood. The breeze caresses your face. And these sensations eventually impress the mind.

If you direct attention away from the well-being of the moment and think about what is happening, your mind fills with pleasurable thoughts. What you usually regard as "body" and as "mind" blend in harmony. Any conflicts now ease. Any opposites now seemed less important. Thoughts jell around a word like, “tranquility.”

It is possible to bring the mind-body connection into journaling. When you concentrate on your feelings, define them, and then reinforce them with the physical act like writing, it captures good emotions and makes them part of your life experience. On the other hand when feelings are negative or unpleasant, writing them down has a way of telling your mind that you can handle it. You have dealt with the upheaval and can move on.