Teach Your Mind to Love Your Body
Everything your mind says, your body hears: so choose to think positively and learn how to release emotional stress from your body. Neuroscientist Candace Pert’s research over the past 20 years has proven that neuropeptide receptors are located throughout the body and brain (Pert, Candace. Molecules of Emotion, 1998). Neuropeptides are the chemical carriers of emotion. The existence of neuropeptide receptors throughout the body is critically important to our understanding of emotions and the body as it challenges the traditional neuroscience theology that emotions are confined entirely in the brain – they are not, emotions are felt within the entire body.
So if emotions are held not only in the brain but also throughout our body, what does this mean?
What you think and feel affects your physiology, negative emotions and traumatic experiences are stored throughout your body and if left to stagnate, this emotional baggage may cause illness.
This also means that we can access emotions and help to release past trauma through activating specific areas of the body where particular emotions are commonly known to reside and be ‘stuck’. For example, grief is often associated with the lungs and chest region. If someone is stuck in grief it may be beneficial for them to do body-work to help open up the flow of energy into the lungs and to clear the emotional and energetic stagnation.
This can be achieved by:
- Lateral stretching: raise one arm above the head, take a deep breath in, extend, and then reach up and across the midline to the opposite side of the body, exhale. This will stretch and invigorate the ribs, fascia and open up the chest area to allow fresh blood and energy flow.
- There are acupoints on the lung channel associated with grief such as Lung 5, located at the elbow crease, that will help to release grief. Essential oils like geranium, ylang ylang or any respiratory blend could be applied to the lung meridian and specifically Lung 5.
- Yogic deep breathing techniques can also help to move, shift and release grief from the lungs.
Positive beliefs and affirmations are crucial to maintaining a healthy body and positive body image.
Steps to cultivate a healthy relationship between your mind and body:
- Repeat positive affirmations daily to reinforce positive thoughts and emotions
- I unconditionally love and accept myself. I love my healthy body.
- I am strong. I am powerful. I believe in myself.
- Connect in with yourself
- Notice how you’re feeling each day. Spend a few minutes each day in silent contemplation with your own body and emotions
- If you notice any places of discomfort, pain or ‘funny feelings’, then pay attention to this area and what your body is trying to tell you
- Let go
- Consciously choose to let go and ask for help to let go of negative thoughts and emotions that you know are not serving you, but holding you back
- A simple breathing exercise: breathing in, I am in the present moment – breathing out, I let go / I let go of … (something specific you are seeking to let go of)
- Laugh
- Laughter releases endorphins, simply makes you feel well and good about yourself and your body
- Be able to laugh at yourself and don’t take things too seriously