There is ongoing research being done to understand the mind-body connection and how communication occurs. Newport Academy, evidence-based healing centre, quotes Dr Jennifer Weinberg, a preventive and lifestyle medicine physician as saying that “the brain ‘the hardware’ that allows us to experience the thoughts, beliefs, attitudes, and emotions that we collectively call the ‘mind.’ Communication happens via chemical and physical messengers, such as hormones and neurotransmitters. In fact, researchers have identified the actual neural networks (Dum, et al.2016) that connect the cerebral cortex to the adrenal medulla, which activates the body’s response in stressful situations. These findings illuminate how mental states, such as stress and depression, can influence organ function.”1
The mind and body are powerful partners. How you think can influence how you feel, and how you feel can affect your thinking. It used to be that if your arm got broken, you went to a doctor, and if your heart got ‘broken’, you went to a psychologist. In reality, this kind of division doesn’t work this way. You can’t separate the mind from the body; you have to treat the person as a whole: mind, body and soul as well. If you recall a time when you were waiting for medical results, you know that this is not just taking place in your mind, but comes with physical sensations of nervousness or angst which can be felt in the body as well. The same is true if you made a mistake and seriously let someone down and need to make an apology. This is often accompanied by sweaty hands, increased heart rate and possible nausea. If you get embarrassed in front of a crowd of people, it is followed by a physical sensation of blushing or anger. The examples are endless and they demonstrate that the mind and the body are inexplicably linked together and this is known as the mind-body connection.
It is fascinating to me to see how unresolved traumas from our past can show up later in life as symptoms or disease. I found this article on HUFFPOST that I wanted to share with you which shows how using Somatic experiencing we can discharge unresolved traumas that are sitting in the nervous system and allow the body to heal.
CLICK HERE to read the article entitled “Childhood trauma leads to lifelong chronic illness – so why isn’t the medical community helping patients?”
To discuss how Somatic Experiencing can help you resolve and discharge traumas from your body please CONTACT ME to be in touch and we can discuss how this process can support you.
