Thoughts on the Mind-Body Connection - a Pathway to Compassionate Healing
During a period of Chiropractic visits, I began to pay close attention to my experience during the treatment, and had a huge Ah-Ha moment, which immediately led me to recognize that potentially, this could become the same Ah-Ha moment for the other patients, on tables next to me. The Ah-Ha moment was that one of Yoga’s most fundamental pieces of the beautiful pie (BREATH or PRANAYAMA, one of the 8 Limbs of Yoga), offers a portal into maximizing receptivity within patients to enable providers to perform optimally. In short, focusing attention on the breath could bear great fruits within a treatment. The gift of mindful breathing, and subsequent quieting of the mind, could assist body workers and other healthcare providers and their patients, optimize the treatments at hand.
Science proves that by quieting the over stimulated, thinking mind; and being fully present in the now, our neurological circuits are strengthened, and we calm the part of the brain that triggers fear and anger – textbook emotions that reside in our Sympathetic Nervous System (aka the “Fight or Flight” state of being).
Quieting the mind enables us to increase the happy, relaxed, easeful emotions that reside in our Parasympathetic Nervous System (aka “Rest and Digest” state of being). In states of ease, relaxation, mindful awareness, we can deduce that this state is where optimum healing potential resides.
Our minds and states of being can help or hinder the healing process in hearts, minds, and bodies.
Tension is often a “holding onto” of old patterns, fears, unresolved pain and hurt, which expresses itself in the body as tight, sore (and of course, we know this to be true within our hearts and emotions too). Relaxation invites a conscious awareness of space, letting go and then simply “being there,” as a witness/observer of oneself, one’s body, one’s presence. Relaxation expresses itself in the body as softness, fluidity, balance, ease.
How do we get there, BE there? We begin with breath -- mindful breath, focusing our attention on our breath. Sounds too simple? Try it.
Lay supine (on your back), with knees bent, feet on the floor (or bed), or with legs stretched out on the floor. Arms lay naturally away from the body, palms facing up. Move your head slowly left to right (releasing tension in the neck); center the head. Focus only on your inhale and exhale as you breathe naturally. Observe the rise and fall of your breath without any judgement. Just observe. Try to stay focused on just, your breath. Initially, this may feel strange and you notice your breath is uneven, shallow, unnatural. This is normal. Paying this close attention to your breath may be an unusual practice for you. Try to stay with it, the rise and fall of breath as it moves through the body. If it feels REALLY strange, uncomfortable, like you can’t “catch your breath,” you might try, sighing the exhale out, which automatically, encourages a letting go, a sense of ease. Or you can move your attention away from the breath and place it on a felt sense of your body, or the sounds in the room. Then, when you’re more relaxed, come back to the breath again. Breathe mindfully for a few rounds. As the mind wanders, just acknowledge that, and let the thought go. Come back to observing your breath. Notice how you feel.
Now begin to practice a slow, mindful 3-part breath. Imagine that the inhale begins low in the belly; and allow the belly to naturally expand as you inhale. As the breath continues, imagine it rising through the chest and diaphragm; allowing the diaphragm to expand as the chest cavity gently lifts and opens. As the breath rises up into the apex of the lungs, perhaps your shoulders gently lift up, and the collarbones rise.
As you exhale, the process is reversed. The collar bones descend, shoulder blades move back into place; then the diaphragm/chest cavity softens back to it’s natural position; and finally, the belly begins to soften back towards your spine, until the last bit of breath is exhaled. Slow it down, focusing on all 3 parts of the body moving with the breath. Try slowing down the exhale even more. The inhale is often called the “Doing Breath” as an action, an intention, a fundamental drive – beginning from your first breath, as we come into the world. The exhale is referred to as the “Being Breath” or the “surrendered breath.” Not much doing required. It happens organically, naturally, without effort or intention.
At first, it may seem strange. Stay with it until you can feel a sense of ease as you breathe. Do as many rounds as this takes, staying focused on this movement of the body riding the wave of breath. After some rounds, resume your normal, natural pace of breath. Notice how you feel.
You have invited a sense of felt space, quiet, ease and relaxation for your body and mind, which offers a calm, easeful place where bodywork and treatment can thrive. You have become receptive, tuned in, open. The mind-body connection has been awakened.
As healing hands and minds (Chiropractic, Physical Therapy, Active Massage Techniques - just a few examples), ask for your help in lifting, lowering, twisting your physical body; the mind and body will be able to respond optimally, to touch — without struggle and resistance. This mind-body connectivity enables your provider to optimally, help you.
Think about how stressful it may be in the Dentist’s chair; having blood drawn; picking up or holding a child who doesn’t want you to; trying to bathe a dog. Part of it is that there is no feeling of “letting go” on the part of the child, or the dog - they’re tense, rigid, and unyielding. Perhaps you’ve experienced how much more difficult it is to have the nurse insert the needle when you’re tense. Tension makes everything a little more difficult. Learning how to relax, let go, surrender to what is, creates a life with more ease… We approach meditation, be it seated or a moving meditation, in this same fundamental way. The breath is an incredible tool, available 24/7 - 365 until we take our very last breath. Lets make friends with it, get to know it, and invite it’s help so we can live with more ease, acceptance and balance.
Jane DiCola, Yoga Teacher (E-RYT)
May you be well, safe, happy, and live with ease…