I recently gave a professional speaking engagement to a group of kids about the "Mind Body Connection". This is a concept that I am still solidifying in my own mind as a certified Health & Wellness Coach. We hear that the mind and body are connected all the time, but what does that really mean? Well, a group of kids helped me understand in a new way.
To my surprise, these kids could already conceptualize the mind body connection. They knew that if their mind was unwell, so was their body. They already knew what types of things bring them joy, and how to take time outside. They already knew what they could do to cheer themselves up, and what made them happy. And that's when I realized, all this time I thought that as we age we learn more about ourselves, our minds and our bodies. But quite the contrary, these kids exemplified that we are born being in-tune with our minds and bodies, they are one in the same, and as we age, we often lose touch with with our minds and our bodies. We become so focused on our thoughts and responsibilities that we forget to listen to our bodies. But it's not too late to rediscover our mind body connection.
So how do we do this? How do we rediscover our own mind body connection? Although I am still learning for myself, here are some ideas that I've picked up along the way:
Journaling. Journaling has been a huge part of my journey. Journaling about what makes you happy, what brings you joy? What makes you angry or sad? What are your favorite things, what are you good at?
Learning to reconnect the way your body feels with your emotions. When you're feeling joy, how does that feel in your body? What about when you're feeling stressed?
Rediscovering how to have fun. Easier said than done! Why is it so hard to have fun as an adult?? The good news is, it gets easier to have fun the more you do it. Try doing different things that interest you, and you will start to learn how you like to have fun.
Learning about neuroplasticity. This is our bodies' ability to form new connections in the brain, to change and adapt due to experience. This means that doing things like traveling, learning a new language, taking a new route home, exploring, reading a book, sleeping well, or learning a new instrument can change our brains and build a stronger mind body connection.
Spending time outside. Take 5 minutes each day to simply be outside. Sit in nature, take notice of the growth, the smells (hopefully good), and the way nature moves forward each day. I guess there is something to the old adage to "take time to stop and smell the flowers".
Now, if you are somewhat like me, when I started exploring my mind body connection, it felt really uncomfortable. But as I did it more and more, I started to feel the times that my mind and body weren't connecting. As you try different things, your mind body connection will grow stronger without you even realizing it.
Still not convinced about the mind body connection? Try this: imagine you have a lemon in your hands. Imagine slicing the lemon into wedges. Now, imagine bringing a lemon wedge to your mouth. Maybe your lips start to pucker, maybe you begin salivating, or you can even imagine the sweet fragrance touching your nose. But there is no lemon, and that is the power of the mind body connection.
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