Mind & Spirit

Mind-body-spirit connection

The mind-body-spirit connection emphasizes the need to create balance, wholeness and coherence in our lives.  It acknowledges the fact that what we think, feel and believe creates the life we live and the world around us.  It focuses on inner self management techniques, stress relief techniques, holistic healing, and creating healthy habits to help empower you to heal your body and heal your life.  It also shapes our emotional resiliency - an individual's tendency and ability to cope with stress and adversity.  The greater our resilience, the more we are able to adapt to change, recover after hardships and replace resistance with a sense of ease.  We are able to achieve our goals despite obstacles, stay focused under pressure and stay encouraged even through our failures. 

Impact of resiliency on personal health

Positive emotions lead to beneficial biochemical changes in our bodies and synchronization of our autonomic nervous system, increasing mental acuity (defn?) and enhancing health and performance. 

The benefits of positive thinking and spiritual growth are numerous:

• lowers blood pressure
• increases calmness & well-being and emotional stability
• prevent or undo the negative impacts of sustained stress
  
• improves overall brain function & memory
  
• reduce the affects of asthma
• improves overall quality of life
  

Where to begin?

There are a wide variety of tools to help support a healthy mind & spirit that, ultimately, support overall physical health & well-being:

• Aromatherapy (the use of fragrant substances, called essential oils, to alter mood or improve health)
• Art therapy (helps people manage physical and emotional problems by using creative activities to express emotions)
• Biofeedback (a treatment method that uses monitoring devices to help people consciously control physical processes that are usually controlled automatically, such as heart rate, blood pressure, temperature, sweating, and muscle tension)
• Cymatic therapy (a form of sound therapy which refers to the effect of sound waves on matter)
• Dance therapy (the therapeutic use of movement to improve mental and physical well-being)
• Faith healing (the belief that certain people or places have the ability to cure diseases and heal injuries through a close connection to a higher power)
• Holistic medicine (how physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual elements of the body are interconnected)
• Humor therapy (for the relief of physical or emotional pain and stress)
• Imagery (mental exercises designed to allow the mind to influence the health and well-being of the body)
• Meditation (a mind-body process that uses concentration or reflection to relax the body and calm the mind)
• Music therapy (to promote healing and enhance quality of life)
• Native American healing (healing beliefs and practices of hundreds of indigenous tribes of North America)
• Naturopathic medicine (an alternative care system that uses a wide range of approaches such as nutrition, herbs, manipulation of the body, exercise, stress reduction, and acupuncture)
• Psychotherapy (designed to help people change their ways of thinking, feeling, or behaving)
• Qigong (a Chinese system designed to enhance the natural flow of vital energy called qi or ch’i, pronounced “kee” or “chee,” in the body)
• Spirituality (an awareness of something greater than the individual self)
• Support groups (a place for people to share common concerns and emotional support)
• Tai chi (a mind-body, self-healing system that uses movement, meditation, and breathing to improve health)
• Yoga (nonaerobic exercise that involves precise posture, breathing exercises, and meditation)

Nurturing all aspects of our being is the key to a successful and happy life.